Kylerhea to Kinloch Path, Skye

Start location: Kylerhea (NG 788 209)
End location: Kinloch (NG 697 178)
Geographical area: Skye and Lochalsh
Path Type: Drove Road
Path distance: 0km
Accessibility info: Suitable for pedestrians

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Route Description

This route starts from the A851 road between Broadford and Isleornsay at map ref 693 165, just south of a roadside phone box. Follow a forest road across the Abhainn Ceann-locha and then go SE to a carpark and behind the Kinloch Lodge Hotel for about 2km to map ref 712 154. At that point a newly made path branches off E uphill. Follow this good path for 2km to map ref 732 160 where it turns downhill, and continue NE by a fainter path which traverses through clearings in the forest to emerge at map ref 747 172. For the next 2km the path is visible, though in a bad state of repair; it passes through more recent plantations where the path has been left clear of planting, then comes 11/2km gradually descending across more open ground through the top of an old natural wood. Finally there is a 2km section where the path has seriously deteriorated, in places lost in the dreadful bog. It may be better to go down to the shore for this part of the route. Finally, reach a footbridge over the Kylerhea River 1/2km from the end of the public road in Kylerhea.

Heritage Information

Kylerhea was a very important crossing for droving traffic and it is thought that between 5,000 and 8,000 cattle crossed from Skye to the mainland here annually.  Mostly the cattle would have been swum over with the tail of each cow being tied to the next cow's jaw, which occasionally resulted in tails being pulled off.

The main track for drovers to Kylerhea was what is now the current vehicular road but this route is thought to have been used by drovers with cattle from the Sleat area looking to cross at Kylerhea.

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