16/05: Ullapool to Achmore (almost back to Skye)
Category: General
Posted by: The Agnew Family
We're starting what is called the NC500 (Northern Coast 500) today. The route actually starts in Inverness but we're skipping the part from Inverness to Skye. I read that the section between Ullapool and Skye is amazing so we decided it was worth backtracking. Tomorrow we'll take a shorter, easier route back to Ullapool and continue North. In case you're wondering, yes the article was correct. The scenery was amazing, the roads very interesting but few parking spots so a lot of photos through the windshield photos.
Early this morning it was pouring rain, luckily it started to let up as we were heading out and got progressively better as the date went on. In retrospect we should have taken 2 days to do this drive as there were several cute towns that could have been explored and lots to trails to walk.
Ardessie Falls, right by the side of the road and one of the few wild flowers we've seen.
I think I've taken a hundred photos with the common grose.
It brightens up a dull day. Today there were a lot of bushes along the roads.
To find a geocache we climbed a hill. Not only did Ed find the geocache we got a wonderful view of Wester Ross. Sometimes the geocaches take you somewhere amazing.
Gairloch has a cute harbour.
I hope no one needs the dinghies soon. They won't be going anywhere till the tide comes back in.
There's a number of hiking trails in the Torridon Hills, so there's a parking lot. We stopped, walked round, looked at a deer resting just off of the parking lot and took some photos.
The Torridon Hills.
Across the road from the parking lot.
I saw more Ferraris today then I think I've seen in my lifetime (excluding TV of course). A group of at least 20 maybe even 30, mostly expensive, sports cars were going the opposite way on the road so they all passed us. I got a photo of 3 of them when we were in a passing spot and they were passing.
Some traffic moves slows even when they're going as fast as they can.
Just outside of Applecross we came across a number of wild deer grazing. This one posed nicely for us.
This is at the highest point on the Bealach Na Ba Pass or the road to Applecross. The road is 9.1 km long and the highest point is at 626m. The highest grade is 20% (which is steep) and the average grade is 7%. 626m really isn't that high but when you drive up it on a single lane road that is very twisty with the only armco barriers being near the top it's a little scary (well for me especially when I'm on the edge side). It get's even a bit scarier when a car is coming the other way and you have to pass. I asked Ed what he considered the worse road we've driven on the trip so far. He found all the blind hills that had unknown turns after them on the rocky side of Harris tiring to drive he said the pass was worse.
Early this morning it was pouring rain, luckily it started to let up as we were heading out and got progressively better as the date went on. In retrospect we should have taken 2 days to do this drive as there were several cute towns that could have been explored and lots to trails to walk.
Ardessie Falls, right by the side of the road and one of the few wild flowers we've seen.
I think I've taken a hundred photos with the common grose.
It brightens up a dull day. Today there were a lot of bushes along the roads.
To find a geocache we climbed a hill. Not only did Ed find the geocache we got a wonderful view of Wester Ross. Sometimes the geocaches take you somewhere amazing.
Gairloch has a cute harbour.
I hope no one needs the dinghies soon. They won't be going anywhere till the tide comes back in.
There's a number of hiking trails in the Torridon Hills, so there's a parking lot. We stopped, walked round, looked at a deer resting just off of the parking lot and took some photos.
The Torridon Hills.
Across the road from the parking lot.
I saw more Ferraris today then I think I've seen in my lifetime (excluding TV of course). A group of at least 20 maybe even 30, mostly expensive, sports cars were going the opposite way on the road so they all passed us. I got a photo of 3 of them when we were in a passing spot and they were passing.
Some traffic moves slows even when they're going as fast as they can.
Just outside of Applecross we came across a number of wild deer grazing. This one posed nicely for us.
This is at the highest point on the Bealach Na Ba Pass or the road to Applecross. The road is 9.1 km long and the highest point is at 626m. The highest grade is 20% (which is steep) and the average grade is 7%. 626m really isn't that high but when you drive up it on a single lane road that is very twisty with the only armco barriers being near the top it's a little scary (well for me especially when I'm on the edge side). It get's even a bit scarier when a car is coming the other way and you have to pass. I asked Ed what he considered the worse road we've driven on the trip so far. He found all the blind hills that had unknown turns after them on the rocky side of Harris tiring to drive he said the pass was worse.