Miles: 139. Wildlife: 5 deer and two herons. Camper Vans: 30+. Steps: 12752.

Cost of pre-bought food: £2.20 approximately
Extra costs: £51

I can’t believe it’s day seven already. We’ve been on our tour for seven whole days. That is insane.

We had a chance to have some oats for breakfast today at an actual table in our accommodation. Was a much needed change from sitting on a bed.

Our first stop today was an hour north and along a road we travelled yesterday. We saw rain clouds setting in over Loch Broom and counted ourselves lucky that the trip so far has seen very little rain.

The landscape here is just out of this world. The small winding rivers cut their way through the fern strewn landscapes and up in the mountains small spouts of water force their way down the rock face. Everything is competing for attention. The boulders with their slate grey faces glimmer with dew. The moss springs up and says hello in the often harshest of exposures. Rivers bubble. Lochs hold secrets within their black waters. And there we are navigating our way through these monoliths of nature.

Clashnessie Falls is in a very small village near Clachtoll. There is lots of space for parking opposite the beach and it is not a long walk along the main road until you come to a sign for the falls. My advice is to walk slightly further up the road and slip around the gate on the left. This will save you one scramble over the big rocks.

There is a path that leads up and over the small hills until you reach the river. There are two options. Follow the fence line. Or cross the river on the stepping stones and follow the path that way. We chose the fence line path. After reading lots of advice online, I was expecting a muddy but simple walk. This unfortunately was anything but. The right hand route along the fence was extremely boggy with rocks that were extremely unsteady in the peat field. We wanted to push on so badly, as you can see the falls ahead of you and whilst they are simply spectacular the walk was just proving too much. There comes a time when your enjoyment has to come first and this was a time to stop and adjust our expectations. Mr W as ever was supportive when my disappointment flooded into my face. I guess sometimes you can’t always trust the advice online. I hope when we return to Scotland in a few years that the ground around the river has dried slightly and we can attempt the walk again. The falls looked spectacular and oh so tempting indeed. The stepping stones across the river were really quite dangerous and as we carry quite a bit of photography equipment with us it simply was not worth the risk. I also like the use of my ankles.

Disappointed but determined we set off for Achmelvich Bay. Now this was a time for something new entirely. Wild swimming! Parking in the free/donation welcome car park was easy enough and had lots of spaces. We loaded up our bags and made the very short walk to the bay. The sand here is pure white. It could have been the Maldives and if it wasn’t for the nip in the wind I could have sworn we were back on our Honeymoon. The water had pockets of navy blue and bright turquoise. The sun lit up the waters to such a degree that there was only one thing we could do. Jump straight in.

With fear causing some delays in our movements but the draw of the waters inevitably proving too strong we zipped up our wetsuits and got stuck in. And would you believe it the sun disappeared and with it the pockets of turquoise. The sand under foot was as soft as cotton. There was very little seaweed not pebbles to contend with. As I stepped into the water I felt content that it didn’t seem too cold at all. The water itself is very shallow and has no rocks for you to lose your footing. And then it got very cold very quickly. Up to my hips, I watched Mr W go for it and take the leap underwater. He is one brave man. I got in the water up to my shoulders and started to feel okay. That is until I realised I couldn’t actually feel my feet anymore. It is honestly exhilarating. And I can now say I have swam in the North Atlantic Ocean. How special is that!

I came out of the water long enough to let the sun warm my skin and got talking to a lady who lived nearby. Her name was Sheona and she had purposely walked over to commend us for taking the plunge. She said the water was at 10°! And yet it’s the warmest it will ever get. So despite the fact it’s the coldest I have ever felt it’s still not the norm up here. Haha.

Sitting here now I remember feeling extremely self conscious in something as tight as a wetsuit and yet as soon as that water hit my body my cares drifted away. When I came out of the water and stood in the sun like a basking penguin I unrolled the suit from my shoulders and brought it down to my waist and stood there with my bralet on. That’s how I stood as I talked to the stranger. And I didn’t care. I just felt like me.

Mr W came out of the water and after a warm up from the sun I just had to go back in. This visit was slightly longer and I had to start listening to my body about the temperature. It was getting hard to make my limbs do what they were told.

We helped each other out of our wetsuits, laid them on a large rock in the sun and took our time changing and enjoying the beautiful scene. We managed to spend way more time than planned just enjoying ourselves and as we walked back over the sand dunes I thanked the beach for a truly wonderful morning.

Needing sustenance we bought pies at the Lochinver Larder and grabbed hot drinks at Sovi’s coffee. As we got back in the car, drinks in hand, the heavens opened and we were treated to our first Scottish downpour. Not bad for a whole week eh?

Soon enough we drove out the other side of the rain clouds and arrived into Ullapool. It was time to treat Mr W, he loves seafood and I had heard of a place that sells it as fresh as it comes. The Seafood Shack in Ullapool had at least 7 items on the menu and we had the Haddock. The space around the ‘shack’ has a great vibe, with big wooden seating areas and a sail sun shade it is really welcoming. The food itself was absolutely delicious and sitting in the sun with my husband was one of the biggest highlights of this trip. He also bought us a huge tartan sherpa blanket. What’s a girl to do but be madly in love!

Re-energised but still slowly fading we are now both exceptionally glad that our final visit of the day was relatively short. Corrieshalloch Gorge National Park is 20 minutes from Ullapool and is really well signposted, something that I find the west coast of Scotland sometimes lacks. The parking was free but only because the machine was broken so keep this in mind should you visit. After a fairly easy downhill hairpin walk we came across the bridge across the gorge. With only a six person capacity and a slight sway as you walk it all adds to the feeling of danger. After all, the gorge is 60 metres deep. The waterfall that crashes down beneath you is loud and extremely ferocious. Mr W is not a fan at all but I could not resist leaning right over and tracing the waters down the gorge to the pools below. What a marvel!

Continuing on over the bridge and down the path we came to the observation deck that overhangs the void. It gives you the most impressive view of the waterfall, bridge and gorge itself. With its metal grate it again is not for the faint hearted but is irresistible all the same. What’s life without a little intrigue!

Even though we are half way through our trip I still haven’t really understood the magnitude of this place. It is unapologetic in its ‘get stuck in’ attitude and yet there is beauty in its very raw rural way.

Sitting here close to exhaustion I find myself eager to wake up tomorrow and see what else will be thrown at us.

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2023/01/17/highlight-seven-of-the-nc500-paradise/

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2023/01/15/nc500-day-7-itinerary/