Strome Ferry

The slipway near Strome Castle, looking across Loch Carron

Before the 'new' A890 was built along Loch Carron's South-eastern shore, a ferry operated from the village of Strome Ferry on the south side to a slipway near the ruined Strome Castle on the north shore. The ferry was discontinued in c1970 after the new road bypass was opened.

In 1963, the crossing took about 8 minutes, cost 10s for a car and the boat could carry up to 6 cars. It operated from 8am-9pm/dusk in the summer months and from 9am-dusk through the winter, but there wasn't a Sunday service. The only other option was a 143 mile detour via Inverness.

For those people not keen on the ferry, there was an alternative rail service running from Kyle or Strome stations to Strathcarron station on the B856. For a while this line also offered a motorail service.

The Bypass

The 7.75 mile single track road from Strathcarron to South Strome was opened on 5 October 1970 by Gordon Campbell, Scottish Secretary. It subsumed the former B856 between Strathcarron Station and Strathcarron Junction. It included 1 in 7 gradients, crumbling rockfaces enclosed in steel mesh and an avalanche shelter, the first on a British Road. There had been 2 landslides at that location during construction. It replaced the queues at the ferry, which did not run on Sundays giving the only option of a 143 mile detour via Inverness. Consulting Engineers were Babtie, Shaw and Morton of Glasgow. It was the last big contract for Duncan Logan Construction Ltd. of Muir of Ord who went into liquidation. Cost £862,000.

2012 reopening

In late 2011, there were two severe landslides/rockfalls on the A890 just north of Strome Ferry, blocking the road. Engineers have since investigated the cliff face, and are concerned about the stability, so the road has been closed indefinitely. Further along, an avalanche shelter was built in 1990, and this is an option being investigated, but in the short term 2 other options are being progressed.

The first is that the ferry Glenachulish, currently employed through the summer months on the Glenelg - Kylerhea Ferry crossing to Skye is hopefully going to be introduced on the Strome Ferry crossing, albeit for local/essential traffic only. The option to lay a temporary road along the parallel railway line is also being pursued. This method was used during the construction of the shelter in 1990, creating the 'longest level crossing', and may be repeated now, so re-opening an important local link that has created a 140mile diversion route.

Ferries

Name	IMO	Operator	Dates	Notes
Glenachulish		Isle of Skye Community Interest Company	2012	6 cars; hired in from Glenelg during road closure MarineTraffic (no IMO)
Pride of Strome		Cumming Family	1962-70	6-9 cars
Strome Castle II		Cumming Family	1959-70	6 cars
Strome Castle		George Cumming	1940-62	2 cars
Highland Queen		George Cumming	1938-62	2 cars
Maid of Strome?			1920-40	1-2 cars