Wigtwizzle - Norman Smith's Travel Blog.: firemore

Back up in the North West Highlands for our yearly holiday. We couldn't find any suitable accommodation in the Gairloch Area so we booked three nights at The Loch Maree Hotel and then moved on to Balmacara which is near The Kyle of Lochalsh. I thought this would be a good opportunity to let Sal visit The Isle of Skye.

These shots are from our first full day. The first two photos were taken from outside our hotel. The dark foreboding photo of the Loch is taken from above Poolewe as we made our way to Mellon Charles and The Aroma Cafe. We learned that this would be our last visit there as they were selling up and converting the whole building in to a luxury holiday let. Such a shame as a visit there used to be one of the highlights of our holiday but I can understand why.

Firemore Beach on the Loch Ewe peninsula was magnificent as usual, it is one of the hidden gems of the area. It is very rare you meet anyone on the vast sands, I think there may have been a couple walking their dogs the day we went but no-one else in sight for as far as the eye can see.

After a rest back at the hotel, we had a drive out to Opinon Beach in the evening. I love this beach with its views across The Minch to The Isle of Skye and The Hebrides. No two visits are ever the same.

Loch Maree

Loch Ewe from Melon Charles

Firemore Beach

Opinon

Opinon Beach

"Where Loch Ewe opens up to Mother Sea,
at Cove, still stands this crumbling concrete testament
to world war two and all those brave-heart men
who dared to face the elements, the enemy

In their so fragile ships, they left these shores,
last sight, these wounded rocks of Wester Ross;
last sounds they left behind - the crying of the gulls - as they
sailed north to Russia and the Arctic wars

Although this place of peace now holds scant trace
of what had come to pass those years before
and rust away as may the swords
we shall recall the poet's words:
We shall remember them

Long after all the blood and all the bedlam;
long after time has healed this wounded rock
and all war's echoes fade away."

~Poem by Bryan Islip~

A cloudy day, so we decided not to travel too far and just to go to the WWII Arctic Convoy Site at Cove which is situated at the top end of Loch Ewe. The village of Poolewe is the next one up from Gairloch and then it is just a case of following the coast road along the peninsula to its end at Cove.

You have some stunning views across the Loch. North to The Summer Isles and Coigach hills, and east to An Tealloch and the hills of Loch Broom. Part way along the road is a superb beach at Firemore called Camas na Muic. The weather had brightened up a bit so we spent quite sometime exploring it and taking photos.

Then it was on to Cove and the Convoy Site. The weather had drawn in and it was starting to rain a bit but this only added to the atmosphere and wildness of the place. It is so easy to envisage what the poor servicemen must have gone through whilst trying to get provisions through to the Russian people who were being starved in to submission by the German army. Many lost there lives on all sides and there is now a monument to the soldiers.

It is a very sobering experience standing next to one of the pill boxes, which are still scattered around the area; looking out to sea, and reflecting on what these brave men must have endured in such adverse conditions.

Never have the words "Lest We Forget" felt more apt.