Well, it seems that you may be sick of hearing me say this by the end of this week! It's hard to describe if you haven't experienced it first hand but it really makes you smile and scream in frustration at the same time!
We've had a wonderful day here in Wester Ross. We had a slow start and by the time we headed outside, it was positively miserable Scottish weather. We decided that it would be a day to explore the town of Ullapool, just north of here as there were a few things we wanted to check out in that area.
First, I had to dial the local Scallop Diver to see if she had any fresh ones. Denied. not big enough yet. She said she have some in a few months. Then called the Hydroponicum as we'd heard that you could tour and learn how they were growing "gorgeous" produce without soil. Denied. Due to unforeseen circumstances, they were no longer open to the public for tour. Okay, surely the day was going to look up. Even our children were doubting us at this time.
Nevertheless, we hit the road for Ullapool. At least a warm pub meal was a given. The coastal scenery along the was again, epic. Unbelievable. Mountains, rocks, pebble beaches, sandy beaches, twists and turns, huge goats; something to see out each window. As we began to cross the peninsula and head away from the coast, we gained elevation and the rain quickly turned to snow. Again, I will say, breathtaking. Vast open vistas with nothing in sight but hills covered in snow. I'd read in the guidebook about the Corrieshalloch Gorge and so we stopped along the way. It was a perfect place to play in the snow and to get soaking wet since we did not pack an extra pair of clothes for anyone! (remember, we were just hopeful for a good pub lunch, not outdoor play)
The gorge as described by Fodor's, " a river draining the high moors plunges 150 feet into a 200-foot-deep, thickly wooded gorge." There was a suspension bridge above the gorge which we crossed but did not linger on as it really gave me a fright and I'm not usually scared of heights. Something about looking that far, straight down, holding your three year old's hand, makes you a little edgy! We built snowmen on the way back to the car and had a great trek. The gorge is an absolute must see for anyone coming to this area.
On we went to Ullapool for fish and chips. It's a nice little fishing village and we enjoyed our lunch and our stroll around. The sun was out and no snow in sight except far away peaks by now-and we were only 10 miles from the snowmen!
On our drive home, the sun continued to shine and the snow had melted quite a bit through the mountains. We saw no less than 50 deer along the way and of course the sheep and goats too.
We spotted a sandy beach to go back to and made it home in time to play on the pebbles here. What a fantastic day in this land of 4 seasons in a day!
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