Made it! I made it to Ullapool. However, it was a short stay. Getting there was all about the 2-hour ferry crossing to Stornoway on the Isles of Lewis and Harris! This was my ultimate destination for this adventure.
On this visit, there appeared to be a lot of road repairs. Regardless, I could still see the “bones” of the village.
I loved the view of the water with the hills as its backdrop.
It perhaps was not the best of days to travel on a ferry to the Western Isles but when you live in Scotland you do not let a “ little thing like the weather” deter you from doing so.
So for our wee group, a ferry ride to Stornoway was definitely on, despite the grey clouds and threat of a little storm 😂
The ferry ride was calming but that could also be something to do with the glass of wine I was sipping. It was a wonderful trip just getting to Ullapool. I had stopped at the following:
I marvelled at the mountains that graced our journey. Anyone who states that Scotland is just a drab dreary place clearly has never made the trip here. As we drove, I was glued to the window, mesmerised by what I saw. It was pure eye-candy.
Although we were getting close to Ullapool, we wanted to make one more stop. The Corrieshalloch Gorge
It was so close to our ultimate destination, it would have been a shame not to take advantage of the opportunity. How could we not visit? 😆
We were lucky as it stopped raining as we entered the woods.
Again, these tall majestic trees lined our path towards the gorge. The trees felt like a welcoming committee enticing us to venture further into the woods.
Mother Nature had also rolled out the carpet for us, a beautiful moss-green carpet that lined the forest floor.
After a little meandering, we reached the star of the show, the gorge.
Corrieshalloch is one of the most spectacular gorges of its type in Britain and provides striking evidence of how glacial meltwater can create deep gorges.
National Trust
I stood gazing at the water gushing down the rocks for quite some time. It was oddly satisfying and therapeutic. Nature is wonderful. What an awesome experience. I was really glad we stopped.
We continued our drive north and decided to make a stop at the Loch Maree Islands!
Entrance to Loch Maree Islands
I looked up a little information about the islands.
The Loch Maree Islands are a group of scattered islands on Loch Maree. More than forty scattered islands carry the nearest thing to natural woodland left in Britain, a fragment of the original Caledonian Pine Forest. The wet climate of this area has resulted in blanket bog filling the damp hollows, where occasional stunted pines have taken hold. Black-throated divers take advantage of the tranquility of one of Britain’s least polluted freshwater lochs to breed here.
Visit Scotland
What an enchanting place. The mist added to the mood. Although there was light rain, it was unusually tranquil. Airy. I felt as if I was snooping around someone’s property; as if I wasn’t supposed to be there.
Perhaps not the best of weather to be driving but what the heck! We went anyway. We were on our way to Ullapool, again weather permitting!
The ride to Rogie Falls
However, as part of our journey, we decided to stop at Rogie Falls.
Rogie Falls are located in the Highlands, near Contin. It is a popular attraction and so we wanted to take the opportunity to see what all the fuss was about. Upon arriving, we walked through the surrounding forest which alone was worth the trip.
To get to the Falls, we followed the trail along the Blackwater river towards the bridge.
As soon as we approached the suspension bridge we saw an impressive show of the waterfalls. Have you ever seen someone dance listening to music with their headphones on? Well this was the waterfall equivalent. Water cascading all around us, falling to a rhythm that only they can hear.
My trip north meant getting to Ullapool. On our way, we made a quick stop at Gairloch. Gairloch means “Short Loch” in Gaelic. It is a small village on the shores of Loch Gairloch in Wester Ross, in the North-West Highlands. It’s a popular summer destination but at the end of September, there are very few people to be found.
This was the case with this stop. It was a bit of a giggle because it was SO WINDY. Regardless, we ventured out to take in the view and wonder. The beach and the colour of the water were just delightful despite having to wrestle with Mother Nature.
Roadtrip! Last month I hopped onto a bus and decided to make the trip to Inverness. It had been far too long since I last visited the Highlands. It was wet, grey skies and perhaps terrible weather to go exploring. I did not care, I was fixated on heading north and just like that my mini adventure started.
In between the rain showers and my periodic squinting, I savoured the scenery.
The ride through Perthshire,
Perthshire, the gateway to the Highlands. There is something about seeing that unspoiled and majestic mountain range. The clouds made it even more dramatic. Really? Who can tire of such views? Not I.
I must plan to stay sometime. I will add a visit to my 2023 goals!
Green Park Hotel overlooking Loch Faskally
As we crossed the River Tummel there was a great view of the Green Park hotel.
Ruthven Barracks
As we continued the drive to Inverness, I had not noticed the ruins near Kingussie before.
I have since learned that the ruins were Ruthven Barracks.
Ruthven Barracks were built by George II’s government in the early 1700s after the failed Jacobite uprising of 1715. The troops stationed there were to maintain law and order. The location was clearly strategic.
Sheep grazing on the mountainside
The scene of sheep grazing on the hillside increased as we got closer to Inverness. I have also since learned that this is commonplace in the Highlands and Western Isles.
After a 3-hour ride, I finally arrived at the Highlands capital city. Such a pretty city.
A visit to the centre led me to the castle. The castle always looks great -even with all the maintenance work currently being carried out.
Inverness Castle
And of course, a trip to Inverness would not be complete without checking out the town hall. The jewel of the city centre.
Inverness Townhall
Although I had planned to continue my journey further north to Ullapool, I took the opportunity to explore both the centre and the canal.
Caledonian Canal in Inverness Walking the city centreAye, The Local Monster and Celebrity
I even had the time to walk to the Ness Islands where I met the local celebrity! What a great start to my Northern adventure.
