Plockton

Plockton Scottish Gaelic: Am Ploc
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	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
UK Parliament	Ross, Skye and Lochaber
Scottish Parliament	Ross, Skye and Inverness West
Website	plockton.com

The mild climate permits palm-like cabbage trees to grow in Scotland

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.

Plockton is a 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 nineteenth and twentieth 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 tourist resort. The television 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 television series.

Facilities

The village has a small general store with a café; 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.

Nearby is Duncraig Castle, a nineteenth-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 Dobsons of Duncraig. The castle was sold in 2009 to Suzanne Hazeldine.

Plockton has been a popular location for many artists including those from The Edinburgh School (Adam Bruce Thomson, David Macbeth Sutherland) and continues to attract artists.

Education

Plockton is home to Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd - the National Centre For Excellence in Traditional Music at Plockton High School, which also serves the village, and a wide surrounding area. The school also hosts the Am Bàta project teaching pupils in the art of boat building, from which a number of 'local' style boats have been produced. Some have been donated to the local sailing club - Plockton Small Boat Sailing Club - whilst others have been sold to the public.

Between the years of 1956 and 1972 Plockton was home to the renowned Gaelic scholar Sorley MacLean (Somhairle MacGill-Eain) whilst headmaster at the high-school, who introduced the teaching of Gaelic and championed shinty.

Since 1991 Plockton Primary School has accommodated a Gaelic-medium education unit (GMU) whereby instruction is through the medium of Gaelic. 24.4% of the population in the catchment area of Plockton Primary School is able to speak Gaelic – the highest incidence of Gaelic-speaking on the mainland of Scotland.

Football club

Since 1954 the village has played host to Plockton Amateur Football Club, a organisation of varying success. Calling the Alasdair Ross Memorial Park their home, and playing in yellow and black strips, the club are affectionately known as the "Bumble Bees". The club currently participate in the Skye and Lochalsh Amateur Football Association Bagshaw League and have been described as 'sleeping giants', strictly adhering to a passing football philosophy, contrasting with the approach of other local football clubs such as Kyle, and Glenelg. Recent successes include repeatedly winning the Clan Donald Cup - the Champions League of West Highland football. Deploying some of the finest football scouts in Scotland, Plockton AFC have signed players from as far a field as Drumbuie, but most notably from Edinburgh where a number of recent star players have been poached. The close relationship between the club and the capital city has also provided the perfect platform for young Plockton players to develop their skills in a more tame southern football environment during the winter, returning to their parent club during the important summer campaigns. The current president of Plockton Football Amateur Club is former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Media

• 
  Aerial view of Plockton
• 
  Harbour Street, the main street in Plockton
• 
  Dancing on the street on the last day of the Regatta fortnight

Climate

The MetOffice operates a weather station at Plockton 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
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	7.2 (45.0)	7.5 (45.5)	8.9 (48.0)	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)	12.1 (53.9)
Mean daily minimum °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 (48.0)	6.9 (44.4)	4.1 (39.4)	2.7 (36.9)	5.9 (42.5)
Source: 1971-2000 averages

See also

• Port an Eòrna

External links

• Plockton Airfield
• Plockton web portal
• BBC on The Dobsons and the Castle
• The Kyle Line
• Hamish Macbeth at Scotland The Movie
• Panorama of Plockton (QuickTime required)