Friday, May 8, 2009
The cloud that greeted us as we headed off this morning was scary—dark and brooding, foreboding a stormy day to come. I’ve only seen clouds like that in Georgia when tornadoes were about, but there is not enough heat to generate one. A huge squall line and we were headed right into it.
I LOVED our stop at Morrisons—the best scrambled eggs I’ve had since arriving in “these here” parts. Super fresh jam donut, toast buttered perfectly. Store stocked with everything I needed, especially a sealant guaranteed to protect my hair from frizzing in the weather, a restroom, Post box, and diesel fuel for our car. I could LIVE here!
On to Ullapool—the name of which Laura says sounds like a place in Dr. Seuss world. I will jump for joy if there is a Morrisons there. And now the rain is upon us. Ray says driving around Scotland in the rain is a redundant statement. And now we have sunshine AND pouring rain—just to keep us on our toes.
A few more interesting place names for you: Arpafeelie, Artafallie, and Knockfarrel Tollie Scout Camp, but even they are easier to understand than Gaelic, which is on the road signs now. Dingwall = Inbhir Pheofharain.
On the snowy mountaintops of yesterday there is now heavier snow that covers most of the mountainsides also. The area we are driving through is green and lush from the spring rains. Or maybe it rains here ALL the time and we just didn’t know it. There are beautiful fields as far as the eye can see. In America, some entrepreneur would’ve come in long ago to create tract housing developments and shopping centers, ruining the gorgeous view.
All along the road here are snow poles some 8 feet high to guide the snowplows for when they cannot see the roads anymore. Snow is thick on the mountains and it is May. Surprising. There is a scary looking dam ahead for Loch Glascarnoch. Dark cloud-shadows creep over the mountainsides.
I just started thinking about all the places we’ve stayed in so far. There must be a dozen of them and we haven’t forgotten or left behind anything yet.
Arrived in Ullapool and saw it in the sunshine for the first time. It is very pretty and colorful. We did some shopping and drove out to Ardmair Point Camping Park (where we would’ve camped had the wind not been so strong). There was no one camping there. It is a very exposed site, right on the shore. Checked out Broomfield Campsite in town and found pretty much the same situation except for some tenters who looked pretty miserable.
Oh, I must say something about the public toilets here in the UK. We don’t have such things in the States and I have to say I love the idea. Makes traveling so much easier. And most of them are very clean, some even having attendants.
We had a lunch of Fish & Chips at the Seaforth Pub, and Ray had a drink called Leffe—very interesting taste. I tried mushy peas again—STILL didn’t like them. The only ones I had ever liked were in the Granary Café in Portree on Skye. Checked into the hotel and found that the internet service doesn’t work here, so I will have to go back to the pub and enjoy another meal to get the code for their WiFi hotspot, so I will post as often as I can while here.
Probably in for the night. From our hotel window, we can see the ferry come and go. We will plan our road trips for this area—one up to see the Point of Stoer Lighthouse and drive to Lochinver & Polbain on the Wee Mad Road (called so by authors—an American couple--of a book I read who lived there in a cottage for a year) & another to see the Wester Ross sites in and around Poolewe. Room is warm and comfortable and 1000% better than a tent on this cold, rainy, windy night.
***pictures from top: Our hotel in Ullapool, view near Ullapool (see 2 baby lambs on right), Ullapool, view from our hotel window
The cloud that greeted us as we headed off this morning was scary—dark and brooding, foreboding a stormy day to come. I’ve only seen clouds like that in Georgia when tornadoes were about, but there is not enough heat to generate one. A huge squall line and we were headed right into it.
I LOVED our stop at Morrisons—the best scrambled eggs I’ve had since arriving in “these here” parts. Super fresh jam donut, toast buttered perfectly. Store stocked with everything I needed, especially a sealant guaranteed to protect my hair from frizzing in the weather, a restroom, Post box, and diesel fuel for our car. I could LIVE here!
On to Ullapool—the name of which Laura says sounds like a place in Dr. Seuss world. I will jump for joy if there is a Morrisons there. And now the rain is upon us. Ray says driving around Scotland in the rain is a redundant statement. And now we have sunshine AND pouring rain—just to keep us on our toes.
A few more interesting place names for you: Arpafeelie, Artafallie, and Knockfarrel Tollie Scout Camp, but even they are easier to understand than Gaelic, which is on the road signs now. Dingwall = Inbhir Pheofharain.
On the snowy mountaintops of yesterday there is now heavier snow that covers most of the mountainsides also. The area we are driving through is green and lush from the spring rains. Or maybe it rains here ALL the time and we just didn’t know it. There are beautiful fields as far as the eye can see. In America, some entrepreneur would’ve come in long ago to create tract housing developments and shopping centers, ruining the gorgeous view.
All along the road here are snow poles some 8 feet high to guide the snowplows for when they cannot see the roads anymore. Snow is thick on the mountains and it is May. Surprising. There is a scary looking dam ahead for Loch Glascarnoch. Dark cloud-shadows creep over the mountainsides.
I just started thinking about all the places we’ve stayed in so far. There must be a dozen of them and we haven’t forgotten or left behind anything yet.
Arrived in Ullapool and saw it in the sunshine for the first time. It is very pretty and colorful. We did some shopping and drove out to Ardmair Point Camping Park (where we would’ve camped had the wind not been so strong). There was no one camping there. It is a very exposed site, right on the shore. Checked out Broomfield Campsite in town and found pretty much the same situation except for some tenters who looked pretty miserable.
Oh, I must say something about the public toilets here in the UK. We don’t have such things in the States and I have to say I love the idea. Makes traveling so much easier. And most of them are very clean, some even having attendants.
We had a lunch of Fish & Chips at the Seaforth Pub, and Ray had a drink called Leffe—very interesting taste. I tried mushy peas again—STILL didn’t like them. The only ones I had ever liked were in the Granary Café in Portree on Skye. Checked into the hotel and found that the internet service doesn’t work here, so I will have to go back to the pub and enjoy another meal to get the code for their WiFi hotspot, so I will post as often as I can while here.
Probably in for the night. From our hotel window, we can see the ferry come and go. We will plan our road trips for this area—one up to see the Point of Stoer Lighthouse and drive to Lochinver & Polbain on the Wee Mad Road (called so by authors—an American couple--of a book I read who lived there in a cottage for a year) & another to see the Wester Ross sites in and around Poolewe. Room is warm and comfortable and 1000% better than a tent on this cold, rainy, windy night.
***pictures from top: Our hotel in Ullapool, view near Ullapool (see 2 baby lambs on right), Ullapool, view from our hotel window
