Considering this is the furthest north that I've ever been (Ullapool is on the same latitude as southern Alaska), I was expecting extreme cold and short days. However, we were pleasantly surprised that our first 2 days in the Highlands were enjoyed in the sun, wearing just light jackets. Apparently, the gulf stream keeps this small corner of Scotland relatively mild year round. . . In fact, Ullapool is known for having a few palm trees! Of course, this is still Britain, and our good luck ran out by the 3rd day when big gray rainclouds and dense fog rolled in. It was still lovely, though.
near Gairloch |
One thing you notice about this part of Scotland is that there is water everywhere. Of course there's miles and miles of rocky coastline, dotted with several hundred little islands (unfortunately this time we didn't get to visit any islands) as well as small waterfalls just about everywhere you look. And then there are the lochs (lakes to us non-Scots). . . on our drive back to Glasgow we followed Loch Lomond and the famous Loch Ness (no Nessie spottings), and dozens of other smaller bodies of water. Multi-colored mountains and crags of varying sizes rise straight out of the lochs, usually with low-hanging clouds clinging to them and highland sheep grazing near the base.
Loch Ness |
day 1 in the Highlands (Gairloch) |
So in the last week we've driven the entire length of the UK. . . from Ullapool down to Arundel, West Sussex where we are now. And, believe it or not, we'll be heading back up to Scotland next week! With just a handful of UK shows left, we'll be on the East coast of Scotland (Dundee and Carnoustie, just north of Edinburgh) by Nov. 9th, just before flying to the Netherlands.
Cheers!
Jess
Check out more UK photos on Flickr!