Lochinver - Ullapool - Applecross - Kyle of Lochalsh

Once again the story of the day was the drive. And also, once again it was a day of complete contrasts. The scenery was just so magnificent. In fact at one place where I stopped to take some pics I was talking to a lady who had just come from the opposite direction and she felt she was super saturated with the beauty of the landscape.... that seems a good description of what Scotland can do to you.

Today's journey. Not strictly accurate.

The map is not totally accurate, as the leg between Shieldaigh an Applecross should've hugged the coast, but GMaps wouldn't let me do it.

I got up and got going early today - on the road by 9am as I knew there was significant driving involved today. Not necessarily in length of miles, but in time taken... and I was correct. I didn't get into Kyle of Lochalsh until 5pm and I barely had a long break.

The first hour to Ullapool was a breeze. Nice road, no major problems.
Stopped at Ullapool for a coffee and it was just a black "Americano" with a drop of milk on the side and it cost £3.10. Bloody rip off. You see.... the cruise ship had just hit town and it unloaded thousands of tourists.... As I was driving into Ullapool, I passed at least 6 buses heading north, obviously off the ship and they were loading another 6 on the dock. I think they were German, because there were signs in German all over the town.

Ullapool and Cruise ship

Main Street of Ullapool

They even had a piper pipe them into town! Obviously good for the economy of the district!

The next drive was down to Poolewe and that was relatively pleasant too....
We followed the water around a bit and that's always delightful...

Along the journey

Along the journey

 I was going to stop for lunch at Poolewe but couldn't find a nice spot so just went a bit further along to Gairloch where I ate my sandwich and managed to find a place that made a proper flat white coffee!! Gairloch was a bit quirky... had a bit of the Glastonbury feel about it.... associated with the fairies!!!

About Gairloch

Gairloch Beach

Gairloch Beach

Gairloch main street

The roads were getting more challenging the further south I went, but the scenery was spectacular. These majestic mountains just seemed to rise out of the earth and tower above you...

Mountains along the journey

Mountains along the journey

Description of mountains

By this stage the road was nearly all one lane only, but always with heaps of "passing places"

The road... little white signs up further depict passing places...

You kind of develop the "one-lane-road-wave" as you drive along. Because every time you pull into a passing place to let someone through, or they do it for you, you give them a wave. Most of the time it works OK and people are very generous and are prepared to stop, but occasionally you come across a blind spot and you're both on top of each other before you know it. On the general one lane roads that's pretty manageable, but I went on a few other roads today that really were quite scary.

I'll put some more scenery pics in first, then tell you about the scary bits!!!

Drove along the water quite a bit

Snow still on the  mountain

Scenery on the road

Scenery on the road

So.... all was going pretty cruisy until at Shieldaigh I once again had the choice to take the road less travelled. I was keeping my eye on the time, but as I said this morning, I knew today involved lots of driving and I was going OK time wise. And this last leg of the journey completed the North Coast 500 (as I was not going back to Inverness, but heading straight down to Kyle of  Lochalsh)

I've copied the map from my guidebook, so you can get a better idea of where it all fits together..

So, I took the plunge and away I went..
I don't know which road the guide book took, but it said...
The beautiful and mainly flat coast road meanders into the Applecross peninsula, past
scattered crofting villages that look out over gorgeous seascapes. The name sounds
bucolic; although English-sounding, it is a corruption of the Gaelic Apor Crosan,
meaning “estuary”.

Not sure what they mean by "flat" but it was very similar to my Big Dipper ride from yesterday! Up and down and around about... I was in and out of 2nd gear the whole way.... But, I'm getting a bit used to these one lane roads so I guess I was getting a bit blasé.... until I came around a corner and saw this massive big truck, like the Woolies trucks at home. And neither of us were near the Passing place..... And the road was really tight!!!  Well, there was no way he was going anywhere except forward, so I had to back until I came to one of those passing places.... Luckily it wasn't in the sheer drop area, but it was still hairy enough!  Anyway, we managed to get around each other and I pulled into Applecross quite happily in the end.... with my hand nearly falling off from all the waves I had done!!! 😀

Stopped for a quick loo break in Applecross - the place was hopping ... here's a few pics...

Applecross

Applecross - can see the Isle of Skye in the clouds in the background

Applecross - can see the Isle of Skye in the clouds in the background

Now this is where the real fun begins.... They saved the last hurrah for the last leg of the journey of the North Coast 500...

Here's what the guide book says about it..

Yet the exit route from the village– up a glacial U-shaped valley and
over the Bealach Na Ba (“Pass of the Cattle”) at 2054ft – is one of the classic drives and
cycle pistes of the Highlands. With a sticker-strewn sign at the base warning off large
vehicles and learner drivers (heed the advice!), this former drovers’ road provides the
greatest road ascent in the UK, with a 1:5 gradient and switchbacks worthy of the Alps.
Views back across the Minch to Raasay and Skye more than compensate – assuming
the weather plays ball.

It was one of the most scary drives I've ever done in my life.... 😓
This was the ultimate one lane road.... it really was one lane and there were sheer drops over the side...

Going down the Bealach Na Ba pass

Going up was virtually straight up... and as it mentions above, it was very high. In fact we were up among where the snow still lay.  And that gradient was very steep. But what was worse was all these poor bloody cyclists were pedaling up that great hill..... couldn't believe it..... Actually it's amazing how many cyclist and motor cyclists have been on the road. I feel puffed out just looking at them!!!




I'm sure the views were amazing but I did not take my eyes off the road for one second!!! Hardly saw a thing, except very big mountains!!!

I'm not sure that I would ever want to do that road again, but when I finally got down, I felt a little sense of satisfaction, that I had actually done all the bits of the North Coast 500.

So, now I'm in Kyle of Lochalsh, just on the landward side of the Isle of Skye... in fact I can see it through my hotel window.

My hotel

Over the sea to Skye.... Bridge in the background...

So, big day today... sorry this got a bit long...  One more exciting thing to finish off.... I think I've found a laundromat!!!! This might dictate how far I go tomorrow, but it won't bother me too much if I have a bit of a break from the driving!

A song for every occasion to finish....😀

Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing,
Onward, the sailors cry.
Carry the lad that's born to be king
Over the sea to Skye.