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Welcome to
Wester Ross in the NW Highlands of Scotland, a land of
stunning loch and mountain scenery, magnificent white sand
beaches, abundant wildlife, wide open spaces and peace and
tranquility.
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Through
Wester Ross
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Take a journey
through Wester Ross, from the pretty village of Lochcarron
in the south of the region, via Gairloch with its superb
beaches and excellent links golf course, to the attractive
little fishing port of Ullapool in the north. Along the way,
your eyes will feast on a real plethora of sights, with
something different around almost every corner. You will see
pretty villages such as Applecross and Shieldaig,
magnificent sandy beaches such as those at Redpoint and
Mellon Udrigle, many lochs, both fresh water (such as the
beautiful Loch Maree) and sea water (such as Loch Carron,
Loch Torridon and Loch Broom). You can drive the truly
spectacular road over
to Applecross via the breathtaking Bealach na Ba (Pass of
the Cattle) which climbs from sea level to 2,053 feet, one
of the highest roads in Britain.
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For those who
enjoy the outdoors and outdoor activities, whether it be
fishing, sailing, camping, cycling, mountain biking,
climbing, walking, wildlife watching or simply touring,
Wester Ross has an abundance of opportunities for everyone. |
Munros &
Corbetts
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Whether you want
to climb them or simply prefer to admire them from a
distance, mountains are one of the predominant features of
much of the Wester Ross landscape. In Scotland, the higher
mountains are very conveniently designated into two
categories.
Munros are the
highest mountains with peaks of over 3,000 feet, of which
there are 284 altogether throughout the Scottish Highlands.
Munros are so called after Sir Hugh Munro who first
catalogued them in 1891.
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Wester Ross has
no less than 40 Munros including several well known ones
such as Liathach, Beinn Alligin, Beinn Eighe, Slioch and An
Teallach, to name but a few. A number of these comprise of
more than one peak, thus enabling Munro baggers to tick two
off their lists for the sake of one climb!
Of somewhat less
fame than Munros, but not to be trifled with, nevertheless,
are the Corbetts, mountains of between 2,500 and 2,999 feet,
a list of which was compiled by John Rooke Corbett.
There are 220
Corbetts in Scotland and 32 of them can be found in Wester
Ross, of which Fuar Tholl, Sgurr a'Chaorachain, Beinn Dearg,
Beinn Lair and Sail Mhor are probably the best known.
Corbett's
definition of a mountain was somewhat more stringent than
Munro's, in that, in order to qualify as a separate peak, he
stipulated that there must be a re-ascent of at least 500
feet on |
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all sides. As a
result, there are fewer possibilities of bagging two or more
Corbetts on one climb. |
Walking
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Wester Ross is
one of the most interesting walking areas in Scotland and
has opportunities galore. There is a long distance circular
walk - The Wester Ross Route - which starts from Gairloch,
taking in a good section of dramatic coastline followed by
superb mountain scenery inland. This is a walk of several
days with plenty of accommodation available en route.
For those who
prefer walks of a shorter and less ambitious nature, there
are many choices from day-long expeditions to short one or
two-hour strolls. |
Of interest to many people are the several routes from
Glen Carron, starting from Tullich, Coulags and
Achnashellach - the photo above shows the view from the
track between Achnashellach and Glen Torridon.
Why would one go walking in Wester Ross? Well, apart
from the obvious reason, namely to get some good exercise in
nice, clear, fresh air, you will without question see some
stunning scenery, you will very probably see some
interesting wildlife such as deer, pine martens, possibly a
golden eagle and - who knows - just maybe a sea eagle or an
otter.
And you will
certainly be able to enjoy some peace and quiet, well away
from all the hurly burly of 21st-century living. It is not
unusual, even during the height of the summer, to be out
walking all day and not see another person.
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Tourist Attractions
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Apart from
the numerous natural attractions which Wester Ross has to
offer, there are also plenty of other tourist attractions to
appeal to a variety of interests.
The
National Trust for Scotland has 5 properties in the area
including Strome Castle near Lochcarron and the famous
Inverewe Gardens near Poolewe. Despite being on a latitude
more northerly than Moscow, these gardens contain exotic
plants and trees from all around the globe, their survival
made possible by the beneficial warming effects of the North
Atlantic Drift.
Other
gardens containing exotic plants are those at
Attadale near Lochcarron, with the particularly
attractive Water Garden.
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Also on the
horticultural theme, the
Hydroponicum at Achiltibuie just north of Ullapool
offers a very fascinating insight into the "garden of the
future", growing plants without soil.
Thinking
once again about the natural landscape, no visit to Wester
Ross can be considered complete without taking in the
Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve, Britain's first
National Nature Reserve originally set up in 1951, and
mostly owned by Scottish Natural Heritage. The primary
objective was to protect the ancient Scots pine wood west of
Kinlochewe but the reserve covers a massive 30 square miles
and is an area of considerable importance in terms of
wildlife, geology and, of course, superb scenery.
For those
interested in the history and heritage of Wester Ross, and
possibly in genealogy, there is the Smithy Heritage Centre
at Lochcarron, the
Applecross Heritage Centre, the
Gairloch Heritage Museum and the Ullapool Museum and
Visitor Centre.
The
foregoing gives just a taster of the various attractions
Wester Ross has to offer. More comprehensive information can
be found by using the links below to the main areas of the
region. You can also find more information on our
Tourist Info page.
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