Bunchrew Caravan Park, Beauly Firth, Morayshire

We were the first of the four caravanning parties to leave the farm this morning, intending to make the most of the good weather. As we came over Knocken Crag and across the Cromalt Hills, the skies cleared and the countryside was bathed in sunshine. What a difference this makes! The route was so very picturesque today, particularly all that before the sign indicating we had completed our take on the NC500. 

As we came down to Ardmair, the sea gleamed azure blue and the white washed cottages lining the road as it turned away from the bay, suggested a Greek scene, or at least that one sees depicted in calendars.

We rounded another peninsular of land and then came down to Ullapool, the first significant indication of human habitation since leaving Thurso. This is the main settlement in the north west, the harbour the centre of activity with fishing boats, the Stornoway ferry, tour boats and yachts coming and going.

Ullapool was established by the British Fisheries Socety in 1788 and that ever-busy civil engineer, Thomas Telford, acted as consultant in the subsequent development of the village and harbour. The herring industry that attracted investment in the new port and its infrastructure has undergone periodic booms and busts over the years.

During World War II, fishermen came here from Scotland’s east coast which had become too dangerous to fish due to enemy mines. Post-war, modern technology and catching techniques saw thousands of herring landed and the harbour was expanded to cope with the large number of working boats. 

In the 1970s, Eastern Bloc ships (known as “Klondykers”) anchored in the loch and bay processing mackerell on board which was collected and transported throughout the world by large “Mother Ships”. This large fleet comprised Russian, Polish, East German and other east European crews along with Irish, Nigerian, French, Egyptian and Japanese vessels, leading to further expension at the harbour. The crews brought both trade and an international atmosphere to the area. The disintergration of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s led to the collapse in mackerel prices and the factory ships quietly left the loch and bay to its previous peaceful existence.

Today we were canny enough to be down on the shore just as the MV Loch Seaforth motored into view, having sailed down from the Isle of Lewis in the Western Isles which explained the concentration of tourists about the port area. When this large new ferry was put into operation in the summer of 2014, the harbour underwent even further development with a 33 metre pier extension, construction of a passenger access system and expansion of the Ferry Terminal building.

The wharf facilitates domestic inshore shellfish fleet of prawn creel and trawl fishing boats along with landings of crabs, lobsters and scallops. Irish, East Coast and Spanish fleets working the west fishing grounds and far into the Atalantic also frequent the port.

The well ordered township would be charming even without all this water related activity, and we were delighted to spend nearly an hour wandering about soaking up the atmosphere. 

Ullapool is situated about a third way into Loch Broom, and the road south follows the eastern shore right to the base; it is just such a lovely road. From here we climbed up onto more desolate lands, now heading across the centre of Scotland, and pausing from time to time as we made our way along the southern shore of Loch Glascarnoch. The western end of this lake looks almost glacial, but as we made our way west, we realised that the water level was far below normal. In fact at the far east end of the loch, we discovered a dam with no explanation except for a sign showing that it was the property of Scotland Water. From here the road descends, following the flow of the Glascarnoch River, then the Black Water, down to Garves and on down toward the Beauly Firth, where we pulled into Beauly, a spot we had passed through when we were tikki touring out of Culloden.

We managed to find an excellent spot to layby beside the sports fields, and then after lunch, we wandered up into the township, checking out the river at the end of Ferry Road, then the Abbey ruins before buying fresh bread for tomorrow.

The abbey ruins are open for all, which is sensible given their sparce state and the paucity of information. Interestingly the monks who founded this priory in about 1230 were of the Valliscaulian order, one we had not come upon before. However they, like most who vowed to practise poverty, got carried away with wealth and power, all exhibited in the impressive church that once stood here. 

Some time after the Protestant Reformation of 1560, the church became a burial ground for local folk, and in 1653, the buildings were stripped of their stone for Oliver Cromwell’s fort in Inverness, hence the state of the priory today.

Back on the road, we soon reached the A862 and travelled eastward along the southern shore of Beauly Firth until we arrived at this camp situated right on the water’s edge. It is the first time we have ever patronised a commercial camp, although most of the Club camps do take casual customers. This one is very antiquated, but clean and tidy, meeting all our needs including decent laundry facilities. And most importantly we have internet!

Disappointingly we have been unable to remain hitched, even though our site is quite big enough. We had to unhitch to lift the tow bar high enough to level the caravan. When we travelled throughout Australia, and were just stopping for the one night en route to destinations further afield, we were more often than not able to remain hitched up which hastened the getaway process each morning. Alas, we have yet to do that here.