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A Short Break in Ullapool

Many years ago we holidayed in Ullapool towards the end of a superb summer. The warmth of the sea allowed us to enjoy the beauty of the northern beaches to the full, and it was with difficulty that we persuaded our teenage children to achieve a few mountains as well! Climbing  the jagged teeth of Stac Pollaidh (pictured below) with our very enthusiastic Labrador was certainly memorable.

 The scenery inland matched the beauty of the coast and we determined to return. Having passed through the area several times since, it was not until this year that we finally spent a few days renewing our aquaintance with the rugged vastness of the northwest.  On our first evening we sat at the window of our B&B looking up Loch Broom. As we watched, a dramatic shaft of light picked out the little white houses of Ullapool built on a spit of land jutting out into the loch.

Thomas Pennant, Welsh naturalist and traveller, visited Scotland in the early 1770’s. His extended tour took him to the Highlands and Islands, and his perceptive comments on what he found are well worth reading. He was clearly impressed by the nature of the landscape and its extraordinary landforms ‘I never saw a country that seemed so torn and convulsed’. At the same time he was horrified by the poverty he encountered and was aware that many people needed work in this remote and harsh country. He felt they should have more independence from chieftans who still regarded them as vassals and followed too many traditional customs. 

With the bonanza of herring, Pennant saw great opportunities for fishing. He wanted to see a new town built; in an attempt to deal with unemployment and depopulation, the British Fisheries Society decided to begin constructing Ullapool in 1788. Laid out on a grid system it was designed by Thomas Telford, the brilliant Scottish engineer who was born 250 years ago this year. Other Scottish ports with which Telford was involved include Pultneytown in Caithness and Tobermory.

Ullapool’s informative museum is housed in the church he designed under a Parliamentary scheme to build places of worship and manses.  In the 19th century herring stocks began to decline and the little town was described as a ‘dreary village’ before it began to turn more and more to tourism. Today Ullapool is a bustling place in summer, especially when the Stornoway ferry comes in and disgorges passengers. It is the largest settlement for some distance, makes a good base, and has some interesting shops and pubs.

Driving north to Lochinver takes one through very wild country and into Assynt. Once highly populated by people eking out a meagre living from the poor soil, the area saw considerable depopulation at the time of the Clearances. In 1992 the Assynt Crofters were able to buy the North Assynt estate, the first such community purchase. The crofts and surrounding land looked well cared for and the area abounds in wildlife.

Assynt has some of the oldest known rocks, Lewisian Gneiss from 2,700 million years ago. Its spectacular mountains, several of which stand majestically alone, include Suilven with its three peaks and Canisp. The area’s unique geology has been recognised by UNESCO, and leaflets are available for visitors interested in following the ‘Rock Route’.

Taking the coast road south again gave us magnificent views at every turn. Making for Achiltibuie, we turned a corner to look down onto the group of 16 islands known as the Summer Isles. They appeared to be floating in a flat calm silver sea, one of the characteristics of the west coast at its most beautiful. The largest of the islands, Tannera Mor once had over 100 inhabitants, but was depopulated by 1931. During the war the naturalist, Frank Fraser Darling lived there and described his experiences in ‘Island Farm’.

A planned visit to the Hydroponicum did not materialise, as it closes early to the public. Set up in the mid-1980’s to provide fresh vegetables for the remote Summer Isles Hotel, it now has a country-wide reputation for growing plants without soil. The system transports nutrients to the roots through water, with the grower having more control over how the plant is fed. In addition the plants do not require extensive root systems.   

The Hydroponicum must wait until our next visit to the area;  it is an example of the diversity found in the north-west. The country was looking particularly majestic during our few days - no wonder the Continental visitors were enthusing over what has been called ‘the last wilderness in Europe’.