Ullapool

I started today by boarding the bike bus from Inverness to Durness via Ullapool, stepping out to a noticeably colder wind, but still a pretty decent day.   I set off back the way I had just come, following the empty main road along the northern shore of Loch Broom  Twelve miles later, a quarter of the way back to Inverness, I turned onto the Gairloch Coastal Route.  Immediately the scenery changed from rolling wooded hills to rocky heathland, with big hills looming.  A steady climb to 330metres was followed by a screaming descent down the river valley as I skirted the biggest hills. 

Lunchtime came and the first refreshment stop since Ullapool, the Dundonnell Hotel after 26 miles. I ignored its dubious charms and after another  mile stopped at a café cum craft shop in Camusnagaul, on the shore af a sea loch.

I was still heading north-west, into the wind, which slowed progress quite a bit.  After 40 miles, I had gone round two sea lochs in a big U Shape, ending up about five miles west of Ullapool. Eventually I turned south, and into a lumpy landscape reminiscent of Assynt in the far north west. Just as hilly too.

My enquiries about where to stay turned up mixed news. Well, mostly bad.  Torridon YH was full, as was the bunkhouse at Kinlochewe.  "This is our busiest time"..not encouraging.  But apparently people without children prefer this time of year because it's before the midges are out. So there was a silver lining.

After considering my options, and my legs, I decided to stay in the YH at the biggest town around, Gairloch: not as far as I hoped but achievable, and available.  It's an old house about 3 miles out of town (with great views of the mountains including the Cuillins on Skye)  so rather than head back into town I cooked a tomato-y pasta-y spicy thing which was perfectly adequate.   No mobile reception or internet though, so I'll post this when I can, and add some more pictures later.