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Don't miss the Ullapool hill paths!

Don't miss the Ullapool hill paths!


Postby dogplodder » Mon Jan 10, 2022 10:04 pm

Route description: Ullapool and Loch Achall, Ullapool

Date walked: 17/05/2021

Distance: 12 km

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It's hard to believe I spent a week on a family holiday in a house very close to the start of the "Ullapool Hill Paths" and didn't venture up them. It was back in April 2007 when Peter was recovering from a bad dose of Lyme disease and that would have affected what we chose to do.... but from my perspective now it's strange to think I could spend a week in that house and not even consider going up there.

Over the next 14 years this route probably didn't register on my radar because it didn't include any classified hill to be climbed - showing how lists can get in the way of some fine walking. I might not have been aware of this area at all had Rob and Mary not spoken about taking the bus [on more than one occasion] to walk up the Ullapool hill paths. I was intrigued to know why they would go more than once and when Moira and I eventually decided to go it was mainly because we couldn't think of anything else we hadn't done in the time we had.

The day it finally happened started off cloudy but was predicted to improve as the day went on. We parked at the public car park next to Tesco and walked back to the A835 going north, turning right into Broom Court which is signed for Ullapool hill paths. It's a steady climb on an excellent path and almost immediately we had good views over the houses to Loch Broom. We watched the Calmac ferry heading off on its regular crossing to Stornoway, reminding me of the blustery April day we unwisely ordered lasagne and chips on board before sailing into strong wind and choppy seas... and were revisited by lasagne and chips half way across the Minch.

Ferry leaving for Stornoway (Moira's photo)
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Ferry above Moira's head and Beinn Ghobhlach topped with cloud
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A riot of gorse
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Ullapool was founded in 1788 as a herring port and was designed by Thomas Telford who built the Caledonian canal. Before then it was a small hamlet of just over 20 households. Then when herring stocks collapsed it was on to mackerel and when mackerel declined the focus turned to lobsters and prawns. Ullapool has weathered the changes and the harbour is still used as a fishing port, yachting haven, and ferry port.

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A835 heading NW in direction of the Summer lsles
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We could see from a distance the path winding up rocky Meall Mor, but when we reached it, walked on past thinking that might not be it. We quickly realised it was and turned back as we didn't want to miss the best viewpoint of the day. It seems strange Meall Mor isn't classified as a Sub 2000 when the Black Isle's almost invisible Mount Eagle is.

Meall Mor ahead
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It's a good wee hill and ideal for taking a child for their first experience of climbing a hill, with nice craggy bits to scramble over at the top. Not that Moira and I had any small child or even a dog with us on this day.

Seat with a view just below summit
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Meall Mor summit
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Upper Loch Broom and hills in cloud
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Flat-topped Beinn Ghobhlach now clear of cloud
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Our next target was Loch Achall with its pleasing sense of remoteness, yet surprisingly close to a busy tourist hub. It's possible to drive a good part of the way, but that's not as satisfying as walking it. Returning from the detour up Meall Mor another seat is reached from where a clear path marked with a yellow marker post heads NE over heathery moorland. For us it was late spring with the blazing yellow of gorse but it would be equally spectacular in August with the heather in bloom.

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Zoomed NE to Loch Achall
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Good dry path
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But not so dry where the cattle gather
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The path emerges at a track where you turn left and follow it until a tarmac road where you turn right. This leads to a bridge at the Eas Dubh waterfall, described as spectacular, but which from the vantage point of the bridge it really wasn't.

Bridge over Eas Dubh waterfall
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Ullapool River
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The road took us to Loch Achall where we turned on to a rough track and found ourselves stones to sit on under a row of trees. It was a peaceful spot and we had it all to ourselves.

Lochside row of blighted trees
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For the return we followed the track alongside the river passing the remains of the original bridge where guys on the other side shouted over, asking if there was a way across. We said apart from wading, it didn't look like it. The sign announcing this to be a dangerous bridge seemed a bit unnecessary in that there was none of it left!

Original bridge over Ullapool River
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A path continues from there to the road and the bridge by the Eas Dubh waterfall and I went to see if the falls were any more spectacular from along the river bank.

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Eas Dubh waterfall more visible from this angle
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Staying on the road we passed through an attractive woodland of mainly birch surrounded by the most extensive carpet of primroses I've ever seen.

Photo so doesn't do it justice I nearly didn't use it. They just went on and on and on.

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Quarry
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We passed Ullapool limestone quarry, the road running gently downhill until we reached a sign on the left just before a cattle grid, which we followed uphill to eventually reach the hill path we had started off on.

Signed path before cattle grid
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We both agreed it had been a great walk and wondered why it had taken us so long to get here!

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Back in Ullapool we paid our usual visit to The Ceilidh Place
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The harbour area is always worth a wander and gives fine views of the east facing houses that front the village.

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dogplodder
 
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