Walk 185

Stoer to Drumbeg 19miles

I start the day by quickly taking another picture of the beach at Stoer, I felt the light was much better today and the tide was out thus revealing  much more of the beach.

Stoer Beach

The road out of Stoer takes me to a smaller track that leads up through Totag, Balchladich, Rubha Stoer and finally ending at the fantastic Stoer Lighthouse.

Stoer Lighthouse

After the lighthouse there is no path/track marked on the map however it has obviously been used by a lot of walkers as there is a clearly defined path following the coast towards Geodh Nan Uan, there are even steps cut out and clearly maintained at a deep valley I come across, so how this is not marked on the map is a bit of a mystery to me!  I continue along the coast passing by Cirean Geardail before arriving at he magnificent stack of The Old Man of Stoer.

The Old Man of Stoer

This was fast becoming one of my top 10 of coast walking so far as the wildness of the walk and views were just outstanding.  Once I had reached the Point of Stoer I started to head south towards Culkein, the path was a little less defined but the sheep tracks soon picked up the slack and I made my way downhill towards the pretty bay of Culkein.

Culkein

Once I reached Culkein I picked up the track towards Clashmore and finally completing the loop passing through Totag for the second time today, and on through Clashnessie and its fantastic beach.

Clashnessie Beach

After Clashnessie I followed the road as it  wound its way past many Lochs before arriving in Drumbeg and my accommodation for today.  Overall a fantastic days walk with so many highlights, I definitely will come back one day do the walk up to Stoer Point again.

Accommodation: Croft 338, Drumbeg.  Well placed  opposite the viewing platform in Drumbeg, a family home with 2 letting rooms. £35.00 BnB

Walk 184

Badnagyte to Stoer 19miles

I boarded the bus in Ullapool to take me to my start point at the Badnagyte road junction ( I had walked past this point back in June on my way to Polbain), the journey takes around 40mins and I am the only one who gets on at Ullapool and subsequently the only person on the bus for the whole journey, so its no surprise with the lack of customers that this is the only bus of the day!

Rubha a Bhrocaire

I alight the bus and start to walk uphill along a single track road this takes me to Inverpolly and thankfully( as today's walk is all road) there is not much traffic to trouble me.  After Inverpolly the road winds in and out of various Lochs and forests, the weather is showery (but at the time unbeknown to me this would be the only day it rains for my whole 10days away!) I get wet, dry, wet, dry all day long.

Loch Choin

The road goes up and down hills all day long and I eventually arrive in Inverkirkaig a very small settlement on the banks of Loch Kirkaig, its raining as I walk through which is a shame as it has a nice bay but not a good day for taking a picture.
                I walk through Badnaban and Strathan before arriving at the outskirts of Lochinver, here I spot an information board which informs me that there is a forest walk taking me if I wish into Lochinver, I consult the map and see it takes me around the bay and in via the pier so I decide to take this route, 5 mins later and I'm lost in the forest!! fortunately a dog walker points me in the right direction and I'm soon walking along the pretty bay of Lochinver.  I stop for supplies and lunch in Lochinver which I am informed has a world famous Pie Shop, I give it a miss as I still had a way to go before arriving at my BnB.

Stoer Beach

The road out of Lochinver winds in and out of many Lochs and glens before arriving firstly at Clachtoll and then finally at Stoer and my accommodation for the night, which is tucked nicely on top of a hill with fantastic views across the Atlantic Ocean.

Accommodation: Stac Fada, Stoer. A family home BnB, lovely owners with great knowledge of the local area which was invaluable on the following days walk £45.00 BnB

Walk 183

The Polbain Loop 15.5miles

I had done some research on today's walk on the Walkhighlands website before I'd left home which is why I was attempting today's little jaunt.

I started from the BnB in Polbain and took the road to Altandhu turning right here towards the bay at Achnahaird, the views to the Assynt mountains were fantastic as I made my way along this road.

Assynt Mountains

Once I arrived at Achnahaird Bay I turned left along a well trodden path skirting around Cnoc Mor passing by Rhuba Duilich and Rhuba Chairn, the path soon disappeared but the going was reasonably OK under foot as there were a lot of sheep tracks that wound in and out of the ferns, but a few times I had to make it up as I went along but eventually I made it to the peninsular at Rubha Na Coigeach.

Rhuba Chairn

Once at the peninsular the terrain changed instantly firstly to very rocky and then to what I can only describe as the nicest path of grass I have ever walked upon, it was like someone had rolled out the green carpet for me!!!! this continued all the way to Reiff.

Reiff

Once I arrived in Reiff I picked up the road to Altandhu but as I was walking along I caught out the corner of my eye something moving in the water.....Dolphins!!!! what a perfect end to 8 days hard walking, this was as good as it gets!!!!!

Walk 182

Ullapool to Polbain 25miles

My BnB hosts had kindly housed my very wet boots in there boiler room overnight so in the morning they were extremely hot! so much so it felt really weird putting them on but beggars cant be choosers as my mom used to say!

As I walked out of Ullapool I was greeted with a sign informing me that John O Groats was a mere 170 miles north, this was a very emotional moment for me as it seems a lifetime ago when I took the photo of the mile post on Lands End, after seeing the sign I had a silly grin all over my face for the rest of the day.!

I continued out of Ullapool along the busy A835 and the first stop of the day at Ardmair on the banks of Loch Kanaird, it was here that I could get a good look at my possible route today across Beanan Beag.

Armair

I walked along the road up and down the glens until I reached the turning for Blughasary, here I stopped and considered my options which were 1) risk life and limb walking the Posities Path to Culnacraig or 2) walk the extra 8 miles via the road route to my final destination at Polbain.  After quite a while I decided on route 2, my head for heights has been getting steadily worse over the last few years and I just couldn't bring myself to take the risk especially the mileage if I had to turn back.

So I plodded up the hill via Strathcanaird eventually turning left at Drumnuie along a thankfully quiet road towards Achnahaird.  The road was a single track and wound its way through some spectacular scenery passing by Loch Feur and edging its way around the very large Loch Lurgainn.

Loch Lurgainn

The track then took me around Loch Bad a Ghaill and onto Loch Osgaig.

Loch Osgaig

Eventually I arrived at Achnahaird Beach, which was just lovely!

Achnahaird Beach

At Achnahaird I took a left turn past Loch Rea and Loch Vatachan where at the latter I got chatting to a man who was setting up his fly fishing gear, I told him about my decision to walk around the road and he  informed me that his wife had walked the Postie Path and from what she had said I'd made the correct choice today!!!

Finally I arrived back at he coast and the view of the Summer Isles was spectacular, even though I'd had to walk an extra 8 miles today it was well worth it in the end.

Accommodation: 192 Polbain BnB £42.50 per night.  Very nice BnB with great views from my room across the bay to the Summer Isles, the owner is very very very chatty!!!!!

Walk 181

Camusnagaul to Ullapool 24miles

After a remarkably good sleep in the Hostel ( though I did have a whole 12 bed dorm to myself!) I started out along the bottom of Little Loch Broom.

Little Loch Broom

I had a choice today and that was either walk along the A832 until it meets the A835 which would amount to around 30miles in total, or I could take the scenic route via Blarnalearoch, I chose the Scenic route and on reflection I wish I hadn't!!!

I walked down the A832 for a couple of miles and at Dundonnell I cut across land via a very wobbly bridge, I couldn't quite believe how bouncy this bridge was, I had a lot of fun jumping up and down!!!

Dundonnell Bridge

Once off the bridge I followed the single track road for a few miles before I reached a gate with a large sign informing me in 4 different languages that there was no longer a ferry to Ullapool at the end of this road, apparently a lot of older maps still show a ferry which was discontinued 10 years ago.  I followed the track down to the shore and was surprised how close I was to Ullapool, it was a little frustrating as the route I had to take was at least another 13miles! 

Look how close I was!!!!!

I plodded on using my trusty "make it up as you go along" method but unlike other days this next 2.5 miles were the nastiest I have had to do on any of my walks, there was no track of any sort and once I hit the forest it was a nightmare of epic proportions, it took me 3 attempts on various routes just to traverse a few hundred yards of forest, eventually I made my way to Blarnalearoch and I could have kissed the tarmac had it not been raining!!

The rest of the walk was along roads down the west bank of Loch Broom and back up the east bank all the way to my final destination of Ullapool.

Accomodation: Ladysmith House, 24 Pultney St. Ullapool.  Nice BnB, they did a great job of drying my boots overnight.  £35.00 singe room BnB

Walk 180

Mellon Charles to Camunsagal 21.5miles

The first part of today's walk took me across land to Slaggan, there was a track for a while and then it was "make it up as you go along" time. The good part was that once I arrived at the top of the hill overlooking Slaggan the ruins were in full view and I had something to aim for!

The ruin at slaggan

At Slaggan beach there is a very good 3 mile track that takes you to the road just before Laide where I had to stock up on supplies for both day and night as I was sleeping in a Hostel tonight.

Little Gruinard

Once again my choice of road again today was the A832 and its seems that the further north I go the quieter this road becomes.  I continued on stopping at Little Gruinard to take a picture of there fabulous beach, the road then made its way along Little Loch Broom finally arriving in Camusnaugaul.

Little Loch Broom

Accommodation: Sail Mohr Croft Hostel.  Its a Hostel what more can I say! They do however do a nice breakfast for £5.00 extra which was a bit of a bonus! £26.00 includes breakfast.

Walk 179

Melvaig to Mellon Charles 27.5miles

A grey start to the day and made even greyer when I realised 2 miles down the road from the BnB that I had left my hat in the room, this hat has been with me on most of my journey and I was very sad to have lost it in such a way, especially when 1 hour later I was standing looking at the lighthouse at Rubha Reidh with the rain lashing down thinking I could do with a hat!!!

Rubha Reidh Lighthouse

I quickly took a picture of the lighthouse and then followed the track towards Camas Mor, this was a good track for the first mile or so but then I made a big mistake!

Camas Mor

The track went off to the left looking as though it would end up on the beach, I decided to totally ignore the map AND my GPS which was telling me to go that way and I headed off in the wrong direction!!!  I ask you what idiot does that???  Anyhow I went through many bogs and ended up on top of the hill that I should have walked around! but on the plus side I got a fatanstic view!!

If you have this view you've gone the wrong way!

I managed to scramble down the hill and found the track that I should have been on and this took me in and out of the lochs all the way to Rubha nan Sasan where I picked up the B8057.  The first hamlet on this road was Mellangaun with its very nice beach.

Mellangaun

The road took me along Loch Ewe towards Poolewe via Midtwon and Naast, by now the sun was out again and I stopped by the side of the Loch in Poolewe for my lunch.

Isle of Ewe

I had now picked up the busy A832 road again, this took me past Loch Tournaig and finally onto Drumchork where there is a military refuelling station tucked in behind Loch Ewe far from prying eyes!!!

Loch Tournaig

Th final part of today's journey was via Aultbea along a very nice quiet road finally arriving in Mellon Charles just in time for tea.

Accommodation: Tranquillity, Mellon Charles.  Very nice BnB that also has an extensive evening meal menu which I took full advantage of! £30.00BnB