Ullapool - the liveliest place in the Highlands!
Cheney Anne Markun
July 11, 2008
The last time I arrived in the tiny town of Ullapool (pronounced as you see it - with the "U" said like the "U" in sea gull), the whole area was covered with a thick layer of fluffy white snow and, sitting beside the roaring fire in one of the towns traditional old pubs, I was again absolutely stunned by it´s beauty.
Ullapool is perched on the rocky north west coast of Scotland, on the East side of Loch Broom. The town itself only has 1300 inhabitants but is the biggest settlement for miles around, sited as it is in one of the remotest parts of an otherwise very over crowded United Kingdom. The nearest city to Ullapool is Inverness, the Capital of the Highlands, 57 miles to the South East along roads which are often single track and frequently covered with sheep. Most of the Scottish Highlands are covered with sheep who don´t seem to mind the harsh weather that this most Northern part of Scotland often endures, and think nothing of wandering along the roads as if they had right of way (something to be careful of, especially during spring when the young lambs have even less road sense!).
Ullapool was established in the 1780´s as a herring port and fishing is still a major part of the town today. Visiting any of the towns pubs or chip shops will lead you to a menu brimming with some of the freshest, most delicious fish you´ll ever find. The catch of the day will have been caught in the deep, icy waters just off the headland and brought into the harbour only hours earlier by one of the sturdy looking fishing vessels that you can see mooring up, usually followed by a flotilla of seals and giant sea gulls watching out for any cast offs that might be thrown over board. Although fish is the main food here you can also feast on the traditional (and surprisingly tasty) Scottish dish of "haggis, neaps and tatties". In plain old English this is haggis - sheep´s heart, lungs and liver mixed with onions, spices, oatmeal and salt and, traditionally, boiled inside a sheep´s stomach (although sometimes these days a standard sausage type casing is used instead) served with mashed turnips and potatoes. It may not sound all that appetising but, hand on heart, it really is! For those who don´t eat meat they also serve vegetarian haggis, which is just as delicious but without the sheep related ingredients. The chip shop opposite the harbour (cleverly named "The Chippy"!) serves a battered vegetarian haggis which, despite being bad for you in probably every way, is just too tasty to miss out on. Food in Ullapool always comes with drink and, whether you decide to try one of the local single malts, known as taking a "wee dram" or indulge yourself in a pint of real ale or cloudy cider, you won´t be disappointed. There is a surprisingly large selection of places to eat in Ullapool, but one of the places on the harbour front will give you good food with the best views, and the views really are something you don´t want to miss here. An outside table at The Seaforth, located next to the harbour, will give you all of the above, or a window table at the more traditional Ferry Boat Inn (again on the Harbour front) with it´s beamed ceilings and open fires can´t fail to please.
Accommodations in Ullapool come in as many forms as you want them to - from camping to plush hotels to homely bed and breakfast´s, you´ll be spoilt for choice. Personally, I would recommend staying at one of the many bed and breakfasts. These are very common, and hugely popular, in the UK and involve staying in a private room in someone´s house. The benefit of this type of accommodation is that you get a really personal level of comfort as there are normally only two or three rooms so not many other people for your host to look after. Your hosts will also know all the best places to go and be a wealth of local knowledge, so your less likely to miss out on any of the local goings on. I´ve had some of the best breakfasts of my life in Scottish bed and breakfasts, and a full Scottish breakfast is an essential part of your Highland trip. Usually, this will involve eggs (fried, poached or scrambled) with toast, tomatoes, fried bread, hash browns, mushrooms and black pudding (a flat, round sausage made using blood, making it taste thick and creamy), although your host will normally make you whatever you want.
Shopping is also good in Ullapool, although you won´t find any chain stores up here! There are many independent stores selling everything from books about the haunted highlands to woolly jumps made using the super soft wool of the local sheep (the ones you managed to avoid running over earlier!) and almost everything tartan. You can also stock up on pots of Scottish honey or stuffed Loch Ness monsters (although Loch Ness is quite far south compared to Ullapool!). If you tire of spending your money then a drive is a fantastic way to see the rest of the area, heading north to the spectacular, white sandy beaches at Durness or the rocky, moonscape surrounding Loch Eriboll (or Loch Horrible as the world war two soldiers who had to train here called it!) which is around ninety minutes away through some of Scotland´s most stunning scenery. If you fancy flexing your legs the Highlands are covered with walking trails of varying levels so there is something to suit everyone - whether you fancy a gentle stroll out to the ruins of an ancient castle or a full blown hike up the side of a mountain.
Although Ullapool and the surrounding area is spectacular all year round, whether it´s covered in snow or bathed in sunshine a great time to visit is late summer when temperatures are generally warm and rain is less likely (as you probably know, everywhere in the UK suffers from lots of rain!). September is also when Ullapool hosts Loopallu - a local music festival which features all sorts of music and entertainment and is a fun, family friendly weekend, with special events being held in most of the local pubs. Whenever you chose to visit though, you´re guaranteed a friendly Scottish welcome at this most lively retreat in the Highlands.
There are many airlines now which fly into Scotland´ s main airports of Edinburgh or Glasgow, from which you can hire a car to drive north to the Highlands or, alternatively, you could fly into London and then get a connection up to Inverness and hire a car from there to finish your journey to Ullapool.
Ullapool is perched on the rocky north west coast of Scotland, on the East side of Loch Broom. The town itself only has 1300 inhabitants but is the biggest settlement for miles around, sited as it is in one of the remotest parts of an otherwise very over crowded United Kingdom. The nearest city to Ullapool is Inverness, the Capital of the Highlands, 57 miles to the South East along roads which are often single track and frequently covered with sheep. Most of the Scottish Highlands are covered with sheep who don´t seem to mind the harsh weather that this most Northern part of Scotland often endures, and think nothing of wandering along the roads as if they had right of way (something to be careful of, especially during spring when the young lambs have even less road sense!).
Ullapool was established in the 1780´s as a herring port and fishing is still a major part of the town today. Visiting any of the towns pubs or chip shops will lead you to a menu brimming with some of the freshest, most delicious fish you´ll ever find. The catch of the day will have been caught in the deep, icy waters just off the headland and brought into the harbour only hours earlier by one of the sturdy looking fishing vessels that you can see mooring up, usually followed by a flotilla of seals and giant sea gulls watching out for any cast offs that might be thrown over board. Although fish is the main food here you can also feast on the traditional (and surprisingly tasty) Scottish dish of "haggis, neaps and tatties". In plain old English this is haggis - sheep´s heart, lungs and liver mixed with onions, spices, oatmeal and salt and, traditionally, boiled inside a sheep´s stomach (although sometimes these days a standard sausage type casing is used instead) served with mashed turnips and potatoes. It may not sound all that appetising but, hand on heart, it really is! For those who don´t eat meat they also serve vegetarian haggis, which is just as delicious but without the sheep related ingredients. The chip shop opposite the harbour (cleverly named "The Chippy"!) serves a battered vegetarian haggis which, despite being bad for you in probably every way, is just too tasty to miss out on. Food in Ullapool always comes with drink and, whether you decide to try one of the local single malts, known as taking a "wee dram" or indulge yourself in a pint of real ale or cloudy cider, you won´t be disappointed. There is a surprisingly large selection of places to eat in Ullapool, but one of the places on the harbour front will give you good food with the best views, and the views really are something you don´t want to miss here. An outside table at The Seaforth, located next to the harbour, will give you all of the above, or a window table at the more traditional Ferry Boat Inn (again on the Harbour front) with it´s beamed ceilings and open fires can´t fail to please.
Accommodations in Ullapool come in as many forms as you want them to - from camping to plush hotels to homely bed and breakfast´s, you´ll be spoilt for choice. Personally, I would recommend staying at one of the many bed and breakfasts. These are very common, and hugely popular, in the UK and involve staying in a private room in someone´s house. The benefit of this type of accommodation is that you get a really personal level of comfort as there are normally only two or three rooms so not many other people for your host to look after. Your hosts will also know all the best places to go and be a wealth of local knowledge, so your less likely to miss out on any of the local goings on. I´ve had some of the best breakfasts of my life in Scottish bed and breakfasts, and a full Scottish breakfast is an essential part of your Highland trip. Usually, this will involve eggs (fried, poached or scrambled) with toast, tomatoes, fried bread, hash browns, mushrooms and black pudding (a flat, round sausage made using blood, making it taste thick and creamy), although your host will normally make you whatever you want.
Shopping is also good in Ullapool, although you won´t find any chain stores up here! There are many independent stores selling everything from books about the haunted highlands to woolly jumps made using the super soft wool of the local sheep (the ones you managed to avoid running over earlier!) and almost everything tartan. You can also stock up on pots of Scottish honey or stuffed Loch Ness monsters (although Loch Ness is quite far south compared to Ullapool!). If you tire of spending your money then a drive is a fantastic way to see the rest of the area, heading north to the spectacular, white sandy beaches at Durness or the rocky, moonscape surrounding Loch Eriboll (or Loch Horrible as the world war two soldiers who had to train here called it!) which is around ninety minutes away through some of Scotland´s most stunning scenery. If you fancy flexing your legs the Highlands are covered with walking trails of varying levels so there is something to suit everyone - whether you fancy a gentle stroll out to the ruins of an ancient castle or a full blown hike up the side of a mountain.
Although Ullapool and the surrounding area is spectacular all year round, whether it´s covered in snow or bathed in sunshine a great time to visit is late summer when temperatures are generally warm and rain is less likely (as you probably know, everywhere in the UK suffers from lots of rain!). September is also when Ullapool hosts Loopallu - a local music festival which features all sorts of music and entertainment and is a fun, family friendly weekend, with special events being held in most of the local pubs. Whenever you chose to visit though, you´re guaranteed a friendly Scottish welcome at this most lively retreat in the Highlands.
There are many airlines now which fly into Scotland´ s main airports of Edinburgh or Glasgow, from which you can hire a car to drive north to the Highlands or, alternatively, you could fly into London and then get a connection up to Inverness and hire a car from there to finish your journey to Ullapool.
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