Kishorn
Weirdly, I have never been to Applecross or Torridon. It’s weird because these two places are famous for visitors up the east coast of the Scottish mainland, being on the North Coast NC500 route. Some of my favourite places on the planet are along and around that route so when we took a few days at the end of the School Summer, it seemed a good opportunity to right the wrong.
On the way up, we had all of the weathers, as is not uncommon in this part of the world. We stopped only to get some lunch north of Perth, and again to stretch legs and take a look at Invercroft, the Jacobites Mountaineering Club hut not far from Achnasheen on the A890.
Food
We like to try local food wherever we go – we’re big fans of Phil Rosenthal. 2 minutes walk from our lodgings was the Kishorn Seafood Bar and so we had to check it out. The food, Langoustines and the fish soup, were both superb and beautifully prepared. Even on a Monday night, this place is in demand, and the owners take the opportunity to follow Adam Smith’s law. My wife did the obligatory honours with the food p0rn snaps to share with absent friends.
Applecross
We took Tuesday to ourselves – a road trip up over the Applecross pass, past Bealach na Bà, one of the most beautiful drives on the planet.
A picnic lunch at the sands, and all the weathers again throughout the afternoon. We had cameras with us, of course, but honestly, there are some things you experience which cannot be justly photographed, even by the best at the craft. You have to be there. Looking at the great hills of this peninsula, striated in their formation 400 million years ago, through shimmering sheets of rainfall, the interference between the waves of light and water create visual motion that cannot be experienced any other way.
We nosed around both North and South of Applecross village, discovering an ever-changing delight in the ever changing light. We were also properly entertained by the range of driving skills on our roads. Most of the Applecross pass is a single track road with fairly frequent passing places but – typically of Scotland – not enough stopping places. Throw in a few hairpin pin bends on sharp inclines, and you have a recipe for entertainment.
Also for entertainment, I took the opportunity to try to develop my sketching skills. I think I’m getting better at this – practising, that is – as I am starting to feel less self-conscious when people stop to look over my shoulder.
We’re off to Torridon tomorrow to have lunch with old friends and the rest of the holiday will likely be consumed with the road trip home. I may make another post about it but more likely I’ll take some time off this device.