Wigtwizzle - Norman Smith's Travel Blog.: rainbow

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Highlands Holiday - Beaches, more rainbows and fireworks.

A much quieter last day. We decided to stay local and visit a few of the beaches and, from what I remember, I think it stayed dry all day which was a holiday first.

On Thursday I had been down to Red Point Beach and taken a photo of a VR letterbox built into a wall which seemed completely out of place. I told Sal when I got back and, being a notorious "letterbox geek", she was insisted on getting a photo of it for herself. On the way down to Red Point, we stopped off at Opinon Beach which was another beautiful sandy beach.

Again, the weather across on Northern Skye looked atrocious so I'm glad we picked this area for our holiday and not over there. I love Skye but haven't been there for a number of years due to the increase in it's visitors. I recall the island putting out a "no more visitors" request a few summers ago as the island was completely full and had no accommodation left. The North Coast 500 Route seems to be causing a stir in that respect as well, especially up in Sutherland. We have visited Wester Ross twice this year and didn't see any problem but then again, we did go outside the busy months of July-August.

So enough ranting and back to Opinon where a good walk along the beach and headland certainly blew the cobwebs off us but once again we raced the showers back to the car. On this occasion I think we very narrowly won. I drove a few miles down the road so Sal could get her pic but we didn't bother getting out of the car, it was a case of winding down the window and sticking the camera out!

Morning coffee time was quickly approaching so we headed up to Gairloch and to the excellent Mountain Coffee Company which we had visited earlier in the week. I do recall having some rather scrummy carrot cake there but can't remember which day it was. Knowing us though we will have had a piece on both days.

After our coffee stop we carried on up the Gairloch coast, right to the end of the public road at a settlement called Melvaig which I first came across eight years ago due to its Inn. My, how time flies. If I remember correctly, it had been sign-posted in Gairloch and, after checking it out on the Internet, I decided that it was just too good a place not to visit. Melvaig itself was just a scattering of crofts but the Inn was something else. It was set in an elevated position looking across The Minch to The Isle of Skye and The Outer Hebrides plus it also had great views up and down the coast. It didn't have the appearance or the feel of a normal pub as it had old record sleeves covering the walls, loads of books everywhere and ornaments scattered all over the place . It was like somebody's front room gone wrong! I have put together a small collage of the pub as words can't really do it justice and I know that Sal will be interested in seeing it as it was back in the day.-


Melvaig Inn

The Inn had been converted into a house which was owned by the same person who had the pub. I think the pub just got too much and too expensive for him to run so rather than sell it on, he had modernised and converted it.There was still a car park so we parked up and headed down to the rocky beach. As per usual, the weather looked awful on Skye but we were treated to a nice bit of sunshine and a bracing breeze which made for a very enjoyable stroll.

We then returned to Gairloch and went to have a look at the only beach we hadn't visited, namely Gairloch Beach. When the tide is fully out, it really is a beautiful sandy bay. The Visit Scotland website describes it far better than I could so I will simply quote them -

"Nestling on a bay overlooking the Minch and surrounded by mountains and moorland, Gairloch Beach is a spectacular and secluded beach. A safe, sheltered sandy beach with a backdrop of dunes, Gairloch is popular with families. Take in stunning views of the nearby islands from the sandy shore, not to mention awe-inspiring Scottish sunsets from its westerly position. This wide stretch of beach is practically untouched by travellers, and the sand’s smoothness is offset by the rugged backdrop of wild heather and jagged rocks."

I can certainly vouch for the sunset as I was treated to a cracker on my first visit there which I have included below -

Gairloch Sunset 2011

We spent quite a while on the beach as this had been our last day and I think we both wanted to prolong it as much as we could. Sal went and visited the old graveyard which backed on to the beach and I just had a stroll along the sands until she joined me.

Unbeknown to us, we were witness to some very clever antics by one of the hooded crows which were scavenging on the rocks but we didn't realise what it was doing until Sal got back home and edited her photos. We couldn't understand why it was continually flying a few feet in the air, landing on the rock and taking off again but on closer inspection of the photo she took, it was picking up and dropping a shell with the hope of cracking it open for the food inside. People tend to dislike corvids but they are very clever and canny birds.

Reluctantly we set off back to Badachro but the weather Gods had one last surprise left for us. As we got out of the car I turned round to have a look at the Loch and was blessed with the sight of a rainbow perfectly positioned over the bay. It was quite gloomy but I managed to get a couple of photos which will always serve as a reminder of that special moment, that special place we stayed and that fabulous holiday I shared with Sal.

Our final bit of excitement was a firework display on Rock Island late that night. No light pollution and a perfectly still Loch made for a great display, it's just a shame it didn't last longer.

Opinon Beach

Sand Dunes, Opinon Beach

Opinon Beach

Melvaig Peninsula

Melvaig

Looking Out To Sea

Melvaig Rocks

Storm over Skye

Melvaig Shoreline

Gairloch Beach

Beachcomber, Gairloch Beach

Gairloch Bay

Feeling Blessed

Badachro Rainbow

Highlands Holiday - Seals, Stormy Skies, Sandy Beaches and WWII History

Well today was a dryer day, in fact we eventually got a fair bit of sunshine but when it rained, my God did it rain. Our day started well when we spotted a colony of seals in neighbouring Sheildaig Bay. Sal first spotted one playing in the water and let out a right yell. I pulled over to watch it and then noticed that there was an entire colony on one of the small islands. I can only assume that the weather in Loch Gairloch had been so bad that they had sought refuge there. I've passed Sheildaig Bay maybe a dozen times over the years and this was the first time I had ever seen any so felt quite blessed.

With that bit of excitement over, we set off for our intended destination, Mellon Charles. We had been there earlier in the year as Sal had wanted to visit the perfumery but had chosen to go on a Tuesday which was their day off. We had driven miles along the narrow single-track road that day, only to find that they were closed which had been a shame as the adjoining coffee shop looked really nice and had a great view out across Loch Ewe. It had been our own fault as, when we returned back to the main road, there was a massive sign saying "Closed Tuesdays"!

No such shenanigans this time however as both the Cafe and Perfume Shop were open. The food was excellent, as was the coffee. I left Sal in the shop and donned my Puffa jacked, intending to go down to the beach Loch side and take some photos. I could see the mother of all rain clouds on the far side of the Loch but underestimated how fast it could travel to where I was. Within minutes I was drenched and racing back up to the car with my camera well wrapped up in my trusty Morrison's carrier bag. The same couldn't be said for my Puffa coat though as it got absolutely drenched; it may have kept me warm but waterproof it wasn't.

My second attempt at photography didn't go much better ether, infact it rained even harder. Fortunately I had my Lowe Alpine waterproof coat on so I managed to keep dry even though my coat didn't. I think that had been the first time ever that I'd had two drenchings and two totally sodden coats within such a short space of time. Thankfully though the weather was kind to us for the remainder of the day but just in case, I'd had a third waterproof in the boot. Never let it be said that I don't go to the Far North West Highlands unprepared!

We drove back to Poolewe to explore the other side of Loch Ewe and we were very much impressed with what we found. Our fist unexpected stop was at a splendid beach called Camas na Muic which simply means "place of the big bay". The bay was totally deserted and it certainly felt good to be out of the rain. Sal had a wander along the beach to see what she could find and, as usual, I took a few photos before joining her. We could see Mellon Charles across the Loch bathed in sunshine which was a bit of a sickener but that's just the way it goes sometimes. Having said that, I think I took some great shots of the squalls earlier in the day.

Our final destination was at the head of the peninsula, to a hamlet called Cove which was the nearest inhabited place to where the Arctic Convoys of World War II gathered and sailed. The Arctic Convoys which left from Loch Ewe provided vital supplies to Murmansk and Archangel in Russia. Besides having an anti-aircraft regiment, the entrance of the Loch had a boom net and a mine defence system which helped to protect the vessels from German U boats. At Rubha nan Sasan, on the western tip of Loch Ewe there stands a war memorial to the crews lost on Russian Convoys and there are still many ruined gun-emplacements plus the remains of other small buildings scattered around the Loch. I was totally fascinated by the place.

The last convoy sailed from Loch Ewe on the 30th December 1944. Altogether four hundred and eighty one merchant ships and over one hundred naval escort vessels left the Loch for Russia in a total of nineteen convoys. For hundreds of men who made that ultimate sacrifice, the cold grey water of the North Atlantic was their resting place. For these men, Loch Ewe and the outer isles were the last sight of land they had which was quite a sobering thought when I was stood there. This was without doubt the most interesting yet poignant place we visited on our entire trip. There is a very interesting and detailed page on the Arctic Convoys.

Within an hour of leaving this special place, we were back in Badachro or to be more precise, The Badachro Inn enjoying an early evening pint. The weather did spoil itself again late on but, sitting there in the lochshore conservatory, it didn't seem to matter. Infact hearing the rain pitter-patter on the conservatory roof and watching it falling on the Loch was very therapeutic and relaxing.

Seals, stormy skies, sandy Beaches and WWII History had made this day the best of the holiday.

Bad weather over Loch Ewe

Squall approaching Mellon Charles

Bad weather approaching

Squall across the bay

A break in the weather

Looking across Loch Ewe

Mellon Charles

Stormy Weather

Stormy Weather over Loch Ewe

Stormy Skies

Camas na Muic, Loch Ewe

Sal, Camas na Muic, Loch Ewe

Camas an Lochain, Loch Ewe

World War 2 Arctic Convoy remains.

Arctic Convoy Memorial

World War 2 Arctic Convoy remains.

Ruined Croft, Cove

Highlands Holiday - Anthrax, Waterfalls and not much more!

Not the best of days, in fact I would say that it was the worst of the entire holiday. As we needed a supermarket, we opted for a drive up to Ullapool, stopping at Gruinard Bay on the way. Top priority though was to have our customary morning coffee so we picked a wet Inverewe Gardens as it was on our route and we knew we could count on it to deliver the goods. Sal, as she tends to do, also hit the gift shop and bought a few bits and bobs for herself.

We fortunately hit a dry spell as we pulled up at Gruinard Bay and it more or less stayed that way until we headed towards the hills of Dundonnell. I think this was the first time I had been the only person on the beach (except for Sal). No matter what time of year I've called, there is usually people there. Once again, Sal put her beach combing head on and disappeared into the far distance and I took some photos before joining her. The beach was divided in to two halves, the northern end was just sand whereas the southern end was scattered with rocks which the Inverainvie River and Little Gruinard River had brought down from the hills beyond. The channel entering the Loch was quite wide so I should imaging a fair amount of debris is be brought down when the rivers are in spate.

Apart from being one of the few places in the UK which is inhabited by Choughs (maybe next time Sal), Gruinard Bay's other claim to fame is Gruinard Island which was a Second World War biological warfare testing ground for anthrax. In 1945, when the island's owner sought its return, the Ministry of Supply recognized that the island was contaminated, and so could not be de-requisitioned until it was deemed safe. In 1946, the government agreed to acquire the island and to take responsibility for it. The owner or her heirs would be able to repurchase the island for £500 when it was declared "fit for habitation by man and beast".

For many years, it was judged too hazardous and expensive to decontaminate the island sufficiently to allow public access, and Gruinard Island was quarantined indefinitely. Visits to the island were prohibited, except for periodic checks by Porton Down personnel to determine the level of contamination.

Starting in 1986 a determined effort was made to decontaminate the island: 280 tonnes of formaldehyde solution diluted in sea water was sprayed over all 196 hectares of the island and the worst-contaminated topsoil around the dispersal site was removed. A flock of sheep was then placed on the island and remained healthy. On 24 April 1990, after 48 years of quarantine and four years after the solution was applied, junior defence minister Michael Neubert visited the island and announced its safety by removing the warning signs. On 1 May 1990, the island was repurchased by the heirs of the original owner for the original sale price of £500!

As we drove through Dundonnell the heavens opened and I mean opened. One of the benefits of the wet weather though was that most of the waterfalls were in full spate. If the weather had been ok I would have gotten out of the car and taken some photos as they were quite spectacular but as it was, I just snapped one and that was more or less from the car door.

The weather stayed that way until we were a few miles from Ullapool and then it finally stopped. If it had been a nice day, we would have headed further North in to Coigach or Assynt but as the weather was so bad,we plumped for food and a beer. We bought our butties at a local deli and then headed to The Ceilidh Place, where we had been earlier in the year, for a pint.

We then had a quick walk around the town, popped to Tesco to replenish our food supplies and then decided that, as the weather just wasn't going to improve, our best option was to head back to Badachro and, more importantly, the Badachro Inn. We sat in the Inn's conservatory which overlooked the Loch and had a very welcoming pint each.

Even though the weather had let us down a bit, we still enjoyed our day. All we could do was to keep our fingers crossed and hope that the next day would be better.