Wigtwizzle - Norman Smith's Travel Blog.: 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.