The most Westerly point on the Isle of Skye, giving excellent views over Moonen Bay to Waterstein Head (pictured) and out over the Minch to the Western Isles.The most Westerly point on the Isle of Skye, giving excellent views over Moonen Bay to Waterstein Head (pictured) and out over the Minch to the Western Isles.
The point is regarded as the best place on Skye to see whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking shark. The sea around the point is teeming with sea-birds including gannets, black guillemots, razorbills and shags.
The causeway at the tip of Neist Point is home to several species of rare and unusual plant, including alpine plants such as saxifrages.
The sheltered bays of Neist Point are also excellent places to fish, with fourteen species of fish being caught in Moonen Bay.
A furore erupted in 2002 when a former owner of the Lighthouse Cottages installed a toll booth at the Neist Point Car Park and began charging for access to the Point. After a concerted campaign by locals, the illegal charging stopped and the cottages were sold on.
The Lighthouse Cottages, together with the small enclosed area around them, are now owned by Jane Corfield. Despite there still being old signage indicating that accommodation is available in the lighthouse cottages, they are no longer let to tourists.
The remainder of the land on Neist Point forms part of the common grazings for the township of Waterstein and each of five crofts at Waterstein owns a share, with souming (grazing rights) for 1 horse, 4 cows and 30 sheep.
Other images from Scotland can be seen in my Scotland gallery.
