Dornie - Scottish village
Dornie is a village in Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands. It's on A87 the main road to Skye, and is a compulsory photo stop for Eilean Donan Castle perched on an islet. Dornie had a population of 360 in 2006.
The village is at the foot of Loch Long where it joins the broader Loch Duich; Loch Long was first bridged in 1940 and the present bridge opened in 1990. The ancient ferry continued in sporadic use to cross Loch Duich to Totaig on the other bank, but this didn't last. Appropriately then, the bagpipe tune Dornie Ferry is a "Strathspey", a slow, rather melancholy, back-and-forth dance tune.
Get in
Dornie is on A87 nine miles east of Kyle of Lochalsh.
By train: Kyle of Lochalsh is the nearest railway station. It has four trains a day from Inverness, stopping at Dingwall, Achnasheen, Stromeferry and Plockton. Buses to Skye connect with these trains. With a bike on the train, you could also get off at Stromeferry and follow the shorter but hilly A890 over to Dornie.
By bus: Scottish Citylink Bus 915 runs twice daily between Glasgow and Skye, stopping in Dornie. The route north is from Buchanan St Station via Glasgow Airport, Dumbarton, Loch Lomond west bank, Crianlarich, Glencoe, Fort William and Invergarry taking six hours to Dornie. Buses then cross the bridge at Kyle to Skye, through Broadford, Sligachan and Portree to Uig, for ferries to Tarbert on Harris and Lochmaddy on North Uist.
Scottish Citylink Bus 917 runs twice daily from Inverness via Loch Ness, taking two hours to Dornie then onward to Kyle and Portree on Skye as above.
Macrae Kintail Bus 712 runs once in the morning M-F from Corran via Glenelg, Dornie and Kyle of Lochalsh to Plockton. It immediately turns round for the return, so it's no help for day trips.
Get around
It's only five minutes walk between the Castle and the village of Dornie.
See
- Eilean Donan Castle, 57.274167°, -5.515833°, +44 1599 555202. Daily, Nov-Mar 10:00-16:00, Apr-Oct 10:00-18:00 (from 09:00 Jul-Aug). The original Donan was a 7th century saint and martyr, and there's been some kind of settlement here since ancient times. The main incarnation of the castle was from the 13th century, a redoubt of Clan Mackenzie, and was much bashed-about but survived until the 18th. After the 1715 Jacobite rebellion failed a further uprising was attempted in 1719 but never got started, but some Spanish troops and other rebels holed up in the castle. Three navy ships arrived to negotiate their surrender, but the landing boat was fired upon while under flag of truce. Big mistake: when the ships departed three days later, the castle was rubble and the surviving rebels were in shackles below deck. It remained ruined until the 20th century when it was restored as an "show" castle, and joined to the mainland by the stone bridge. It opened to the public in 1955 and has been a popular film-location ever since. Adult £10, child £6 2019-02-20
- Caisteal Grugaig 📍: the lane west from Shiel Bridge divides, drive straight on to go over the hills to Glenelg (for the Kylerhea ferry) and Corran. The right-turn branch keeps to the lochside, passing through Ratagan and Letterfearn to the end of the public road at Totaig. Near here is the iron age broch of Caisteal Grugaig, 16.5 x 9.6 m in extent. It's not to be confused with Dun Grugaig, one of the three brochs near Glenelg.
Do
- Go hiking and hill-walking - this is an excellent area for walking, see Walkhighlands (Kintail and Lochalsh) walks for suggested routes. There are thirty-some "Munroes" in the area.
Buy
- Dornie Stores, 3 Francis St IV40 8EJ, 57.27998°, -5.51542°, +44 1599 555219. M-F 07:30-18:00, Sa 07:30-16:00, Su 10:00-14:00. Convenience store and post office. 2019-08-01
Eat
- The Clachan, 13 Francis Street, Dornie IV40 8DT, 57.27888°, -5.51525°, +44 1599 55536. Apr-Oct M-Th 16:30-23:00, F Sa 16:30-00:00. Village pub and restaurant, try the langoustines. Closed in winter. 2019-02-20
- There's also a cafe at the castle Visitor Centre, land-side of the bridge to the islet.
Drink
- Fairytale Distillery northwest of the bridge makes gin and rum. No tours, but the shop is open M-Sa 10:00-17:00.
- And see "Eat" and "Sleep" options.
Sleep
- Dornie Hotel, Dornie IV40 8DT (turn off A87 into village), 57.2793°, -5.5153°, +44 1599 555205, dorniehotel@hotmail.co.uk. 12 room hotel with bar and restaurant, open all year. B&B doubles from £80 2019-02-20
- A few small B&Bs and self-catering cottages in the village, and another scattering west of the A87 bridge.
- Kintail Lodge Hotel, Glenshiel Bridge IV40 8HL (SE end of Loch Duich, 7 miles from Dornie), 57.2206°, -5.4175°, +44 1599 511275, reception@kintaillodgehotel.co.uk. Nine en-suite rooms plus bar and restaurant; open all year. B&B double from £135 2019-02-20
Connect
As of July 2022, Dornie and the A87 have 4G from all UK carriers. 5G has not reached this area.
Go next
- Plockton is a pretty village, an easy day trip on the train from Kyle of Lochalsh.
- Skye across the A87 bridge may initially disappoint, as you arrive in low-lying Sleat. Keep going for the Cuillin mountains, and Trotternish the spectacular northeast peninsula.
- A87 east leads into the Great Glen, joining A82 northeast to Loch Ness and Inverness or southwest to Fort William.