Kylesku Boat Tour: into the wild and beneath the bridge

There are two boat excursions that we regularly use while touring the northwest of the North Coast 500, and the Kylesku trip is the more sheltered of them. The boat leaves from the little harbour beside the Kylesku Hotel and enters Loch Glencoul, protected by the surrounding hills and mountains. Strong winds can still affect any sailing, but the water does not normally develop the same swell that guests might encounter upon the open sea. For somebody uncertain about boats, this gentle introduction can make the difference between enduring a wildlife trip and actually enjoying one.

The excursion lasts a little over an hour and carries us into a glacier-carved landscape of steep rock, waterfalls and mountains. Eas a’ Chùal Aluinn, Britain’s highest waterfall, descends approximately 200 metres from the cliffs above Loch Glencoul, although its appearance depends greatly upon recent rainfall. After exploring the loch, the boat returns towards Kylesku before continuing beneath the sweeping curve of Kylesku Bridge. Seeing the bridge from the water provides the finale to the tour, because a structure that appears elegant from the road becomes enormous when viewed from below.

Wildlife is never guaranteed, but seals are the dependable stars of the trip, with both common and grey seals using the rocks and shoreline. Eider ducks, cormorants, shags, herons, oystercatchers and other seabirds may appear, while the surrounding mountains provide hunting territory for golden eagles and white-tailed sea eagles. Otters are much more difficult to find, and dolphins occasionally enter the loch, although they should be regarded as a considerable bonus rather than an expectation. Binoculars are available aboard the boat, but guests should still bring warm waterproof clothing because sheltered water does not necessarily mean warm Highland weather.

The skipper combines the wildlife with local fishing, geology and the history of Kylesku, while I remain with our guests to add further context, identify distant birds and explain the old ferry crossing, the construction of the bridge and the surrounding landscape. Wind, engine noise and the natural movement of passengers can make commentary difficult to catch aboard any small boat, but nobody needs to hear every word to appreciate what lies around them. The strength of this excursion is the place itself: calm water beneath immense mountains, seals watching from the rocks and the unusual pleasure of looking upwards at a bridge that most North Coast 500 travellers experience only through a windscreen.

To learn more, book one of our North Coast Explorer private tours.