Kylesku Bridge & VillageKylesku is a delightfully peaceful village on the shores of Loch Glendhu and Glencoul, two sea-lochs in Sutherland, northwest Scotland. Legendary walking writer Alfred Wainwright once wrote of Kylesku: "Anyone with an eye for impressive beauty will not regard time spent at Kylesku as wasted. Twin peaks of Quinaig dominate an awe-inspiring picture of great contrasts, of glittering waters cradled in the arms of dark and sinister heights: the silence is profound and the loneliness almost fearful. I could spend a day here, just looking. Kylesku is a wonderful place."  Kylesku Bridge The nature of the Scottish landscape means that links across stretches of water have been vital to the transport infrastructure of the country. The Kylesku Bridge, opened in 1984, has been described as one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. It was designed by the architects Arup to compliment the natural beauty of the site, and won several design and construction awards. Completed in 1984 after a 2 year build, this impressive bridge transformed communication links with the far North West. Prior to its construction, the narrow crossing at Kylesku was navigated by a small and free car ferry leaving from the slipway at the hotel on the south side of the lochs.
The detour to get to the other side by road (should you have missed the ferry), was more than 100 miles. The bar in the Kylesku Hotel has about a dozen photos of the ferry in operation over the last few decades of its operation. The rotting hull of one of the latter ferries, the Maid of Kylesku, is laid up on the beach in the Kylesku harbour. Superb views of the bridge can be had from both the north and south sides. Statesman boat trips (More details) The Statesman is a 25-ton wooden hulled pleasure boat that runs trips from the Kylesku Hotel slipway in the summer. There are two main trips, one to Eas a Chual Aluinn and one to Kerrachar Gardens. Both trips allow passengers to view the stunning landscape from a different angle and to see the seals, otters, golden eagles and other wildlife that inhabits the area. Eas a Chual Aluinn is Britain's tallest waterfall at 200m high. Its name means ‘the splendid waterfall of Coul'. Boat trips leave twice daily in the summer and last approximately two hours. It is also possible to approach the waterfall on foot from Loch na Gainmhich, although the trip is only advisable for experienced walkers. Kerrachar Gardens (http://www.kerrachar.co.uk/) lies in its own little bay on the south shore of Loch a' Chairn Bhain and is most easily accessed by the boat. Trips run on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday during the summer. Peter and Trish Kohn, who started the garden in 1995, have done a splendid job developing this 1 hectare disused croft into a marvellous plantsman's garden. Trips can be booked by phoning +44 1971 502 345. X-craft Submarines, Kylesku and the Tirpitz The X-craft 4-man submarines were built, during World War Two, for attacking enemy warships moored in protected anchorages, particularly the German battleship Tirpitz. They were towed to the vicinity of the target, usually by a larger submarine. The operational crew would then replace the passage crew on the X-craft, and the craft would be released. The significance for Kylesku was that X-craft training was conducted in Loch Cairnbawn, one of the three lochs that Kylesku sits at the junction of. Training was rugged and thorough, with the crews exercised in every aspect of an operation, including cutting through nets, and 'escape and evasion' techniques for personnel. It also included each X-craft being subjected to depth charge explosions to familiarise the crews with what it was like being under attack. Nerves of steel were essential and training carried a price, with two men losing their lives through accident. The original X-craft, X1 to X4, were never used for operations. X5 to X10 were used in the successful attack on Tirpitz. None of the craft survived. The basic facts and figures for the X-craft were:
It is worth recording that, during the war, the following awards and decorations were won by X-craft submariners:
In the car park on the North side of the Kylesku Bridge stands a memorial to the men of the X-craft and the local people who ‘knew so much and said so little'. A full display of the story of the Kylesku X-craft and their significance for the second world war is on the wall of the bar at the Kylesku Hotel. |
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