A Visit to Plockton in the Scottish Highlands

Plockton is a beautiful small village in Wester Ross on the northwest coast of Scotland. It sits in a sheltered bay on the edge of Loch Carron not too far from the ocean. Plockton is also a National Trust for Scotland conservation village, which helps preserve its heritage.

The day we visited was an incredibly beautiful, sunny day. We hadn't actually planned to visit Plockton but we'd gone on a sightseeing cruise and the captain recommended it since it was only five miles away from Kyle of Lochalsh.

 Plockton is one of the most attractive, picturesque villages in Scotland.  Since the BBC series Hamish MacBeth was filmed here in the mid 1990s it's been a popular tourist attraction. There are a number of hotels and B&Bs here to choose from.

 As you can see from the picture below, the main street is very narrow but it is two-way. Driving down it is an adventure in itself since you have to watch out for pedestrians and oncoming cars. And miss the parked cars. Fortunately, every few parking spaces is a pull-off space designed for passing oncoming cars.

 Plockton was originally known as Am Ploc. It was a crofting hamlet until the end of the 1700s. But during the Highland Clearances, landowners urged people off the land so they could make more money grazing sheep. Plockton became a port of embarkation where people whose families had lived here for many generations left for the New World.

 In the 1800s, Sir Hugh Innes, the landowner, developed a new fishing port called Plockton. During this time there was a "herring boom" and as many as 500 people lived in Plockton. But the herring boom soon ended and the potato famine struck in the 1840s. After that the village was known as Baile na Bochdainn, or "village of the poor."

 The railway came in the 1890s which helped the local economy. Today, Plockton is popular with artists. And there is an annual Plockton Regatta held for two weeks in late July/early August.

 Check out this view! This is where we sat to eat a spontaneous lunch of fish and chips at a picnic table. It was definitely one of my favorite days in Scotland and finding Plockton was like finding a hidden treasure.

Thanks for checking out my pics and visiting Plockton with me!
Vonda
www.vondasinclair.com