Another glorious day—sunny, with not a cloud in the sky, very hot, reminiscent of summer in Spain.

We were sad to leave Jo and Trevor at Ardmore House Bed and Breakfast. We loved our stay with them, and they easily rank as the best hosts we have encountered on this trip.

We made our way to Ullapool, the main settlement on the West Coast. The scenery and views on the drive were magnificent, reminding us of our travels in New Zealand, with narrow roads, stunning landscapes, lakes, lochs, impressive hills, and mountains. The views of Loch Broom as we neared Ullapool were simply unbelievable.

Ullapool is a charming small fishing village with quaint houses and a busy harbour nestled on the shore of Lochbroom.

We enjoyed visiting the Museum and Visitor Centre in Ullapool, which is run by volunteers and housed in an old church. It shared the story of Ullapool, the lives of the crofters, the clearances, and the rise and fall of the fishing industry over the years. The more we learn about the clearances, the angrier we feel about the cruelty and cold-heartedness of the landowners involved.

For lunch, we went to the Seafood Shack in Ullapool, a food wagon located by the side of the Ullapool Outdoors store on West Argyle Street, directly across from the Ullapool Museum. The Seafood Shack is owned by two locals, Kirsty and Fenella, who set up the business in 2016. They sell fresh fish sourced directly from local boats. We had fried haddock and salad in a wrap, which was delicious. If you are in Ullapool, we can definitely recommend it. After lunch, we had an enjoyable walk around the village and harbour.

By the time we left Ullapool the sun and travel had taken a toll on us, so we decided to skip visiting Corrieshalloch Gorge and Nature Reserve and head directly to Dry Island, Badachro, where we were booked for the night at The Old Curing Station. The journey once again treated us to magnificent scenery.

However, upon arriving at Dry Island, we discovered that the Old Curing Station was quite a distance from the parking area. Not only was it a long walk, but we also had to navigate narrow, twisting steps and traverse a very narrow, uneven concrete walkway before crossing a floating bridge made of wooden slats. There was simply no way we could wheel or carry our two large suitcases down to our accommodation.

So, we searched for an alternative place to stay and finally found a room at The Gairloch Highland Lodge, which is basic but meets our needs. We sent an email to the owner of the Old Curring Station, who replied that if we had said that, he could have arranged to have our luggage delivered to the island by boat!!

Most of the roads we traveled today were narrow, twisting, and winding, requiring full concentration. Thankfully, many were two lanes; however, we did encounter some narrow single-lane roads, and I had to reverse twice for the first time this holiday. Luckily, both times happened on straight stretches.

We were exhausted from the travel and the heat when we reached our hotel. We took a quick shower and then spent the rest of the evening relaxing.