Touring on Skye

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
ambodach
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Re: Touring on Skye

Post by ambodach »

Not confined to Skye but many consider hire cars and motorhomes to be a curse and a pestilence. They are mostly driven by people unused to driving on the left and on single track roads particularly can be a danger. They also tend to drive slowly with no regard for anyone else.
mattheus
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Location: Western Europe

Re: Touring on Skye

Post by mattheus »

… much discussed on the North Coast 500 thread. (and I've read it elsewhere).
phil parker
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Re: Touring on Skye

Post by phil parker »

I noticed a couple of home-made protest signs, either just before or after Broadford, that declared "We need schools - not Airports". This had me wondering if planning application had been applied for. Although with an adequate air strip at Plockton, I wonder why?
philsknees
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Joined: 14 May 2017, 2:29pm
Location: St. Ockport

Re: Touring on Skye

Post by philsknees »

phil parker wrote:I noticed a couple of home-made protest signs, either just before or after Broadford, that declared "We need schools - not Airports". This had me wondering if planning application had been applied for. Although with an adequate air strip at Plockton, I wonder why?


This: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/ne ... s-takeoff/ explains what's going on.
Apparently an airport on Skye is considered by some :? to be the missing link in Scotlands air service.
Back in the day, before the Loganair scheduled flights ceased, climbing friends who were short of leave (but not money!) sometimes flew into Broadford to join us on our climbing trips. I wasn't aware of the seaplane passenger service mentioned in the news article though.
Pre-bridge it wasn't unusual to helicopter seriously ill patients to Inverness hospital rather than subject them to the long road journey by ambulance - if, of course, the ferry was running.
Wonder who's paying :roll:
phil parker
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Re: Touring on Skye

Post by phil parker »

“Skye is very much the missing link in Scotland’s air network. Let’s put Skye on the map for air services, benefiting locals, businesses and tourists.”


With all that has been discussed here - maybe a bridge too far?
ambodach
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Joined: 15 Mar 2011, 6:45pm

Re: Touring on Skye

Post by ambodach »

I think an air service to Skye was discontinued due the low traffic figures. There is a small but vocal pressure group who may use it for business purposes but not enough of them to be economically viable. I have seen the seaplane in use as it flew to Oban and Tobermory but failed to attract enough real traffic so has not done this route for a few years now.
mattheus
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Re: Touring on Skye

Post by mattheus »

I would LOOOOVE to arrive in Tobermory by seaplane, just once. I'd wear my Indiana Jones hat for the occasion.

I guess I'd need to reach some sea first to start the journey; perhaps by pony-n-trap …


[EDIT to correct Indiana :roll: ]
Last edited by mattheus on 30 Jan 2020, 1:33pm, edited 1 time in total.
philsknees
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Re: Touring on Skye

Post by philsknees »

mattheus wrote:I would LOOOOVE to arrive in Tobermory by seaplane, just once. I'd wear my Indian Jones hat for the occasion.

I guess I'd need to reach some sea first to start the journey; perhaps by pony-n-trap …


A few years ago we were impressively buzzed several times by a seaplane (presumably from here: https://www.lochlomondseaplanes.com/ while cycling the south Loch Tay road. He later stooged around level with us out above the loch before giving us a grandstand view of him landing and taxi-ing towards Ardeonaig hotel, where his passengers disembarked into a motor launch, presumably for lunch? Someone must have splashed out a few bob!

Loch Lomond Seaplanes appear to offer flights to Oban and Tobermory from the Clyde Seaplane Terminal in Glasgow during winter months and shorter "tourist hops" in summer (per Wiki & their own website) but you may want to thoroughly investigate some of the Tripadvisor reviews before proceeding.
ambodach
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Re: Touring on Skye

Post by ambodach »

Loch Lomond Seaplanes will I think go anywhere they can land on water. I did see the program where they landed on Skye at the airstrip but that I think is a rare occurrence. I have not heard of them landing in either Oban or Tobermory recently. There was in the past a scheduled flight to Glenforsa on Mull but this could be dodgy for landing in a side wind. There also has to be appropriate equipment such as a fire engine on standby with obviously people trained in it’s use.
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Navrig
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Re: Touring on Skye

Post by Navrig »

Skye is beautiful in most weather but there are equally as beautiful places in Scotland better suited to cycling. Skye is just too congested for the narrow roads and bikes.

Don't count on getting B&B on spec during the summer months. The island is at times "full".
gloomyandy
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Re: Touring on Skye

Post by gloomyandy »

Navrig wrote:Don't count on getting B&B on spec during the summer months. The island is at times "full".


Indeed we are travelling to the Outer Hebrides via Skye this July and most of the B&Bs we contacted told us they had been booked solid for some time.
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