That's a great question.

I considered Plockton because of all those things and finally settled on Strathcarron because of all those things AND it just sounded nicer.

Sorry Plockton-ites.

Plockton is lovely, but I have to admit, in order to walk east you have to walk west first. I used it on my first Challenge because I knew it from childhood (my parents came from there), and I still had a cousin there whose friend Calum runs seal-watching boat trips and kindly took me across in his boat (with Roger's permission) to Ardneaskan - a lovely start and easy walk to Strathcarron & Achintee before hitting the hills.

I have another cousin in Duncraig who has since assured me that those forbidding-looking crags you see from across the loch in Plockton are actually easy to get up among, and they have family picnics up there in summer.

Must try it again myself some day!

Plockton has it's own brewery - some Challengers enjoyed an extensive (!) brewery tour last year.

It's also a Scottish music centre of learning excellence.

And it's a lovely place too!

JJ

I fancy the thing about Plockton is that it is crowded out by other start points - Dornie, Strathcarron and Glenelg. It is very difficult to chart a route from Plockton that doesn't foul a line you'd like to use from one of those other starts.

Of course, if you don't mind traversing the same ground twice on different Challenges, nae bother. But if you always want to try to go somewhere new, it's a challenge.

That having been said, I did once plot a spectacular crossing starting at Plockton. But when I came to try to break it down into days, it ended up a day too long. However, it was relatively easy to turn it into a viable crossing from a Dornie start ...

Plockton is a really lovely place that I will go back to again sometime for another stay. I was looking into starting from there but being a newbie and not as fit as I would like I decided not to add the extra miles and opted for Dornie.

i am moving northwards thru the start points and Plockton is next ( did Dornie last year , went thru Sheil bridge (out of Glenelg) but never started there until this yr.) i look forward to it but not the jouney to get there.

Let the train take the strain, Bill.....beautiful.