Ullapool and Gairloch
From Tongue, we travelled down the west coast to Gairloch via Ullapool. We’d stayed in the latter several times before both at the Ceilidh Place (above left) and the Ferry Boat Inn (above right). The town was founded by the British Fisheries Society at the height of the herring boom in 1788. It’s still an important fishing centre, as well as being the port for the ferry to Stornaway on the Isle of Lewis.
This time, we just stopped long enough for lunch and a wander before carrying on to Gairloch where we spent the final two nights of our holiday. We really liked the Myrtle Bank Inn, which was right on the shore. Continuing through the village, the road terminates at the crofting hamlet of Melvaig – the last picture in the gallery below. The road hugged the edge rather too much for my liking – I can’t imagine living in a place where that was the only route home.
The day after we arrived we spent at the beautiful Inverewe Gardens, which I’ll write about in my next post. The day after that we left for home, via beautiful Loch Maree, having had a wonderful holiday.
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
Now here’s a place I’ve visited. We toured Scotland in a tiny car with no spare wheel and a tent when we were first married and we camped in Ullapool.
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That’s a beautiful campsite! I remember walking through it one evening and being bitten alive by midges though 😦
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More lovely photos! I’m enjoying your trip.
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Thanks, Lori!
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How cool to have discovered you! There’s something about Scotland that has always drawn me there and though I have never visited the Isles, I’m sooo going to explore your blog! Thanks for the opportunity 🙂
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Thanks for visiting! My blog started as a diary of my foreign travels but seems to have morphed into being mostly about Scotland. Hope you get to visit the Isles some day.
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I find that black and white atmosphere so enchaning 🙂
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It’s lovely to see a whole town like that.
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Did you have any thoughts about your painting ? “The Minch” was painted from the view a little further up the road from Melviag.
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I didn’t make the connection! I have now. We took some pictures looking out to sea towards Skye but they were too hazy to include. So is it beyond Melvaig on the access road to the lighthouse? We walked about a mile or so along there, kept thinking we would see the lighthouse over the next rise and then turn but we never did and had to turn back for want of time.
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PS John now says he pointed out at the time that it was somewhere nearby. I’m sure he’s right but my memory is not what it was!
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It had been a stormy day but it began to clear by the time I started the painting. In the evening, Walter and I made the walk to the lighthouse, and back again of course, but it did feel endless. We also visited the remains of the lookout shelters, and we discovered in one of them that some locals had installed a sofa !
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I think if we had set off earlier we’d have done the whole walk, but we’d already done several other walks that day. A handy sofa might have helped though!
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I stopped in Ullapool during the tour of Scotland I mentioned on your post about Tongue (you obviously travelled in the opposite direction to us, since we went from Ullapool to Tongue). Ours was an unplanned stop because we got a flat tyre and needed to get it changed.
I’d love to go back there some time, it still looks beautiful.
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We did it once the other way and stayed in Ullapool on the way to Tongue. Passing through has made me want to go back – but we chose Gairloch because we hadn’t stayed there before at all. I’d go back there too!
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Ullapool’s high on my list of Scottish places to visit. It’s so pretty – reminds me of Millport! 🙂
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It is pretty. It’s years, possibly decades, since I was in Millport so can’t compare!
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These tiny villages are so welcoming to me right now:) I love the look and that clock is neat:) I am not sure I could live there but to visit just looks so lovely and I also love history which this trip of yours has in spades
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I love the way everything is white! I could imagine living there in summer, but not winter.
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Ullapool is the furthest north I have been to, must have been around 1995! I’d love to go across to Lewis and spend a few weeks in the Outer Hebrides. I have been watching the programme on BBC2 about the Scottish islands. Fascinating stuff. I shall look forward to your post on the gardens 🙂
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The Outer Hebrides are wonderful but it’s a long time since we’ve been there – another place to return to. Gardens coming up for Jo’s walk on Monday. I also have some benches in preparation!
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I’m watching that too 🙂 Don’t think I’ve ever been to Ullapool.
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You are a lot closer to Scotland than me. Do you go north often?
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Sore point. Not often enough 🙂 🙂
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Your series of posts on Scotland certainly brings back lots of good memories. We went to Ullapool and the surrounding areas in 1990 on our first trip to Scotland. We totally enjoyed it and it is nice to see your nice pictures. (Suzanne)
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Thank you! I’m glad you enjoy them and they bring back memories. More to come!
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