We decided to treat ourselves to a nice breakfast today due to being just a few minutes’ drive from Ullapool, and therefore a selection of cafés. We chose Cult Cafe and opted for avo on toast with feta. Now we’ve done a lot of avo breakfasts in our time, and this one was up there with one of the best we’ve ever had! We then popped into the deli over the road to see what treats they had to offer. They had a huge selection of cakes, meats, and cheeses, as well as an extensive deli roll menu. We decided to grab two to have for lunch later, however it did take them an absolute age to make them (which is ok because they were absolutely delicious) I think they felt sorry for us because we were given an off cut of a piece of millionaires shortbread for free whilst we waited.
Lael Forest Garden
Mark decided he needed a bit of a rest (which involved a book, a whole cafetiere, and 3 French fancies!), so I did this one solo. Due to the recent heavy rainfall, it was very slippery in the areas where the tree roots were above ground. I took the upper path first and was a little bit underwhelmed by the whole thing. The view of the falls was also really obscured, and it was just too slippery to get anywhere near them. The lower half of the trail was much better, with loads of different species of trees and fungi. It was a nice little mile long walk to get the day started.
Corrieshalloch Gorge We pulled into the car park and saw it was a tenner to park a campervan! I’m all for paying for car parks to help maintain the area, but I think £10 is a bit steep..especially when our van can fit into the same space as a car. So we ended up being one of those.. and drove off in search of a free parking area, which luckily we found quite quickly. Corrieshalloch is said to be one of the most spectacular gorges of its type in Britain. And it certainly was spectacular! Only a short walk from the parking area and you come to a suspension bridge (which I can imagine is a massive pain in the summer as only 6 people are ‘allowed’ on at a time) and here you can marvel at the colossal gorge. It stretches approximately 1.5 kilometers long and plunges to a depth of 60 meters. The Falls of Measach that cascade into the depths of the gorge create this amazing sight. There is also a woodland walk in which at present, the native trees are rich in Autumnal colours.
Ardessie falls
We parked up on the side of the road (only spaces for about 5 cars) and tucked into our rolls before tackling the next waterfall walk. Getting to the start involves walking along a narrow path by the side of the road, and some delightful creature decided to drive their car straight into a massive puddle and spray Mark.. luckily for him, he was head to toe in waterproof gear. There are no obvious paths. It’s literally a case of scramble away in the direction of the falls. The beauty of these falls is that there are many segments to them. Watching the water gushing furiously around rocks and down deep gullies in a series of rapids, as well as stunning views across Loch Broom and surrounding mountains, what more could you want! There was an option to cross the falls, but that looked far too dangerous. There was also a massive wedged boulder, which, when stood on, would make a really cool photo. However, one wrong movement would send you plunging into the falls below.. so we sacked that one off, too! We spent quite a long time at these falls.. we really loved the beauty of the area. The scramble back down as usual, boggy and slippery, but with good shoes and good balance, we would definitely recommend this walk.
Firemore beach
The weather was now closing in, but we decided we could squeeze one more thing in for today. Firemore is a red-hued sandy beach, and due to its rural location and single track road (and probably also the weather), we had it all to ourselves. There are no facilities here, just a small parking area. On a clear day, I can imagine it would he a stunning place to be, but we got wind, rain, and fog, and so after a quick walk around, decided to call it a day.
We arrived at our campsite and realised there was a pub next door. This is very rare as most campsites are in the arse end of nowhere! Excited, we walked in, expecting a cosy atmosphere, full of locals and campers having a lovely time. Instead, it was just the two of us and a slightly strange barmaid. After about 10 minutes, another couple came in, but all she did was moan out loud that she couldn’t have a pint of Coke. They only sold it in a can. She then decided to read the whole food menu out loud, and her and her husband had a very lengthy discussion about what haggis bonbons were (Mark heard his haggis bonbon bowel movement the following morning 💩). We drank up and headed back to Ruby to enjoy some beers we bought earlier and a mushroom stroganoff with microwave rice (little things…)
The Travelling Ginger 