Plockton

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Plockton
Scottish Gaelic: Am Ploc
Plockton is located in Highland
Plockton
Plockton
 Plockton shown within the Highland council area
Population 378 
OS grid reference NG803334
Council area Highland
Lieutenancy area Ross and Cromarty
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town PLOCKTON
Postcode district IV52
Dialling code 01599
Police Scottish
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
EU Parliament Scotland
UK Parliament Ross, Skye and Lochaber
Scottish Parliament Ross, Skye and Inverness West
Website plockton.com
List of places
UK
Scotland

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Plockton (Am Ploc/Ploc Loch Aillse in Gaelic) is a village in the Highlands of Scotland in the county of Ross and Cromarty with a population of 378.[1]

Details

File:Plockton, Wester Ross.jpg
The mild climate permits palm-like cabbage trees to grow in Scotland

Plockton is a picturesque settlement on the shores of Loch Carron. It faces east, away from the prevailing winds, which together with the North Atlantic Drift gives it a mild climate allowing the Cordyline australis palm or cabbage tree to prosper.

Most of the houses date from the 19th and 20th centuries. It was a planned community based on fishing in an attempt to stem the tide of emigration from the Highlands. The Church of Scotland in the village (also used by the Free Church of Scotland) was designed by Thomas Telford.

The village is a popular tourist resort, especially because the TV series Hamish Macbeth, starring Robert Carlyle, was filmed there, substituting for the fictional Lochdubh. Plockton was also used for various scenes in the film The Wicker Man and the Inspector Alleyn Mysteries TV series.

The village boasts a small general store with a cafe; a takeaway; the Plockton Shores restaurant; newsagent and craft shop; three hotels with pubs; numerous B&Bs; library with free internet access and a village hall, which holds community events and art exhibitions. It is served by Plockton railway station, on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line and the short Plockton Airfield for light aircraft and microlights. In 2003, the Plockton Hotel and Plockton Inn managed to respectively win AA Pub of the Year and AA Seafood Pub of Year. Calum's seal and dolphin trips are the longest established boat trips in the area with a 4 star visitor attraction grading. Plockton High School serves the village, and a wide surrounding area.

Nearby is Duncraig Castle, a 19th-century stately home built by the Matheson family, who made their money in the opium trade. The castle was derelict for many years, having previously been used as an hospital, catering college, and a base for film crews. It was once owned by the extended Dobson family who were in the process of renovating it and this was shown in the BBC documentary titled The Dobson's of Duncraig. The castle was sold in 2009 to Suzanne Hazeldine.

Plockton has been a very popular location for many artists including those from The Edinburgh School (Adam Bruce Thomson, David Macbeth Sutherland) and continues to attract gifted artists from Scotland and further afield.[2]

Media

  • Plockton - geograph.org.uk - 8277.jpg

    Aerial view of Plockton

  • Scotland Plockton 2.jpg

    Harbour Street, the main street in Plockton

  • Plockton Dancing Regatta.jpg

    Dancing on the street on the last day of the Regatta fortnight

Climate

The MetOffice operates a weather station at Plockton[3] for which 30 year averages are available. As with the rest of the British Isles and Scotland, Plockton experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters.

Climate data for Duirinish-Plockton, 18m asl, 1971-2000
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 7.2
(45)		 7.5
(45.5)		 8.9
(48)		 11.2
(52.2)		 14.7
(58.5)		 16.2
(61.2)		 17.7
(63.9)		 17.5
(63.5)		 15.2
(59.4)		 12.5
(54.5)		 9.4
(48.9)		 7.7
(45.9)		 12.14
(53.87)
Average low °C (°F) 2.0
(35.6)		 2.1
(35.8)		 2.9
(37.2)		 4.1
(39.4)		 6.4
(43.5)		 8.7
(47.7)		 10.8
(51.4)		 10.7
(51.3)		 8.9
(48)		 6.9
(44.4)		 4.1
(39.4)		 2.7
(36.9)		 5.86
(42.55)
Source: 1971-2000 averages[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.highland.gov.uk/plintra/iandr/cen/sz/plockton.htm
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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