Northwest Scotland

On the northwest coast

In the morning, the sky is veiled with high, wispy clouds that never give way to the idea of rain, but will hide the sun for most of the day. The landscapes we see are simply majestic, and the roads we travel have the characteristic of being usually one-lane with frequent passing places and parking areas to allow traffic to cross. This is complicated by the frequent presence of sheep on the road. It's not easy to drive in these conditions: you always have to anticipate someone arriving in a sparsely populated area and therefore potentially free. When crossing, you are forced to make sudden stops to pull over without losing too much speed and then immediately start again. The distance to cover is long, and the road does not allow high speeds, in addition to requiring constant concentration.

From Durness to Lochcarron

The highlight of the day is near Durness, at Coldbackie, a beach that, if it weren't for the cool temperatures, could easily be described as tropical. A small cove between two high hills that slopes towards the sea has been filled with sand over millennia; the water reaching its shores allows you to see the seabed for dozens of meters. Visually speaking, only the abundant heather blooms on the hills confirm that we are not in the Caribbean. We visit the Smoo Cave, a cave that leads to a well sheltered fjord, inhabited in ancient times by all the populations that lived or occupied the area, including the Vikings. Near Ullapool, we even manage to see a bit of sunshine, ready to make the colors more vibrant, but it quickly disappears again. As we descend, our eyes fall on a sign indicating smoked salmon for sale. Like two hungry cats, we set out in search of the prey, which we find at the B&B run by an elderly woman, who assures us that the smoking is done on site. The aroma around us leaves little doubt. For lunch, we will enjoy seven ounces of this fine fish in a service area along one of the many rivers flowing from the Highlands towards the Atlantic.
We pass through Gairloch, Torridon and Shieldaig. We also see the Victoria Falls, but they are certainly not unforgettable.
We arrive at Lochcarron, a village of white houses that stretches along the harbor. Its layout is simple and linear: houses, small garden, road, strip of public garden, promenade and fjord. Raindrops fall to wet the road and make everything even more Scottish. Fortunately, it only takes a few minutes, and the horizon reappears.
Overall, the western coast is more appealing. While the other side gradually slopes towards the sea with gentle inclines, covered in green pastures and a somewhat acceptable level of urbanization, to the west it's the mountains that plunge into the sea, leaving little space for roads and any kind of human settlement. Only the sheep are resting Crawling along the steep inclines. This part is definitely more interesting from a tourist perspective, with numerous fjords that penetrate deep into the mainland. Some of them are particularly deep and during World War II they sheltered British and Soviet warships here. In some cases, navigating these fjords requires a slow but beautiful circumnavigation, while on others bridges have been built. The roads are obviously single-lane, with all the resulting precautions. Traffic is light, even though we were expecting less, given the stunning solitude of the area. As we follow along some fjords, we see salmon farms.

Evening in Plockton

We arrived in the evening at Plockton A small village of whitewashed houses that seems very popular with tourists, although no one appears to understand why. For £50, an elderly woman offers us a great place to stay. The house is well-furnished and we get a good idea of what a B&B is like. Plockton has four restaurants, which are completely full. We manage to find a table on our second attempt, but the result is more than satisfactory. Smoked haddock and trout with almonds, accompanied by a creamy beer, Best, reach the highest levels.
Around 9 PM, our host awaits us for a drink. Given the quality of the local beers, I would have preferred to try a couple, but one must make do. This is also an opportunity to chat with her and enjoy a slice of banana cake that she kindly offers. We chat extensively and learn that there's a shortage of jobs in the area, so young people are forced to move away to study, only to return later. Just like what happened to three of her four children, they now live in Dundee, Glasgow, and Ireland. She, who has been widowed for thirty years, supplements her pension with hosting activities. It's common practice to use the rooms left vacant by her children to provide accommodation and supplement their income or pension. Life in Plockton during winter is not easy. The few residents stay indoors while heavy snow falls. Last year, they had to winch passengers from a train that was stuck due to the heavy snowfall. Although it may seem strange, the village is connected to the outside world by six daily trains, which indirectly allow access to Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dundee, where universities are located and there are more job opportunities. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the fjord doesn't freeze over too much, at least not enough to walk or skate on it. Despite the elegant and well-furnished house, our host seems to come from a less affluent background. However, her hospitality is remarkable. The fatigue of a long day driving makes it impossible to stay awake.