At the end of last month we had a fantastic run of sunny weather. The kind where you knew you wouldn’t need a coat all day (and in Scotland, those kind of days are few and far between!).
I had been keeping an eye on the forecast for our usual Friday off, and had noticed that the north west coast of the highlands had a particularly optimistic forecast, so off we pootled on the NC500 route towards Ullapool.
At first the clouds were stubborn and were not lifting, but as soon as we had passed through Contin, it was like someone had whipped the clouds away like a magic tablecloth. Upon arriving into Ullapool, this was our view:
Doesn’t it look positively Mediterranean? I zoomed in on the town for a closer look!
Ullapool is a lovely town. Boats sail from there to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, and a line of shops and cafes face the harbour wall. It’s easy to walk around and see the signs of west coast life, especially in the summer season when tourists flock to the area. We found the Ceilidh Place for a spot of lunch outside to sit with the pooch.
Our turkey, cheese and pickles sandwiches hit the spot, especially for Mr B, who enjoyed a cold bottle of BrewDog’s non alcoholic beer, Nanny State. We followed that with another wander along the shore, finding a wee pot of local gelato and a view of the hills to the south of Ullapool to enjoy.
Feeling suitably refreshed, we jumped back in the car in search of beaches. Entering Sutherland and the North West Highlands GeoPark, there were hills to admire in every direction.
As well as the usual sheep which are a common occurence, there were also the cows, and warnings of frogs on the road!
About 45 minutes drive from Ullapool is this beach though – talk about an unexpected spot in the Scottish Highlands! It was glorious – actually hot, and the gentle waves were bringing in all manner of small jellyfish and crabs.
I even attempted to bury the pooch – he wasn’t having much of it! And of course we did take one selfie to mark the occasion of visiting such a special place.
On the way back to Ullapool there were still views galore to soak up…
…and we finished our exploration with a fish supper back in Ullapool before driving home. An excellent way to spend a day off!
I’m adding this post to the ‘Finding Unexpected Places’ #travellinkup which I found through reading Emma’s post on a place close to my hometown in Essex.
That photo of the rocks and the sea and the bright blue sky… heaven.
I love days like this — especially after a long cold winter!
It really was such a lovely day, here’s to many more sunshine filled days this summer!