Ullapool (1 Viewer)

[monzer]

I finished my mini trip of Scotland today. I went to a few of the places we were dragged along to as young 'uns.

My favourite holiday memories were from Grannies Heilan Hame in a tiny village called Embo on the East coast, Northern Scotland. We used to go up with a couple other families and always remember it being an incredibly social place for holidaying. In my opinion they have sold out a bit and packed the place with statics and holiday homes. There doesn't seem to be the green space I remember as a child and you can only see the sand dunes from a select few points of the park.

Still a nice restaurant and they still put on live music etc at night. Also a good sized amusement arcade for the kids but I found it a bit disappointing overall.

So headed to another family favourite - Ullapool. Got there via absolutely stunning roads and scenery especially the A835 which culminates passing Loch Canaird. I challenge anyone to drive by this Loch on this road and not pull over to take it all in. It's breathtaking. No photos of that actual Loch unfortunately.

It's well documented that Scotland has scored a bit of an own goal by creating the NC500 and not providing enough places for the vehicles touring it. Ullapool suffers from this as all there really is here is the campsite and a local hotel that has made 6 MH spaces in their back car park. £10 with no power or £15 with. Beggars can't be choosers and it is well placed right at the start of the Ullapool Hill walk which I did today....

3 miles up and back down. Steep in bits but plenty spots for taking a breather. Not surprisingly, you get stunning views up there.

I always loved Ullapool as a kid. The rolling hills as far as the eye could see, some with huge amounts of water cascading down the gorges in to Loch Broom always triggered the imagination and it hasn't changed. I could sit and take it all in for hours. Proper Scotland.

Plenty of places for good food. Award winning fish and chips at the Seaforth were tried yesterday and I nipped to The Seafood Shack before I left today and got 6 langoustines in garlic butter and mackerel pate on oatcakes with salad. Top class, it really was.

My only complaint about the village was the fact that the ferry company seems to have taken over the whole pier. It's only a small place so a walk out to the end of the jetty to do a bit of fishing used to be a highlight. Not so any more.

All in all a lovely reminiscing trip and so glad I did it.

 

[TheAleMan]

Been to Ullapool many times incl this year, and love the place and surrounding countryside. Funnily enough, we only just visited the seafood shack for the first time when we were up there at the beginning of May. The food there was great, and can thoroughly recommend the Haddock wrap things..lovely they were.

 

[royandsharont]

Us too. We stayed 6 nights there in August. The hill walk was magnificent and we enjoyed the haddock wraps so much we had to go back again for lunch . Time there before was 43 years ago on our honeymoon when we booked a midnight boat trip to see the midnight sun, when we went to the pier to board, it had been cancelled as we were the only passengers.

 

[CazPaul]

Nice place, we stayed at the Royal hotel in April tenner a night.

The Indian take away next to the campsite entrance was lovely.

 

[Andy MacD]

Ullapool was great, yes paying for the site was expensive at £30 per night but we were directly on the shore and a short walk from the town. The photo doesn’t do the view justice.

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[monzer]

A special place in my opinion. So picturesque.

I saw the haddock wraps but had to go for the langoustines. A big chunk of meat from the tail but is there meat in the claws? Does anyone know?

 

[TheAleMan]

Stayed on Loch Broom campsite a few times over the years, but went to Ardmair point campsite for the first time this year which was very nice. Lots of coming and going on there though with all the 500 junkies

 

[monzer]

Nice place, we stayed at the Royal hotel in April tenner a night.

The Indian take away next to the campsite entrance was lovely.

Didn't try the Indian but it was the Royal I stayed in. Had to pay £15 even though I didn't want electric but not going to grumble. I was grateful they provided somewhere.

Was looking at either Fort William or Oban today but reviews for parking on the apps didn't leave me full of confidence so I simply didn't bother.

 

[TheAleMan]

A special place in my opinion. So picturesque.

I saw the haddock wraps but had to go for the langoustines. A big chunk of meat from the tail but is there meat in the claws? Does anyone know?

We had the wraps, Langostines, and Cullen Skink, which was awesome.

 

[monzer]

Stayed on Loch Broom campsite a few times over the years, but went to Ardmair point campsite for the first time this year which was very nice. Lots of coming and going on there though with all the 500 junkies

I saw the campsite when I stopped and did consider staying there for a night as the scenery was outstanding. I wish I did but Ullapool was just round the corner.

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[TheAleMan]

I saw the campsite when I stopped and did consider staying there for a night as the scenery was outstanding. I wish I did but Ullapool was just round the corner.

I want to go back to Ardmair next year so we can kayak around Isle Martin..weather was atrocious during our stay this year and was not doable sadly.

 

[BusyBuilder]

Did you miss Kylesku Bridge, Clashnessie, Stoer lighthouse, Clachtoll, Achmelvich, Ardvrek Castle, Knockan Crag, did you see the Bone Caves ? to name but a few places to stop the night ?
Mostly free or small charge ?

We never stay in Ullapool, it's dead, not much to do or see, too many tourists and rip off tourist prices. We went over with the local BMW bike club and stopped in Ullapool for coffee and cake, £3.30 for a machine coffee and £5 for a small slice of tray bake.

 

[monzer]

I want to go back to Ardmair next year so we can kayak around Isle Martin..weather was atrocious during our stay this year and was not doable sadly.

Sounds like a great idea. It was rather wet and windy when I pulled into the layby, hence the lack of photos in my op.

 

[monzer]

Did you miss Kylesku Bridge, Clashnessie, Stoer lighthouse, Clachtoll, Achmelvich, Ardvrek Castle, Knockan Crag, did you see the Bone Caves ? to name but a few places to stop the night ?
Mostly free or small charge ?

Huh? Are they in Ullapool?

 

[CazPaul]

Didn't try the Indian but it was the Royal I stayed in. Had to pay £15 even though I didn't want electric but not going to grumble. I was grateful they provided somewhere.

Was looking at either Fort William or Oban today but reviews for parking on the apps didn't leave me full of confidence so I simply didn't bother.

Why did you have to pay for electric?

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[monzer]

Why did you have to pay for electric?

I guess because they would have lost out if they'd charged me £10 and then someone else came along wanting electric and was willing to pay £15.

 

[BusyBuilder]

Huh? Are they in Ullapool?

No but didn't you pass these on your journey south ?

 

[Northernraider]

The last time I stayed in Ullapool was September 2017 ...I parked in the big carpark next to the supermarket. The last time before that must have been 2010 and on the campsite at loch broom . I think it was about a tenner a night then. Not been up the west coast since then. I think it's been ruined now

 

[monzer]

No but didn't you pass these on your journey south ?

Possibly. Not sure to be honest.

 

[monzer]

The last time I stayed in Ullapool was September 2017 ...I parked in the big carpark next to the supermarket. The last time before that must have been 2010 and on the campsite at loch broom . I think it was about a tenner a night then. Not been up the west coast since then. I think it's been ruined now

I wouldn't go in the summer months. I can imagine it's just too busy these days.

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[Northernraider]

I wouldn't go in the summer months. I can imagine it's just too busy these days.

Yeah I always went either April/may or September/October

No midges and no families. I imagine it would be carnage in summer and not guaranteed any better weather either

 

[TinaLes]

Thanks for posting monzer we loved The A837/A835 down from Durness, wonderful views over every crest. We loved driving arround Loch Eriboll down past the lime kilns, then up the other side. We found a small CL with a tea shop, run by Charles lovely auld English chap relocated up there 30 odd years back and was a Scallop diver before retiring, hope he is still alive, he had a hellish bad chest.
We took the odd detour one of which was Kinlochbervie where there is another camperstop up by The Post Office, broke my heart to see about 6/8 trawlers very large company trawlers, and massive fish sorting sheds, with HGV's lined up to take all that lovely fish/shellfish by road all the way down through England to Dover, then south to Europe, Spain & Portugal. Bet they buy it cheaper over there than we can in our fish shops also.
We took another very scary narrow twisty road from Newton to Drumbeg in our 7.5 mtr MH ignoring the no lorries/coaches sign as I knew large vans had to deliver food & materials to the locals. We ended up at Stoer Lighthouse at Clachtoll, for the night (honesty box £8) then along to Lochinver before getting back on the main road.
We also liked Ullapool, a lovely town, friendly locals, most of which that we talked to had relocated from England

We could have stayed in The Large Tesco Carpark, but I had a few other wild alternatives, one of which was heaven sent right over looking Loch Torridon, we should have stayed there longer but had to push on.

We carried on South staying out of towns like Fort William, or straight through them stopping only for fuel if needed, wild camped all the way except for Charlie's place, and an overnight at Braemar to fill & empty.

We did all this in April to the start of May 2019, No Midges, not that many tourists, and unbelievably no rain! well at least it didnt start until we were safe at our rellies farms in Ayrshire, and it always rains there!
It was our Honeymoon!, wife loved it, wife wants to go back ASAP, but as I say to her, we were so lucky with the weather, for all those weeks, someone must have been looking after us.
LES

 

[ChrisMac]

The big car park beside Tesco has designated Motorhome bays, room for about 15-20. £10 a night, no facilities.

 

[Scotch mist]

Spent many a weekend at Grannies Heilan Hame , next to Dornoch which people might know better we were there the weekend madona got married in the wee church , the busiest I ever seen it , we had jet ski’s & used the waves as ramps , nearly 30 years ago now , happy memories

 

[poppycamper]

we were there the weekend madona got married in the wee church

That wee church is actually a Cathedral.!!

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[Scotch mist]

Just for poppycamper !!!

A cathedral is a church that contains the cathedra (Latin for 'seat') of a bishop,[1] thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate.[2] Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheranchurches.[2] Church buildings embodying the functions of a cathedral first appeared in Italy,

 

[TheAleMan]

Did you miss Kylesku Bridge, Clashnessie, Stoer lighthouse, Clachtoll, Achmelvich, Ardvrek Castle, Knockan Crag, did you see the Bone Caves ? to name but a few places to stop the night ?
Mostly free or small charge ?

We never stay in Ullapool, it's dead, not much to do or see, too many tourists and rip off tourist prices. We went over with the local BMW bike club and stopped in Ullapool for coffee and cake, £3.30 for a machine coffee and £5 for a small slice of tray bake.

All of the above have been visited. Did the bone caves this year, and what a stunning walk that is, made all the better with the sound of Cuckoo’s all around.

 

[poppycamper]

Just for poppycamper !!!

A cathedral is a church that contains the cathedra (Latin for 'seat') of a bishop,[1] thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate.[2] Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheranchurches.[2] Church buildings embodying the functions of a cathedral first appeared in Italy,

Just for Scotch mist !!