The wind was from south when we were departing from the Isle of Skye. This meant motoring with the wind on the nose until passing the neighbour island’s southern tip. After turning east we could raise sails and relax on nice beam wind on our way towards Plockton.
The feeling was unbelievable when Suwena slowly entered into the tranquil bay in front of Plockton that is protected by hills in three directions. This time the rugged hillsides also had some plantation and trees on their slopes. This was different from northern lochs where the cliffs raised as bare rock towards the sky.
There were a plenty of buoys and also enough space for anchoring in front of Plockton. The bay offered options to suit all tastes. Would you like to be closer to shore or stay farther away? You could also choose the mooring buoy or own anchor. We arrived to Plockton in the late afternoon so most of the buoys were already occupied. Only a few smaller mooring buoys were vacant. That was not a problem. We put the hook down and set to enjoy the peacefulness of Plockton.
We were enjoying the gentle summer evening in Suwena’s cockpit and just could not stop admiring the nature around us. On one side the view looked like a postcard where there was a hillside with pine tree forest and a castle. While on the other side Andrus could see through binoculars a waterfront of Plockton that was lined by lush palm trees. We enjoyed the gorgeous summer evening late into the night, indeed.
Next day we drove our dinghy to shore and went exploring Plockton. We were blown away by rose gardens situated between palm trees swaying in the wind. Every house by the Harbour St had it’s own green oasis by the sea. Now the Swedish well-cared courtyards got a real challenger. We had read about the microclimate of Plockton beforehand and all those praisings are well deserved. Mountains which protect the village circularly from the sea form the separate local climate in Plockton. The prevailing winds and the sea salt coming with the wind cannot access the plantation and trees so they stay well being. In addition the Golf stream keeps the climate mild. Some even call Plockton the pearl of the Highland’s of Scotland.
We really felt like being teleported to green oasis after a long stays at the mercy of the North-Atlantic winds. Cute colourful houses, fragrant flowers, continuous birdsong and warm summer day. Are we really in Scotland or are we suddenly in the Mediterranean? The journey here was definitely worthwhile!
