Doug Shepherd's photos with the keyword: Coats

The Skye Bridge spans Loch Alsh (Plus x 1 PiP)

28 Jun 2018 18 15 509
The PiP was taken the following day, by which time the weather had improved ;-)) The Skye Bridge (Scottish Gaelic: Drochaid an Eilein Sgitheanaich) is a road bridge over Loch Alsh, Scotland, connecting the Isle of Skye to the island of Eilean Bàn. The name is also used for the whole Skye Crossing, which further connects Eilean Bàn to the mainland across the Carrich Viaduct. The crossing forms part of the A87. Traditionally, the usual route from the mainland to Skye was the shortest crossing, with a length of around 500 metres (1,640 ft), across the sound between the villages of Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland and Kyleakin on the island's east coast. A ferry service operated from around 1600, run by private operators and latterly by Caledonian MacBrayne. On completion of the bridge in 1995 the ferry service was discontinued. Eilean Bàn (Scottish Gaelic meaning White Island) is a six acre island that was home to John Lister-Kaye, who wrote his book The White Island about his time there, working for Gavin Maxwell. In 2001 the island had a population of two as recorded by the census but in 2011 there were no "usual residents" living there. Kyleakin Lighthouse is situated at the south-western end of Eilean Bàn. It was built by David and Thomas Stevenson in 1857, and is linked to a pair of keepers' houses. The lighthouse was automated and converted to use acetylene gas in 1960. Following the start of construction of the Skye Bridge, the lighthouse was decommissioned in 1993.