An Adventure in Wester Ross

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Steve has a work project that sees him traveling a lot, so we try to make the most of the time he's home when we can. Before he left for another two-week stint in the States, we took an overnight trip to the western area of the Highlands called Wester Ross (Any Game of Thrones fan reading this will do a double-take I'm sure).

Here's a map of the Wester Ross region:


We drove from our home in Inverness in the east through Lochcarron, then over to Applecross, up to Shieldaig, and up to Gairloch on our first day. We stayed overnight in Gairloch.

Wester Ross offers a fabulous display of Scotland's varied and ruggedly gorgeous landscape. Here are some photos from that first day of travel:

 On the previous trips we've taken to Skye, we've passed Loch Carron along its southern shore. This trip took us along its northern edge.

It rained off and on throughout the day - but never enough to cause too much disruption. But the high humidity made for a lot of low-hanging clouds.

 We took the famous Bealach Na Ba road to Applecross. It's a winding, single track road that rises over 2000 feet in elevation in just six miles. It's a bit of a white knuckler in spots, but you do get some pretty spectacular views.


 We stopped for a spot of tea and some lemon drizzle cake (which was gluten free - so that explained the really weird texture) in Applecross, and then took the long way around the peninsula to Sheildaig (refer to the map I posted at the beginning). This offered us gorgeous water views across the sound.

 It's times like these that I wish Dad was still with us. He could tell me about this ship, I'm sure. All I know is it had two masts.


 The ubiquitous sheep

 The wet weather produced this effect - a ribbon of color right above the surface of the sound.

 We managed to stay ahead of the really dense rain.

 I spotted this scene from the car and asked Steve to stop just so I could take this picture. It's one of my favorites from the trip.

 A fish farm on the loch (on the left) and a cluster of homes and businesses.

 Another lovely view just before we reached Sheildaig. I love the red-roofed house. A member of the Facebook group, Scotland Time, suggested I keep an eye out for this scene.

 Sheildaig sits on the shores of the sea loch, Loch Torridon.

 This island is home to a mated pair of white-tailed eagles, also known as sea eagles. The massive birds moved to the area a few years ago. They built a nest on this island and successfully raised chicks the first two years there. But cold, stormy weather the following two years were too much for the subsequent offspring. The eagles moved their nest inland and were again successful parents. But they apparently returned to the island once the chicks fledged.

 Another shot of Loch Torridon

 The sea gulls really liked this rocky island.

 A couple of intrepid boaters

 Steve took this shot. As you can see, the island isn't just a mound with trees on it.

 After a tasty lunch at Nanny's in Sheildaig, we continued on our way to Gairloch. This one munro (aka mountain) looked different than the others. It looks like someone dumped taupe paint over the top of it and it poured down the sides.

 Another lovely view from the road.

 Munroes in the mist

Just as we reached our hotel, The Old Inn, in Gairloch (a lovely place with friendly people, good food, and comfy rooms) it started to pour. But it was shortlived and we were able to explore the area for a couple of hours without fear of being drenched. This tree was in the back of our hotel. There was just something about it that spoke to me, so I took its picture.

 The munro behind our hotel

 The beach at Gairloch. It was low tide so there was plenty of sand to explore. The beach pretty much disappears at high tide.

 The view across Loch Gairloch, another sea loch. You'd think it would be named Loch Gair.

 The view looking the other way from our high viewpoint.

 The area's World War I cenotaph.

 We walked down to the beach for a bit of beach-combing. There were a LOT of whole razor clam shells, including several whole bi-valves. I also saw a lot of limpets. But no sea glass.

As a Florida girl, I am still fascinated by the whole cliff thing. Especially when I see rocks like this on the beach. Big boulders of coquina? No big deal. Big blocks of granite (or whatever that stone is)? Whoa!

A parting shot of the beach

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