Anywhere around Kyle of Lochalsh to leave a boat for a week or so?

[dgadee]

Have friends coming and was thinking of pottering down south with them, but would have to leave boat somewhere for the first week of August before I go back north. Are there safe swinging moorings or pontoons somewhere around the Kyle (not sure I want to go down as far as Mallaig) where transport is reasonably easy to access? The pontoons at Kyle itself, I have been told, are quite exposed.

 

[Trop Cher]

There's swinging moorings at Broadford, Plockton and Lochcarron, all of which can be hired for a week, Plockton costs £72 for the week. There's been a visiting boat on the Lochcarron moorings for several weeks. There's also swinging moorings at Kyle, but you'll have to make enquiries with the harbourmaster about these, you could ask him about the pontoons at Kyleatkin.

 

[stevepick]

Mooring buoys in Plockton? 10 minute walk to train station from the harbour. Not sure where you could store the rubber duck, unless you could get a friendly local to store it for you.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

There's swinging moorings at Broadford, Plockton and Lochcarron, all of which can be hired for a week, Plockton costs £72 for the week. There's been a visiting boat on the Lochcarron moorings for several weeks. There's also swinging moorings at Kyle, but you'll have to make enquiries with the harbourmaster about these, you could ask him about the pontoons at Kyleatkin.

Kyleakin pontoons are full of small day boats, fishing boats, trip boats and a few unloved sailing boats. They are always rafted 2 or 3 deep, so probably not very suitable. The blue visitor moorings at Kyleakin are run by Highland Council (office in Lochinver opposite the HM) rather than the Kyle of Lochalsh HM. They are not bookable or intended for anything other than passing boats for short periods. There are many other moorings off Kyleakin, but I have never found who runs them.

 

[KAL]

How about Glenelg Bay?

 

[alkira]

visitor moorings at plockton are a good bet......train to inverness regularly .......solid and well maintained and good shelter. You can leave your dinghy overturned and locked to the signpost just above the pontoon or ask one of the friendly locals and they can store it in their garden

 

[ffiill]

visitor moorings at plockton are a good bet......train to inverness regularly .......solid and well maintained and good shelter. You can leave your dinghy overturned and locked to the signpost just above the pontoon or ask one of the friendly locals and they can store it in their garden

As a permanent mooring holder I just leave my dingy tied up to the outer deep water jetty sometimes all season but check with mooring association.
Very inconvenient here for an opportunist thief.
The inner drying out jetty right next to the car park and visible to most visitors is as such more vunerable.
We still live in a world where doors are left unlocked and things tend to stay where you leave them but a padlock to the jetty at the top end should be more than adequate.

 

[Kelpie]

Kyleakin pontoons are full of small day boats, fishing boats, trip boats and a few unloved sailing boats. They are always rafted 2 or 3 deep, so probably not very suitable. The blue visitor moorings at Kyleakin are run by Highland Council (office in Lochinver opposite the HM) rather than the Kyle of Lochalsh HM. They are not bookable or intended for anything other than passing boats for short periods. There are many other moorings off Kyleakin, but I have never found who runs them.

The moorings off Kyleakin are run by a private moorings association, I believe.
You are right about the Kyleakin pontoon being a bit congested, but being council run it is relatively cheap.

 

[Trop Cher]

The blue visitor moorings at Kyleakin are run by Highland Council (office in Lochinver opposite the HM) rather than the Kyle of Lochalsh HM. They are not bookable or intended for anything other than passing boats for short periods. There are many other moorings off Kyleakin, but I have never found who runs them.

Kyle of Lochalsh Harbour is a Highland Council harbour, therefore so are the visitor moorings, but as I said best to make an enquiry first with the harbourmaster for advice. He is responsible for the pontoons at Kyle and Kyleatkin as well as all the moorings in between.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

He is responsible for the pontoons at Kyle...

Not any more. The council handed the pontoons at Kyle over to a community trust last year...

http://www.kyleandlochalsh.org.uk/whos-who.asp

 

[Trop Cher]

Not any more. The council handed the pontoons at Kyle over to a community trust last year...

http://www.kyleandlochalsh.org.uk/whos-who.asp

Thanks for the update!

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Thanks for the update!

In effect, it makes no difference. The community trust have also taken over the public toilets just up the steps. They are being refurbished this year to be combined public toilets and facilities for visiting boats. The showers used to be a bit grim but should be all swanky when they are finished.