Summer 2022: Ullapool

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Bungalow 500, Ullapool

See below for two very happy faces on the first night of our 2022 summer vacation! We weren’t staying at the Ceilidh Place, where we can be seen drinking welcome beers, but we used its bar and restaurant several times. Our own accommodation was the excellent Bungalow 500, shown in the post header, which we thoroughly recommend. We arrived on Monday, 11th July and left on Saturday 16th which gave us four days of walking.

Anabel at the Ceilidh Place
John at the Ceilidh Place

Day 1 Ullapool Hill Path and Glen Achall

We climbed above the town to the rocky outcrop of Meall Mor, at 270m the highest point on the walk. It was a tad blowy up there – I’m standing like that to keep my balance! We carried on to Loch Achall, passing some friendly locals on the way, before retracing our steps back to town.

Ullapool from Hill Path
Anabel on Meall Mor
Loch Achall from Meall Mor
John on Meall Mor
Bench on Meall Mor
Friendly cows
Walking down to Loch Achall
Loch Achall

Day 2 Corrieshalloch, Lael, and Knockan Crag

The Corrieshalloch Gorge walk is a circular trail above a 61m deep box canyon with a suspension bridge and a viewing platform from which the Falls of Measach can be seen. The whole circuit takes about an hour.

Corrieshalloch Gorge
Falls of Measach
John on the Viewing Platform
Suspension Bridge
Viewing platform

Our next stop was another short walk in Lael Forest.

Lael Forest Walk
Lael Forest Walk

We popped back into Ullapool for lunch in the Ferry Boat Inn before heading for Knockan Crag. This is a National Nature Reserve Trail taking you back in geological time as you climb past different layers of exposed rock with sculpture and poetry along the way. The Moine Thrust is a place where 500 million year old rock has been pushed upwards by two of the earth’s plates crashing into each other forcing older rocks above bands of younger rocks. At Knockan Crag the Thrust is exposed which was crucial to geologists in understanding how the earth’s continents were formed.

Knockan Crag
Knockan Crag
Knockan Crag
Knockan Crag
View from Knockan Crag
Knockan Crag
Knockan Crag
Knockan Crag
Moine Thrust
Knockan Crag
Knockan Crag

The weather was becoming very cold and wet by this time so, although the walk was very interesting, we were glad to get back to the car.

Day 3 Rhue Lighthouse

Rhue Lighthouse guards the entrance to Loch Broom for ships bound for Ullapool. From the north end of town we walked out along the shoreline and returned by taking the single-track road from Rhue back to the main road and up over the hill to Ullapool. It was about six miles in total, including a bit of scrambling up and down off the beach when the tide was too high to pass round rocky outcrops.

We started by admiring this bench on the way out of Ullapool. I’m guessing Sandy likes cats and fiddles. As we made our way over the grass to the shore we found it littered with jellyfish – clearly there had been a big tide earlier.

In memory of Sandy Ross
Jellyfish

Continuing along the shore we came to an old boat wreck suggesting we should repent.

Ullapool shoreline
Decaying boat
Repent!
Decaying boat

The lighthouse came into sight.

Loch Broom
Loch Broom
Loch Broom

Before we got there, we found another interesting memorial bench.

Clark family bench
John at Rhue

We visited the small white lighthouse and admired a passing sailing ship.

Rhue Lighthouse
Sailing ship on Loch Broom

The climb up to the main road was picturesque, but the walk back was a bit of a slog. We liked this funny old garage though!

Loch Broom
Crossing the stream
Old garage

Day 4 Badenscallie Circular and Achnahaird Beach

The Badenscallie Circular (7.75km) went along the coast from the small township of that name to Culnacraig, and back inland along a small road. The outward route was originally part of the ‘Postie’s Path’, trekked twice a week to bring mail from Ullapool to this remote area.

The postie’s path was also used during the Highland Clearances when a young boy ran along it from Ullapool in the 1850s to warn crofters that the sheriff’s men were coming to serve eviction orders. Katy Campbell was singled out as a ring-leader of the resulting confrontation and forced off the estate. The ruined cottage which can just be seen in the first image below below is hers – expand the information board above for the full story.

Badenscallie ruined cottage
Badenscallie beach
Anabel on postie’s path
John at memorial bench
Waterfall at Culnacraig

From Badenscallie we drove to Achnahaird for a lovely beach walk, with stops at Badentarbet Bay and Altandhu where we had great views over the Summer Isles.

Badentarbet Bay:
Badentarbet Bay
Badentarbet Bay
Badentarbet Bay
Badentarbet Bay
Badentarbet Bay
Altandhu:
Summer Isles view, Altandhu
Summer Isles view, Altandhu
Achnahaird Beach:
Achnahaird Beach
Achnahaird Beach
Achnahaird Beach
Achnahaird Beach
Achnahaird Beach
Achnahaird Beach
Achnahaird Beach
Achnahaird Beach
Achnahaird Beach

Heading onwards

We’d had a fabulous few days in Ullapool, but it was time to move on. The walking had been great, but we’d also had our fill of good food – probably too much for the walking to cancel out! Nothing sinister about the initials on the cup below – this was one of the two delicious meals we had at the Ferry Boat Inn.

FBI Ullapool
Sea food at the Ferry Boat Inn
Risotto at the Ferry Boat Inn

On Saturday it was time to do something I always find exciting – take the ferry.

Ullapool from the ferry
Loading the ferry
Loading the ferry
Anabel on board
John on board

Next stop Stornoway!

(Very belatedly linking to Jo’s Monday Walk.)

Scotland, UK ,

80 Comments »

  5. You resisted the temptation of the Caledonian Hotel then 🙂

    I have done a couple of those walks (the coastal ones, to Rhue and Achnahaird a particularly lovely beach I thought.

    Glad you enjoyed it, it is a lovely area. I drove past the gorge a lot but never at a time it was open so I missed out, but it looks like something worth coming back for.

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  6. You certainly packed in some interesting walks. And the countryside looks so lush and green. Don’t think we will get up as far North as Ullapool on our Scotland trip this year, though it is within reaching distance. So many fab sculptures and monument’s. You always find them Anabel. 🙂

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  7. Hi Anabel – what a great post … thank you both! So fascinating to see the geological time frame … and what a great national park. You’ve opened my eyes to Ullapool – thanks … cheers Hilary

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  8. All places I know, including walking at Knockan Crag in the cold and rain! I’ll be there next week but rushing for ferry , so no time to look around this time.

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  9. We’ve not made it as far north as Ullapool… yet. But your pics, esp the extraordinary beaches call loudly. By the looks of your clothes it wasn’t shirt sleeve weather.

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  11. Those falls were impressive! You go on such lovely walks….I try hard not to be jealous. But I tell myself that someday, I will make it to Scotland, and that makes me feel much better.

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  12. Fantastic scenes, Anabel. Love the blue hair to match your fleece. The gorge pictures are gorgeous (is that where that word came from?). One little plaque for Mr. Clark was apparently not sufficient.

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  13. Always liked Ullapool. Unlike some Highland villages the same size plenty to do there. Good memories of the campsite, the various pubs, the local waterfront and the mobile chippie which was excellent.

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  18. Splendid days out walking, Anabel. I enjoyed the photography and the positive smiles. We enjoyed our short stay in Ullapool. Not sure about the coloured hair.

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  19. What great walks full of wonderful views and interesting history. Ullapool is one of my Dad’s favourite places in all of Scotland – maybe even his favourite- so I’ll need to ask him if he’s done these walks. I look forward to seeing your posts about Stornoway, a place I’ve unfortunately never been.

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  21. This one should be entitled ‘never a still moment’, Anabel! Wonderful scenery and I think I could probably manage to stay in that garage for a day or two. What a location! Thanks so much for linking me with a part of the world that I don’t know at all well.

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  24. Such fabulous walks here Anabel, Scotland has some amazing scenery and beaches, though it’s a shame you can’t guarantee warmer weather during the summer. I have only once been to Ullapool, but didn’t do any walking unfortunately, nor take a ferry.

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