Day 309: Ullapool to Corrieshalloch Gorge

Best bits: meeting interesting people and interesting conversations

Worst bits: road walking

Distance: 15 miles

I had had a good nights sleep and enjoyed my morning cuppa in bed curtesy of Aly which I am getting used to.

My start point was from the campsite at Ullapool this morning. As I rounded the harbour the size of the ferry dwarfed everything else.

I hadn’t gone very far when I saw a long line of red tractors parked up on the seafront. It was the Roadragecowboy, Marius Anderson. It was his final day of driving round Britain on a tractor. We had a great chat before I had to depart. Later his convoy passed me on the road and they all gave a toot and a wave. What an exciting morning.

My walk today was all main road and along the side of Loch Broom. The weather was initially cloudy but dry. And I had great views.

Then the sun came out and it really warmed up. I had a great view back down the loch to Ullapool. After a short stop for refreshments at around 5 miles I had a further 7 to go to lunch.

I met Aly at Corrieshalloch Gorge visitor centre. I had lunch of a complimentary toastie and cuppa. Then Aly and I went for a walk down the gorge.

Resting at the top of the hill we first met Gerry and Jaime from the US. Gerry has recently completed the Appalachian Trail, big respect.

Then we met newly weds Fiona and Matt and Matt’s brother and wife Nick and Haley.

After returning to our campsite I was going for a shower when I bumped into Donald who we met last night. We shared that we were both going for fish and chips and so decided we should go together. We had excellent food from the ‘Deli-ca-sea’ fish n chips cafe and as the restaurant had closed we were in a strange situation where we purchased the Fish and chips from the shop and ate them in the restaurant from the cardboard containers but were issued beautiful cutlery to use. We were also able to purchase drinks so I had two glasses of wine.

We had great conversations covering everything from the best places to live in the world, music choices, our children and our employment backgrounds.

Donald joined Aly and myself in Priscilla for a nightcap and we put the world to rights.