1995 – Skye Bridge Completed

The Skye Bridge

The car ferry making the five minute journey between Kyleakin and Kyle of Lochalsh was finally made redundant in 1995 with the opening of the Skye Bridge.

The reasons for and against a large, modern construction in an area of stunning natural beauty, little changed since King Haakon anchored his Norwegian longships there in 1263, aroused much passionate debate. Some were not surprised when the government of the day plumped for the cheapest bridge design submitted.

Although it fulfils its purpose in ending the queues of vehicles waiting for the cramped ferries, the unsympathetic design of the bridge has appalled many. With the ferry gone, residents have been further dismayed by the level of tolls its owners charge.

Joined to the mainland for the first time since the Ice Age, the romantic Isle of Skye looks set to either reap the rewards or pay the consequences of this construction.