Kinlochewe Caravan Club Site (REF : KLE)

We stayed at Kinlochewe in October 2018 until it’s closure for the winter months. Sitting in the shadow of Bienn Eighe, the site is peaceful and kept to a very high standard. A trip to Applecross is worth considering, with luck you may get views across to Skye. You can travel the scenic coastal route or if brave, take Bealach an ba ( pass of the cattle) over the mountains. LUnch at Applecross Inn is a treat with home cooked food. Also a trip to Gairlock is worth considering, the farm and garden store has something for almost everyone and lunch at the Old Inn at Gairlock is a must.

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Kinlochewe - a superb site in every regard. But let’s start with the wardens. This is their first season here and they must be two of the most active and personable wardens on the network. Sue manages the reception process with consummate charm and ease; Andrew always has time to advise, help and chat, adding significantly to the feeling of inclusion. Many other reviews here deal with the site itself, but here are a few tips. The site: the toilet block is modest in size, but adequate for the site, clean, well maintained and heated. Adjacent to the laundry room (which is the wifi hotspot) is a very convenient drying room for walking clothes. Should you watch TV, take a coaxial cable to connect to the bollard. Shopping: Alan drives Kenneth Morrison’s butchers van to the site each Tuesday and Friday. This is a walk-in van from which you can get a variety of provisions, including vegetables. Their meat is first class - your receipt will reveal full details of the animal, its rearing, slaughter and butchering (you can pre-order on 01445 712485). During our visit Allan’s van had broken down, so we drove the 20 miles to Gairloch along Loch Maree to their shop. Save for the picturesque final section which is single lane, the road is effortless and well maintained. Call in to be served by Ann at Kenneth Morrison Ltd (IV21 2BZ); but do not neglect the Farm and Garden Store (IV21 2BH) which retails the best fish pie we have tasted. Allow 30 minutes each way. Back at the site, no trip to Kinlochewe is complete without a visit to Lis’ Whistle Stop Cafe, a superb place for breakfast, lunch and early evening meals (last orders 1630 hrs). A question hangs as Lis is retiring on 01.12.18, but hopefully a new owner will come forward to maintain her very high standards. Walks from the site: start with the gentle walk to Beinn Eighe Visitors Centre - along the neat, level path through the nature reserve. For more options, buy a Yellow Walk map from reception.

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Only stayed for the one night but was very impressed with the site and wardens (who were always busy doing something). Very clean and well run. Great location for the North Coast 500 route. A little road noise is heard from some pitches but the plus is that the site is easy to find without having to detour off of the main route. Will return if I am back in this part of the world.

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We love this site, we have been here lots of times, it is in a superb location, the views are out of this world. It is situated at the foot of Beinn Eighe, it does not get any better. The site itself is neat and well organised, the facilities are spotlessly clean. We love the layout of the site with its little enclaves rather than being in regimented rows, there are areas of regimented rows if this is what you require. We have been coming to this area for over 30 years one way or another, long before it became part of a recognised route. We tend to stay for a week or two rather than just one night and hitting the road again the next day, maybe this is part of the "tick box" mentality that many seem to go for these days, Kinlochewe, done that, where next? Not for me thanks. I take what the previous reviewer said about it being close to a busy road junction but if you look at a map of where it is, it is actually pretty obvious, maybe a sat nav doesn't make this clear. Personally I did not find the traffic noise that intrusive and was far more aware of the sound of birdsong and insect life than traffic. If people are "doing the NC500", as many seem to be then they are actually contributing to the increase in traffic in this area, it is a little hypocritical to then complain about it. The only gripe we have is the TV signal which even with a cable is very limited, pretty poor in this day and age. Sure, we don't want to spend our holidays watching TV but when it rains in this part of the world, sometimes it forgets to stop and the TV is handy even if only for the weather forecasts to plan the next days activities. We can live without wifi most of the time as well, but again it is not as advertised, it does not work, but it would have been handy to access weather information in what is a mountainous area, especially when TV coverage is so poor. Some thought should perhaps be given to the safety aspect of being able to access accurate (ish) weather information somehow in an area such as Wester Ross.

Comment from the Community Manager:

Thank you so much for leaving a review and we are so pleased you enjoyed your stay at Kinlochewe Club Site. For future reference we wanted to let you know that we have a WiFi Hotspot at Kinlochewe in the drying room but if you choose one of the pitches near this block you'll be able to pick it up in your unit, the Wardens can direct you to a suitable pitch. You have to be near the WiFi Hotspot to connect to the Internet. Kinlochewe is a Bronze site and the connection is reliable.You can get a TV signal by connecting your aerial cable to the booster point on the EHU bollard or ask the Wardens where you should pitch to try to get a satellite signal. We agree that it's important to get a reliable accurate weather forecast when planning your outdoor activities. You will find the daily mountain weather forecast (MWIS) in the information room. Here you'll find the frequencies for the local 2 Lochs Radio, the UK's smallest commercial radio station, which broadcasts weather forecasts, local information and events and a variety of music including Celtic. We hope this helps and we look forward to welcoming you back to Kinlochewe again soon.

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Excellent site for a couple of birdwatching motorhomers exploring northern Scotland. Friendly helpful warden and wife, Only stayed the one night at all our sites in a three-week tour, but long enough to shower, do the washing and get an early morning walk in the Ben Eighe Reserve. We don't need anything else from a site.

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