Aultbea
and Gairloch lie in a beautiful coastal area of Wester Ross,
with superb white sand beaches, wide open spaces, and big
skies.
A few
miles away to the south and east there are several
well-known Scottish mountains - Slioch, Beinn Eighe,
Liathach and Beinn Alligin, to mention but a few.
A short
distance away to the east are An Teallach and the Fannichs,
all mountains well-known to Munro-baggers, whilst to the
north, beyond Ullapool, are Stac Pollaidh, Cul Mor and all the mountains of Sutherland
- Canisp, Suilven, Quinag, Arkle, Foinaven,
etc.
The
coastal area in the immediate vicinity of Aultbea and
Gairloch has gentler and more undulating countryside, an area
of sea lochs and spectacular sandy beaches. Always, in the
distance, however, there are big mountains to be seen on the
horizon.
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The photo to the left shows a view of the lovely beach
at Mellon Udrigle, just one of the numerous superb beaches
within a short distance of Willow Cottage. There are others
at Gruinard Bay, Firemore Cove, Mellon Charles, Aultbea, Red Point
and, of course, Gairloch. Click
here for some more views of
local beaches.
Despite
being so far north, this part of the North West Highlands
enjoys a generally very temperate climate, courtesy of the
Gulf Stream. This is ably demonstrated by the spectacular
Inverewe Gardens at Poolewe. These were established in
Victorian times by local landowner, Osgood Mackenzie, and
contain exotic plants from all around the world. For those
interested in gardens and horticulture, the Hydroponicum at
Achiltibuie just to the north of Ullapool is well worth a
visit, whilst there is also the Tournaig Cottage Nursery and
Gardens just a short distance south of Aultbea.
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Scotland
is, of course, the home of golf, and many who visit the
Highlands like to bring their clubs with them and enjoy a
round or two.
Golfers
are well catered for, with the nearest golf course situated
only a few miles down the road at Gairloch. This course has
a lovely position just adjacent to the beach, and with
superb views. Don't forget your camera!
The other
golf courses in the locality are at Ullapool to the north,
and at Lochcarron to the south. The latter also has a superb
position, on the north shore of Loch Carron with magnificent
views all around.
One of
the main features of the Scottish Highlands is, of course,
the wildlife and Wester Ross is no exception. The area
boasts no less than 2 National Nature Reserves, at Beinn
Eighe and Inverpolly.
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It is
very difficult in the space we have available to do justice
to this beautiful part of the world, as there are so many
places to see and things to do.
For
anyone who enjoys peace, quiet, magnificent scenery,
stunning sunsets, abundant wildlife, Wester Ross has it all.
For those who are keen on walking, whether it be serious
hillwalking and/or climbing, or simply a more gentle stroll,
the possibilities are almost endless.
If you
prefer to tour the area by car or bike, may we suggest that
this is perhaps the nearest you will get, in 21st century
Britain, to a motorists' paradise - no motorways, no speed
cameras, no traffic jams. We cannot guarantee, however, that
you will not get held up from time to time by sheep standing
in the middle of the road, or that you may not have to stop
occasionally in a passing place on a single-track road - but
you're on holiday, so there's no hurry, is there?!
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In
addition to the places we have mentioned above, here very
briefly are a few more which we think you should certainly visit whilst staying
at Willow Cottage - there are also some more photos on our
"Views of Area" page:-
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the
pretty village of Applecross with its excellent beach
and
superb inn, approached via the Bealach na Ba (Pass
of the Cattle), one of the highest and most spectacular roads in
Britain
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the
drive through Inveralligin to Diabaig, another
spectacular road, with an excellent coastal walk from
Diabaig to Red Point
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the
picturesque fishing village of Shieldaig, and nearby
Torridon with its excellent Countryside Centre
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Kinlochewe and Loch Maree, one of the best known and
most beautiful of Scottish lochs
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Badachro on the south side of Loch Gairloch, with the
excellent Badachro Inn, and Red Point with its excellent
isolated beach
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Gairloch, where there is a fine beach, a golf course, an
excellent museum, and boat hire and pony trekking are
available
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the
Old Inn at Gairloch, which serves good food and
traditional cask conditioned ale; likewise the Badachro
Inn - there are links to the websites for these inns,
and others, on our
"Useful Links" page
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Poolewe, which was an important deep-water harbour
during World War II and which has a modern swimming pool
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the
mile-long
Corrieshalloch Gorge which culminates in the Falls of Measach;
the falls can be viewed from a suspension bridge
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Portree on the Isle of Skye, using the excellent new
foot-passenger ferry service run by
"6°
West" from The Pier at Gairloch
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the
attractive little fishing port of Ullapool which has
excellent facilities including a leisure centre,
swimming pool, golf course, and a splendid museum, and
is now the ferry terminal for crossings to Stornoway and
the Western Isles.
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A lot more information can be found from other websites
related to the area - see our
"Useful Links" page.
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