Ullapool

The B&B for our stay near Ullaport is not really in Ullaport – it is within about 1 kilometre of Ullaport  as the Fulmar flies but about 20 kilometres and 30 minutes by Vauxhall Mokka – on the far side of the Loch Broom! – When we look around Ullaport there are accommodations of all kinds and all standards – Thank God for my poor memory for I could honestly answer Bernie’s question “Why did you decide to book here?” – “I don’t remember” says I – somehow though I have this deep dark feeling that it might simply have been because of price!

Pointing out its distance from Ullapool is very unkind to the Torran B&B for indeed its location has its own set of positives – it has a nice view over Loch Broom  – it is a pleasant accommodation of acceptable rather than  outstanding standard – not the Hilton but definitely practical and sturdy in comparison to the miscreant camper of past holidays – the wind here is significant -  significant to the extent that it makes the winds that frequent the ocean sited caravans parks of Australia seem nothing more than Zephyrs -  if the miscreant had trouble sustaining us through the virtual Zephyrs of Australia then she would have long since rolled herself up in a bundle and flown away to the caravan park in the sky leaving those that depend upon her for shelter rendered homeless!

We rise – we plan a slow - slow – slow day – we plan to wander into town – galleries – coffee – galleries – lunch – back to the B&B – sleep – back to Ullaport – wander – have an evening meal at the Seafood Shack – we will once again try Cullen Skink now renamed by Pam Milliken as Killen Skunk! – it still tastes delicious! – wander through the farm roads that cling to the braes of Loch Broom – admire the trees – admire the topography – admire the walkers – the walkers – the walkers – we learn to identify clusters of cars as key indicators of the start location for walks – we admire the bike riders riding into Ullaport – we admire the bike riders leaving Ullaport – we admire the bike riders resting in Ullaport – we admire the bike riders regardless of their attire – we admire them weather they be dressed in full leathers astride motor powered monstrosities or whether they be dressed in light rain protection and are astride pedal powered devices! -  the north of Scotland is clearly prime walking and riding territory for the actively inclined of Europe!  

Ullaport is a pretty little port town – a port – for fishing – for ferries! – accommodations – small galleries – a town just starting to recognise its potential to extract an income from Europeans and the British alike.

The tourists are just starting to arrive – led by the walkers and the riders that we have been admiring - – some of the walkers are well healed and have discovered that all the gear necessary for an extended hiking holiday in the Scottish Highlands can be fit, with just a moderate amount of additional pressure on the rear hatch, into the cargo spaces of a Porsche Cayman, without detracting, in any way, from the street appeal of the vehicle itself! - The Mokka seems quite content snuggling up to the pretty little thing but just a little disappointed that Bernie has not shown it the same degree of interest in her as she has bestowed upon the Cayman.

We wander the streets – do what everyone does when on holidays – look in the real estate windows!

 Home down the avenues that lead to the B&B - a view of the snow caps mountains up the glen - past the particularly the glorious tree which Brian Royal, MRSF will identify and post by comment - past Coffin Walk - "follow the path taken by the coffin bearers" says the brochure!

Home to a bottle of wine, a chat with the Dutch hikers who share our accommodations and look out from the B&B window to the rainbow in the distance!