Hebridean Hop 1: Glasgow to Ullapool
Saturday 28th July 2018
So when did Scotland’s beautiful summer weather decide to break? The night before we went on holiday of course! Thunder, lightening and torrential rain – I was quite worried about flooding on the car journey ahead of us. In the end, it wasn’t too bad – stormy in parts, but we survived. Our destination was Ullapool on the northwest coast from where we would catch a ferry the following day to Stornoway on the island of Lewis.
Because we were there for such a short time, we booked a simple motel room. We arrived, had a cup of tea and set off for dinner in the beautiful Ceilidh Place.
The evening stayed dry, but when we came out of the restaurant the wind was gusting, as predicted by the weather forecast. The app for CalMac ferries warned of possible delays and disruption. Would we even get to Stornoway the next day? Read on to find out!
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
Gusting wind is one of my least favourite weather conditions. The restaurant looks very cosy though. 🙂
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It was quite a bizarre morning with the strong wind yet perfect blue sky.
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Now I know what you were doing on my birthday. 🙂
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I think that John’s smile could brighten any stormy day. Off to read the next post to see if you ran into any ferry delays on your visit.
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As you’ve now found out, we did but nothing like as bad as feared. I wish I could go with the flow (pun intended) more easily, but I always worry about what *might* happen and rarely does. John, as you cane see, just smiles and doesn’t let it bother him.
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We could probably all learn a bit about mellowing out from John 🤗
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We’ve never been to the Scottish islands, I’m ashamed to say. We really ought to visit before to long – before I’m too old and knackered. But it’s always been the weather that’s put me off as you worry your precious holiday would be ruined. I was thinking of arranging a trip next year – I’m not so sure reading this!!!!!
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It’s a chance you take and you need to go prepared, which I know you would. In 3 weeks we had only two days with no rain at all, but only two days where it rained most of the day. Other days we had showers which weren’t problematic – those emergency waterproof trousers that we bought never got worn. Keep reading and you might be surprised!
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My final comment was tongurpe in cheek!
I’m looking forward to read the rest of your posts on your trip. They’re bound to give me some ideas for my own trip 😊
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Well, it is a worry! I did wonder myself what we would do if it rained solidly for 3 weeks!
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Tongurpe? Clumsy fingers!
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I did notice, but was too polite to say 😉
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But of course 😉
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I have good memories of Ullapool when we visited in the 90s (can’t remember exactly when). One of my memories is of two Russian sailors drinking vodka steadily for a complete evening while we were having a quiet night at the pub. It was quite something to watch them down huge amount of vodkas though they never became aggressive or obviously drunk! (Suzanne)
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Yes, I remember the big Russian fish factory boats that used to come into the bay, though we never met any vodka swilling sailors!
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Hi Annabel – that’s life isn’t it … travels and we never know what will happen. Dinner looks fun though – cheers Hilary
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We had lots of fun dinners – one of the best things about being on holiday!
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I trust Calmac to get you there 🙂
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They are usually pretty good …
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I totally get how a ferry can control your destiny. Fingers crossed that you made you!
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Indeed! We had four ferries in this trip, and I was a little anxious before all of them. It’s not like a city airport where there are it’s of big hotels they can whisk you off to
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That motel certainly does look spartan. I hope the bed was comfortable.
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It was simple but comfortable – fine for one night, but not spacious enough if we’d stayed longer.
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I bet you do! 🙂 🙂 Never been to Ullapool. Would love to visit those islands.
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You might be right, or you might not! Ullapool is lovely, we’ve had a few nice visits there. Loved the Hebrides and, as usual, ask myself why we haven’t been more often. Too much gallivanting abroad.
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Lovely place Ullapool, Used to go there a fair bit hillwalking and have a pint in that hotel, a classier place than the sea front bars and not as claustrophobic if busy.
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Yes, we’ve also been a fair bit on various jaunts. I get seduced by the bookshop too!
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Another fun trip, it seems. I have never seen red tea served in a bottle… 😉 Can’t wait to find out more about this trip.
Have a great day.
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Ooh yes – the red tea was delicious!
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😉
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Well, at least we know that you survived to tell about it! I love these little getaways you two take. They don’t all need to be big productions.
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Yes, we survived! I can’t do too much of a cliffhanger.
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Oh, my stomach would be churning already thinking of the ferry in a storm! I have in fact visited Ullapool way back in the 1990s. Quite fancied a trip to the Summer Isles, but didn’t have time as we were on a day trip from Nairn (Inverness).
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I didn’t sleep very well that night! The very first time we visited Ullapool, 1986, we went to the Summer Isles. I remember freezing! Summer in the Summer Isles is not very summery.
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Typical tricky Scottish weather. Been amazingly sunny for weeks and then turns just when you need it. Hope it improves for the next stage of your journey.
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I know, typical! Over the three weeks it averaged out not too badly though.
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You have entered moody weather but I hope you are enjoying all you see. The motel looks clean and I hope you made it to the next destination
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All will be revealed in the next post! It could have been a lot worse.
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I ran into a lot of rain in the Borders a couple of weeks ago. Disappointing after such a good Summer.
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It’s not been great since we got back – maybe this month will be better! I always feel autumn begins in August here anyway.
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We’ve got the summer weather back again, but it doesn’t start until about 11.00 a.m. (fine for me, I’m not one who is up and about too early, more like up and about after midnight). I’m beginning to wonder if you ever spend time at home! But keep on travelling, because as I follow your journeys I can pretend I’m doing the same. Thank you.
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We get the odd nice day here, but it’s quite autumnal now. I will have a post for every day of this trip so it might seem as if I’m travelling for ever!
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I’m not liking the sound of this trip across the water – you wouldn’t get me within a mile of boat in windy conditions 😦 It’s just typical that the good weather would break just as your holiday started, it was lovely here well into August.
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All will be revealed on Thursday!
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Ooooh I hope you did. Now that we have done the Uists, we quite fancy Harris and Lewis. X
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Keep reading for tips then! We only had two full days on Lewis, which wasn’t enough – but there’s never enough time, is there?
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There really isn’t!
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I’m going to Ullapool in a few weeks, for some more walks along the coast (Ullapool is the nearest town with Hotels, so it makes for a good base). I’m hoping summer (or rather, a decent Autumn) will have made a return by then!
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Wonderful! I imagine the coast will be quite tricky with so many sea lochs etc – I hope I don’t have to wait 10 years to read about it 😉. We liked the Morefield Motel for one night – the room would have been a bit small for longer. We’ve also stayed in the Ceilidh Place (both hotel and bunkhouse across the road). Our favourite has probably been the Ferry Boat Inn, though that was a while ago.
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