Glenelg (dead link: January 2023) is a small village on the coast of Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands, which historically was one of the main crossings to and from Skye. The cattle swam across on their way to market, while the humans took a ferry. Paradoxically the ferry was boosted when the road bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh opened in 1995, as this had high tolls, prompting community protests, refusals to pay, and work-around routes. The bridge became toll-free in 2004 and now takes the bulk of the traffic but the Glenelg ferry still sails in summer.
Glenelg and the coast to Arnidale had a population of 291 in 2011. The village has helpfully put up a sign on its outskirts confirming that you've reached the Glenelg that's on Earth, not the one on Mars.
The only road in is the narrow lane branching off A87 at Shiel Bridge at the head of Loch Duich. It climbs over the hills to Glenelg then continues south for 10 miles along the shores of Loch Hourn to dead-end at Arnisdale and Corran. Macrae Kintail Bus 712 runs once in the morning M-F from Corran via Glenelg (around 08:00), Dornie and Kyle of Lochalsh (09:30) to Plockton. It immediately turns round for the return, passing Kyle at 11:40 and Glenelg at 12:50. Inter-city buses between Glasgow / Inverness and Skye stop at Shiel Bridge but from there it's a seven mile walk to Glenelg.
By train: the nearest railway station Kyle of Lochalsh is ten miles north as the crow flies, but over 30 miles by road winding around Loch Duich. Kyle has four trains a day to Inverness; buses to Portree and Uig on Skye meet these trains. With bike on train, consider cycling from Kyle over the Skye Bridge then doubling back to Kylerhea for the ferry to Glenelg.
Glenelg-Kylerhea Ferry, 57.2290°, -5.6552°. Easter till mid-Oct; daily 10:00-18:00, Jun-Aug until 19:00. This unusual contraption runs every 20 min in summer. The deck is a turntable platform that can just about fit six cars. The ferry comes in alongside the pier, then the turntable is swivelled manually so vehicles can drive on and off. Car with less than 5 passengers £15, motorcycle £7 2019-02-21
The barracks, brochs and ferry jetty are easily reached on foot; there's no onward transport from Kylerhea on the Skye side.
: "The inn was furnished with not a single article that we could either eat or drink." :: - Boswell and Johnson had a miserable stay in Glenelg on their 1773 “Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland”.
Glenelg Inn is the only pub.
On the road towards Glenelg, Dr Johnson glad-handed a group of soldiers with money for drink. They got wasted.
As of July 2022, Glenelg has 4G from EE, O2 and Vodafone, but nothing from Three. There are many dead spots on the approach road, and no signal on the road from the opposite ferry pier across Skye. 5G has not reached this area.