The Glenelg Peninsula is a wonderfully detached and independent place hidden from the eyes of the world by a curtain of high, inhospitable mountains. Its shores look out across to Skye and the deep indentation of Loch Hourn that curves around the southern boundary.
Access over the protective mountains is nigh on impossible – even on foot. In just one unlikely-looking place, Mam Ratagan, a narrow road struggles over the hills and drops like a stone into this idyllic spot.
Glenelg is perhaps most famous as the setting for Gavin Maxwell’s life (and novel) with his otter, and the place where he lived can be found after a stiff walk to the shore.
Until recently there has been no official campsite in Glenelg, leaving campers who wished to savour the solitude huddled together, wild camping on the shore near the ferry across to Skye. The problem with the wild camping was that so many people, from all over Europe, were turning up to experience the peace and quiet of Glenelg that there was none left. It had become more ‘beach ghetto’ than ‘wild’.
Thankfully the small campsite at Moyle Park, a mile or so away from the sea, has recently opened to offer an easier and more peaceful alternative. This simple little site, surrounded by mountains, has no facilities but blends seamlessly into the stunning surroundings.
