Another gloriously hot and sunny day, clear blue skies.

Last night, we stopped with Jan and Michael at the Rose Cottage bed and breakfast in Fort Augustus. It was superb, and we would highly recommend staying with them if you are in the area.

Today was the last day of our holiday before we fly back to Manchester tomorrow. We had planned to walk around Fort Augustus in the morning and then go out on Loch Ness in a rib in the afternoon before travelling to Inverness Airport.

However, a fault symbol appeared on our all-singing Renault Astrale Esprit Alpine hire car. After two and a half hours of being passed around in circles, Alamo finally arranged for the car to be picked up by a recovery vehicle and for the driver to drop us off at Inverness Airport. So we did not see Fort Augustus or go Nessie hunting, which was a great disappointment.

But one bit of good news: my mobile, which I lost, has been found in a pub we visited after finishing the Big Burn Walk. It had fallen into the toilet bowl and got stuck in the waste pipes. A plumber called to clear the blockage, found it!! The staff are drying it out and returning it to me, but I doubt if it will work.

It has been a wonderful holiday. The Scottish Highlands are magnificent and awe-inspiring, with their views, superb beaches, and beautiful lochs, hills, and mountains. We would recommend the North Coast 500 as a wonderful, relaxing, and peaceful holiday. You will not see better views or beaches anywhere in the world.

We’re back home tomorrow. Our first job will be to lose the extra weight we have put on, get back to sensible eating, and restart our exercise regime.

Another glorious day, with bright sunshine and a clear blue sky, very warm.

Today, we leave the Gairloch Highland Lodge, which provided last-minute accommodation after our booking at the Old Curing Station on Dry Island Badachro fell through. While the hotel was basic, it was clean and offered a nice shower and breakfast. But what truly set our stay apart was the staff—exceptionally friendly and helpful, they went above and beyond to enhance our customer experience.

After leaving Gairloch, we headed to the Beinn Eighe Nature Reserve, which boasts stunning views of Loch Maree. We took a delightful one-hour walk through ancient woodlands, enjoying every moment.

Next, we ventured to Shieldaig, a picturesque village overlooking Loch Torridon. Opposite the village lies Shieldaig Island, a bird sanctuary managed by the National Trust for Scotland, where Sea Eagles have nested in recent years.

Historically, Shieldaig was established in the early 1800s to encourage local villagers to fish for herring and thus cultivate a stock of trained seamen for the Royal Navy.

Today, the local economy thrives on fishing and tourism. There are salmon farms in the area, along with a smokehouse in the village. We observed creels on the pier, used to catch what locals refer to as “prawns,” which are actually nephrops, resembling mini-lobsters. Crabs and scallops are also plentiful here.

We had lunch at Nanny’s, a charming cafe on the seafront that served delicious homemade food.

Next, our journey took us on a long (84-mile) drive across country to Fort Augustus. While this should have been an easy drive, there were long stretches of single-track roads and narrow two-lane roads that demanded full concentration and were thus very tiring. However, the phenomenal views and breathtaking scenery made every moment worthwhile.

We’re staying at Rose Cottage Bed and Breakfast in Fort Augustus, where owners Jan and Michael extended a warm and very friendly welcome. Jan eagerly showed us around the house, while Michael kindly took our luggage to our room. The house is superb and elegantly appointed, and our bedroom (Room 2) is spacious, featuring a super king bed.

Tomorrow, Saturday, marks our final day touring the Highlands. Time has flown by, but we have thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of this incredible journey.

It was another lovely sunny day with clear blue skies. It was cool at first, but by lunchtime, it had become very warm.

In the morning, we were due to go on a Shellfish Safari in a traditional working fishing boat to see langoustine, creels, and lobster pots hauled from the deep, but sadly it was cancelled.

Instead, we walked around Gairloch. Gairloch is a small fishing village with a population of just under 700 situated on the shore of Loch Gairloch amongst the awe-inspiring scenery of Wester Ross.

We first visited the museum, which is housed in an old, reinforced concrete nuclear bunker built during the Cold War. Two of the six-inch reinforced doors are used as exhibition stands. The museum offers diverse exhibits highlighting local history, culture, and the natural environment. Highlights include the original lens from Rubh Re lighthouse, a replica croft house, an interactive natural world gallery, a Pictish Symbol stone, and a 25-minute video of local people discussing how life in Gairloch has changed over the last few hundred years, which was fascinating.

After the museum, we took a stroll around the picturesque small harbour. On our way there, we spotted a lovely beach in the distance, but could not see how to get there. We eventually found a sign pointing up a steep hill saying, “Beach 1km.” But despite walking for around 15 minutes, we never saw the beach!!

By the afternoon, it had become very hot, so we returned to our hotel and found a nice place in the shade to read and relax.

For our evening meal, we went to the Badachro Inn. This involved driving along a narrow, winding single-track road with many blind corners for three miles. During this, we encountered a few locals who appeared to be practicing to be motor racing drivers. But we finally made it without incident and were seated in the lovely conservatory with spectacular views overlooking Loch Gairloch. The food was enjoyable without being anything special.

We have eaten far too much this holiday. Once back home, we must return to exercise and healthy eating to lose these excess pounds.

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.

Another gloriously sunny day, the warmest so far.

The day started very well with a superb breakfast served up by Jo at Ardmore House. She makes her own bread, compote, and marmalade, all served up with a fabulous choice of food.

Then it was off to another spectacular beach, Achmelvick Bay, 10 minutes from Ardmore House. It was like being in the Bahamas: pure white sand stretching round in an arc and crystal clear turquoise blue water. So peaceful and beautiful.

A quick cup of coffee at the An Cala Cafe in Lochinver, then out on a 90-minute wildlife boat tour with North Coast Sea Tours. We did not see much wildlife, some sea birds, and seals on the rocks enjoying the sunshine, but it was delightful.

We had lunch at Lochinver Larder, which is famous for its wide range of meat pies, which it sends all over the world. Highly recommended, it can’t be booked, and at peak times, you may have to queue.

We then returned to Ardmore House to conduct a hand-fasting ceremony, during which couples re-commit themselves to each other. We sat on a bench in Jos’s garden, bound our hands with ribbon to symbolise our commitment, and read statements indicating our love for one another. 

In marriage, you often reach a point where you take each other for granted, love each other but don’t show it, presuming your partner will always be there. But when one goes, the one who is left then realises what the person they have lost meant to them. Often regretting that they did not show it more when they were together. Hopefully, our small handfasting ceremony today will remind Sue and me how important we are to each other and how we must make the most of the days we have left together and never forget to show our love for one another.

For our evening meal, we had a superb fresh crab salad that we had bought from the An Cala Cafe after our boat ride, and Jo had kindly put in her fridge for us. We ate it at Ardmore House together with Jos’s bread, which Jo had just got out of the oven, and butter. There is nothing like fresh seafood.