Page 162 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Scotland

160  SC O TLAND REGION B Y REGION THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS  161

. Inverewe Garden factory ships moor in the loch in @ Cape Wrath and base for Atlantic and Russian
the winter. The major activity is the North Coast convoys during World War II.
On A832, near Poolewe, Ross-shire.
Tel (01445) 781229. Open daily now the ferry to Stornoway on Highland. @ g May–Sep (01971) The Strathnaver Museum in
(house: Apr–Oct). & 8 7 0 Lewis (see table, p221). The 511246. n John O’Groats (01955) Bettyhill explains the notor ious
∑ nts.org.uk Ullapool Museum offers an 611373. Sutherland “Clearances” (see
insight into local history. p154), the forced evictions of
Inverewe Garden attracts over The northern edge of main land 15,000 people to make way for
130,000 visitors a year and is E Ullapool Museum Scotland spans the full variety sheep. At Rossal, 16 km (10 miles)
considered a national treasure. 7–8 West Argyle St. Tel (01854) 612 987. of Highland geography, from south, is an arch aeological walk
The gardens contain an extra- Open Apr–Oct: Mon–Sat. & 8 mountainous moorlands and around an excavated village,
ordinary variety of trees, shrubs 7 partial. ∑ ullapoolmuseum.co.uk dazzlingly white beaches to flat, which provides information on
and flowers from around green farmland. life in pre­Clearance days.
the world, despite being Environs Cape Wrath is alluring not A gigantic white dome at
at a lati tude of 57.8° north. The natural won ders of this only for its name but for its cliffs, Dounreay marks the nuclear
Inverewe was started in 1862 area include the rugged Assynt constantly pounded by the reprocessing plant, which is
by the 20-year-old Osgood Mountains to the north, and, to Atlantic. There are many stacks now being decommissioned
Mackenzie after being given a Some of the many unusual plants the south, the deep and precipi- rising out of the sea that swarm and is closed to the public. The
large estate of exposed, barren cultivated at Inverewe Garden tous Corrieshalloch Gorge. The Majestic cliffs on Handa Island, a welcome with seabirds. The lighthouse main town on the coast here is
land next to his family’s hold ing. Rock Stop information centre refuge for seabirds was among the last in Scotland Thurso, a village of solid stone
At that time there was just one China. Planting is designed to and café in Unapool is a great to be automated in 1998. In buildings. Once famous for its
dwarf willow growing there. provide colour all year, but the starting point for exploring the ! Handa Island summer, a mini­bus serves the locally quarried stone slabs, this
Mackenzie began by planting gardens are at their best UNESCO-designated North Highland. g from Tarbet, near Scourie, 13­km (8­mile) road leading to industry died with the advent
shelter trees and then went on between spring and autumn. West Highlands Geopark. Apr–Aug Mon–Sat, (07780) 967800. n Cape Wrath. In order to reach of cement. Each September,
to create a walled garden using It is worth visiting Achiltibuie Scottish Wildlife Trust, (07920) 468572. the bus, you must take the Thurso hosts “Northlands”, the
imported soil. He found that the Garden, a “Garden of the Future”, connecting Cape Wrath Ferry Scottish Nordic Music Festival.
west coast’s climate, warmed by / Ullapool where flowers grow without Located just offshore from from the pier by the Cape Wrath John O’Groats is probably
the North Atlantic Drift from the Highland. * 1,300. 3 Inverness. @ soil and water is used to carry Scourie on the west coast, Hotel, as the cape is cut off by the most famous name on the
Gulf Stream (see p27), encou r aged g n Argyle St (01854) 612486. nutrients to the plants. this small island is an the Kyle of Durness. At map here, said to be the very
growth of exotic species. ∑ ullapool.com Achiltibuie is also worth a visit. important breeding Durness is Smoo Cave, northerly tip of the mainland,
By 1922, the garden had Tour boats run from here, and sanctuary for many an awesome cavern although this is in fact nearby
achieved international recogni- With its wide streets, white- from Ullapool, to the Summer species of seabirds. hollowed out of Dunnet Head. Apart from a
tion as one of the great plant washed houses, palm trees and Isles, former home of environ- In past centuries limestone. Smoo quaint harbour where day trips
collections. In 1952 it was street signs in Gaelic, Ullapool is mentalist Frank Fraser Darling. it was inhabited Innercave Tours leave for Orkney, John O’Groats
do nated to the National Trust one of the prettiest villages on by a hardy people, run trips there. Just is a tourist trap. More rewarding
for Scotland. One of Scotland’s the west coast. Planned Y Achiltibuie Garden who had their own outside Durness, a are the cliffs at Duncansby Head,
leading botanical gardens and built as a fishing station Achiltibuie. Tel (01854) 622202. Open queen and parlia­ community of art ists where you can enjoy the natural
today, Inverewe has Blue Nile in 1788, it occupies a peninsula Mar–Sep: Mon–Fri. & 7 limited. ment. The last 60 has established the ferocity of the Pentland Firth.
lilies, the tallest Australian gum jutting into Loch Broom. Fishing Y North West Highlands Geopark inhabitants were Balnakeil Craft
trees growing in Britain and is no longer important, except Unapool. Tel (01971) 488765. evacuated in 1847 when Village, displaying g Smoo Innercave Tours
fragrant rhodo dendrons from when East European “klondyker” ∑ nwhgeopark.com their potato crop failed. A nesting pottery, enamelwork, Durness. Tel (01971) 511704.
The island was also used kittiwake wood carving, print­ Open Apr–Oct: daily. &
as a burial ground as it making and paintings. ∑ smoocavetours.weebly.com
was safe from the wolves Astonishingly white beaches E Strathnaver Museum
that inhabited the mainland. follow one after the other along Clachan, Bettyhill. Tel (01641)
The island is now managed the coast, and the road then 521418. Open Apr–Oct: Mon–Sat. &
by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. loops round Loch Eriboll – the 7 limited. ∑ strathnavermuseum.
A walk takes visitors to the deepest of the sea lochs and a org.uk
100­m­ (328­ft­) high northern
cliffs. On the way you are liable
to experience the intimi dating
antics of great and Arctic skuas
(large migratory birds) swooping
low over your head. Early in the
year 11,000 pairs of razorbills can
be found on Handa, and 66,000
pairs of guillemots.
Environs
The highest waterfall in Britain
is Eas Coul Aulin, at 180 m
(590 ft). It is best seen after
rainfall, from a tour boat based
at Kylesku, 24 km (15 miles) to
A tranquil, late-evening view of Ullapool and Loch Broom on the northwestern coast of Scotland the south of Handa. Duncansby Head, Caithness, at the far northeast corner of Scotland
For hotels and restaurants see pp176–7 and pp187–9

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