The Two Mellons and Gairloch Museum

A day out to the finest cafe in the area and then the finest beach...what more could one ask for?

Whenever we are up this way, we always go to The Perfume Factory at Melon Charles, mainly for the coffee and cake. It is not easy to get to but is well worth the effort, being beautifully situated on the edge of Loch Ewe and also having magnificent views all round, weather permitting. I've had some drenching here in the past and came very close to one this day but, experience had given me just a good enough head start to get back to the car in time.

It was then just a short drive up the coast to Melon Udrigle which, I think, is everyone's favourite beach in this area. The views up to The Summer Isles and Coigach and across to An Teallach are simple superb, as is the beach itself and the clear blue waters.

The weather was perfect for photography as well. All around there seemed to be dark brooding squalls but miraculously, we managed to steer clear of them. On our way back to the car I could see one approaching and unfortunately, it was a race we lost but compared to some of the previous drenchings I've had in these parts, this one was relatively mild!

It had been our intention to visit Gruinard Bay as well but the rain looked to have set in for the day so, after sitting in the car for a wee while waiting for it to brighten, we decided to call it a draw and head back to Badachro. One good thing to come out of our early departure was that it gave us the chance to visit the Museum at Gairloch.

Gairloch Museum is located in a converted nuclear bunker with galleries showcasing the history, culture and natural heritage of the beautiful area of the North West Highlands. Displays include the original lens from Rubh Re lighthouse which we visited the previous year, a replica croft house showing how people used to live and an interactive gallery about the area's natural world, midges and all!

Add to that a cafe and what more could you ask for?