Month: Jan 2023

NC500 Day 8 – Itinerary

Hi there, welcome back to the Scotland series. I hope these have been of some help so far and thanks for returning! It has been 121 days since we set off on our huge Scotland road trip. The NC500 route around Scotland is, as you may have guessed, approximately 500 miles. From our starting point in Essex, up to the route, around the Isle of Skye and back home via the Lake District we covered 2800 miles. This journey will see you cover many many miles and have your eyes peeled back as far as they will naturally go. It is a joy to travel this route and explore every corner. 

121 days ago we loaded up our car with as much long life food as possible, A LOT of wet weather gear and what we like to think were sensible purchases to make our experience in the wilds of the Scottish highlands as comfortable and safe as possible. There are other blogs on my page about our purchases and how we also kept the budget down. Keep tuned in for other tips and itinerary hacks. 

The most I can hope from these blogs is to help you have the most fantastic experience in Scotland and on the NC500 route. These blogs try to give you the much needed information for your trip without too many of my feelings and thoughts on each experience. Should you be needing more of a push to try these itineraries, the links to each day’s blogs will be linked below. 

This is the itinerary for Day 8 of our NC500 road trip.

Today’s itinerary is completely relaxed owing to the heavy first 7 days. I am for the first time including our accommodation as I will cover this in the next blog, ‘Highlight eight of the NC500’. Should you choose to stay outside of Applecross after travelling the Bealach Na Ba you’ll have plenty of time for the extra driving. 

Starting your day from Aultbea means your first drive of the day should take approximately 50 minutes. Red point beach feels like it is in the back of nowhere and I am happy we eventually found it. Please use the ‘What 3 words’ details below. I know, I know, I stress the importance of this app but it truly is a game changer. Red Point beach itself is pretty enough, however it has become a much publicised area due to social media attention and personally Mr W and I did not feel the magic that is portrayed online. Maybe this is due to the filters that videos and pictures are passed through these days or maybe the red sand is better highlighted on a sunny day. Either way, the huge sand dunes make for a hilarious hike and the nearby farmers fields have lots of cute cattle to say ‘Morning’ to. As my itinerary says, wild swimming is possible at Red Point Beach and as my highlight of Day 7 will reiterate, swimming in Scottish waters is the best experience! You reach the beach via a farmers field but other than the dunes it is not a strenuous walk. 

From here take the short drive to Victoria Falls, another signposted location on the NC500, and take in one of the most accommodating car parks so far. The pathways that lead to the well placed viewpoints are recently laid. The views of Loch Maree from all points on the pathway are fantastic. Due to the short walk from the car park to the viewing area this place is popular! Do not worry if you have to wait for a car park space. Although small, the car park does empty relatively quickly. I implore you to take your time at both the wooden viewing platform and the monumental spot at the very top. 

It is a very short drive to the next destination of Glen Docherty viewpoint, however on route there is an excellent toilet block funded by the local community in Kinlochewe (W3W flattered.squirted.presented). There are lots of recycling options in the car park should you need to unload car rubbish and there is a tap supply of fresh drinking water. Please donate to the upkeep of the toilet block. 

Make sure you have lunch for the next stop as you take in the Glen Docherty Glen from your car. We stopped here for such a long time watching the winding road, hillsides and Loch Maree in the distance. We saw deer grazing on the steep slopes and were utterly entranced. Eat lots of delicious food and drink it all in. The next destination of the day is not for the fainthearted. 

Please take the route through Torridon for the most awe-inspiring scenes in Scotland. This is true untouched wilderness and there were at least a dozen times I wanted to jump from the car and go running through the landscape. You will soon find yourself on the approach to the Bealach Na Ba where huge metal signs take care to label all warnings to the road across the Applecross Peninsula. It is a very well known spot in Scotland and is almost a rite of passage to all NC500 travellers. We travelled in an SUV and found the going easy however anything bigger and older would make it different for sure. Different is the only word I can find to describe scary but with an aim to push you to just do it anyway! Take your time, ignore people trying to speed you along and take notice of where and when you are and aren’t allowed to stop/pull over. This road is to be appreciated by your eyes and fear responses. Your phone and camera comes second. The view from the top is absolutely breathtaking. There is an air of community spirit and happiness for all the drivers at the viewpoints. Many people turn around and head back the way they came. However, if you feel like stopping for the day and having a completely chilled evening, carry on to Applecross itself.  

Highlight 8 of the NC500 – Hartfield House Hostel
NC500 Day 7 – Itinerary
NC500 Day 8 – Red Point Beach, Victoria Falls and the Bealach Na Bà

Highlight seven of the NC500 – Paradise

Your shoe bound foot sinks into the pristine expanse before you. It has been years since you’ve been in this situation. You feel like a child that has made a new discovery. You release your feet from their prisons and venture onto the whitest sand you have seen since your honeymoon. It is cold but soft like cotton. This must be a dream. 

Leaving the car and boardwalk behind you, you feel the wind whip the tangling hair around your face and praise the chosen warm outfit of the day. As the sea retreats from the coast it leaves an untouched surface of shoreline. Even the grey clouds, that occasionally block the sun’s path to the sand, do not stop the glow of its purity. All at once you wish you could float so you can leave this piece of perfection as is and yet you are filled with joy to feel its beauty beneath you. 

As you emerge from between the sand dunes you see the exceptionally calm and clear water ahead. This place is anything but normal. The sun peeks out from behind the racing clouds overhead and the whole scene explodes with colour. A hop, skip and a jump from the shoreline the waters turn turquoise. TURQUOISE! 

This is my highlight from Day 7 of our recent trip to Scotland to drive the NC500 route. Can you actually believe this place is in Scotland. Scotland, Uk. The United Kingdom!

Before any kind of suspicion arrives in your mind, dear reader, my disbelief is not in some way an insult to Scotland. Of course these beautiful places can be found anywhere in the world. However, my shock, even now, lies in the fact that it has taken me over the 34 years that I have resided on this planet and in this country, to come to that conclusion. With the filters available online and on Instagram, it is often the case of finding something before you that looks nothing like the images online. Which is why I was so pleasantly surprised and shocked that Achmelvich Bay is even better than any picture I had previously seen. Although our photos look pretty damn good! ‘A’ List photographers that we are. 

I have been exceptionally lucky in my life to have travelled to some pretty stunning shorelines in my life. 

Cape Tribulation in Australia. Where the Daintree rainforest meets the cool blue waters that also house the Great Barrier Reef.

Three islands in the Maldives. The white sand mixed with crushed shells and coral.

The vast beaches of the Dominican Republic.

The list goes on. 

But somehow, Scotland’s Achmelvich Bay transfixed my soul. Could it be the amount of time (4 years) since our last pristine beach visit? Or the freedom from the car on such a huge road trip? 

Or could it quite simply be this…

Lockdown was bloody hard. 2020 and 2021 were hard. 2022 felt like it was one tentative step after the other. Watch out for potential landmines! The constant up and down nature of the news and information being thrown at us from all angles had a way of defeating, healing and crushing and restoring hope all at once. No one I know came out of those two years unscathed. And yet on that beach, it just disappeared. 

It has to be said that for the few hours we paused our trip in that Bay, there were only four other visitors on the sand itself. Two braved the waters like we did. One lady stopped by for a chat. And another paddled up to her knees. In a way, Mr W and I felt like it was our own perfect paradise. It welcomed you like an old friend. 

I have journeyed back to that beach many times since returning home. Albeit it from the luxury of my sofa. We know we will soon be returning to Scotland and its wondrous 500 mile route and even though there is so much more to see and explore, one thing is for sure, our feet will take us back to that paradise to once again feel in awe of this astounding country. That in itself is one thing to take from the uncertainty of life during the height of the pandemic. I have learned so much about the Uk and its pockets of joy. It came when we were forced to abandon trips abroad and opt for open spaces above all else. During the turmoil of Covid, I felt selfish to wonder if travel would ever feel the same again. Now I know the face of travel has changed for us in a huge way. We no longer only look outside our own country for escapism. We look at the country we are blessed to call home and the adventures that still await us. 

The links for the itinerary and recap of this day are below. I hope one day you experience this magical route for yourself. 

NC500 Day 7 – Itinerary
NC500 Day 7: Clashnessie Falls, Achmelvich Bay and Corrieshalloch Gorge

NC500 Day 7 – Itinerary

Hi there, welcome back to the Scotland series. I hope these have been of some help so far and thanks for returning! It has been 121 days since we set off on our huge Scotland road trip. The NC500 route around Scotland is, as you may have guessed, approximately 500 miles. From our starting point in Essex, up to the route, around the Isle of Skye and back home via the Lake District we covered 2800 miles. This journey will see you cover many many miles and have your eyes peeled back as far as they will naturally go. It is a joy to travel this route and explore every corner. 

121 days ago we loaded up our car with as much long life food as possible, A LOT of wet weather gear and what we like to think were sensible purchases to make our experience in the wilds of the Scottish highlands as comfortable and safe as possible. There are other blogs on my page about our purchases and how we also kept the budget down. Keep tuned in for other tips and itinerary hacks. 

The most I can hope from these blogs is to help you have the most fantastic experience in Scotland and on the NC500 route. These blogs try to give you the much needed information for your trip without too many of my feelings and thoughts on each experience. Should you be needing more of a push to try these itineraries, the links to each day’s blogs will be linked below. 

This is the itinerary for Day 7 of our NC500 road trip. 

After staying in Lochbroom or Ullapool for the night your journey to Clashnessie Falls will take approximately 1 hour 10 minutes.

Clashnessie falls is a site dependent on the right weather conditions for two reasons. Should it rain before your visit the falls will be at their most dramatic and beautiful. However the route to the falls will be, as we found, extremely boggy and unstable. Alternatively if there has been a dry spell, of which is uncommon in the western highlands, you will find the route easier to tackle and yet be greeted upon a fine mist of a waterfall at the end of your walk. The car park can be found using the what 3 words instructions on the itinerary below. The walk from the car park to the beginning of the waterfall route is very simple. From the car park opposite the beach turn left and walk back up the road. You will pass a red phone box on your left. Keep going up the small hill and you will come to a sign post indicating where the walk to the falls begins. It is down a track and when you get to the Falls Cottage you can choose to go either across the stream using the stepping stones or to the right along the fence. Both lead you to a good view of the falls. The route from the car park to the falls should take no longer than 20-25 minutes on a good day, however considerably longer should the ground become boggy in bad weather. I would definitely plan accordingly.

The timing of this day will depend on the weather and how much you care about soggy feet, coats and bodies. Saying that, regardless of the weather the next stop is an absolutely must do. Achmelvich Bay was an absolute pleasure to visit and I’ll post the link soon to why it was my highlight of Day 7. Out of all the places we went to along the route I can hands down, without any hesitation say for both myself and Mr W that we would return to this beautiful slice of paradise. The car park is situated next to the Shore Caravan site and I suggest using (again) the what 3 words app to get you to the exact spot you need to be. The car park does have a charge, although like other sites, it is more of an invitation to pay rather than a demand. There is a single large toilet cubicle on site, which would be great should you wish to change out of swimming gear and such like. This again is chargeable, however the pay machine was broken on our arrival and we were still able to use the facilities. Out of all the activities today, should you be a brave traveller and like to swim, I would bank on spending a lot of your time here and plan your day around this particular site. There is a small cafe which sells fish and chips. Honestly, you can’t go wrong!

From here, you can pretty enjoy the route while you scope out more food to recharge your batteries. Lochinver Larder is highly rated among the NC500 enthusiasts. They will heat the pies should you desire and although pricey (£14 for two pies) they are very filled and tasty. There is nearby free parking. Next, treat yourself to a hot drink at Sovi’s Coffee. The car park is a sharp left turn en route to Ullapool and I suggest slowing down as you approach. The parking is used by hikers to the Bone Caves which takes between 30-60 minutes depending on your fitness level. Although we didn’t do this particular walk, we saw a few people coming and going which leads me to believe it is a popular spot. I have read that the route can be quite uneven and the final climb to the caves is steep. I advise some further research before planning this into your day. 

After your pause for drinks, head onto Ullapool for a real treat. For the first time on your route, you will find a beautiful town with lots of shops and places to eat and explore. We ate at the Seafood Shack, and despite my hesitation with fish, I enjoyed my food immensely. The town has wide avenues and although nothing like the size of Inverness or Edinburgh it had the bustle of a small town that feels very warm in its invite. We found street parking plentiful and were lucky to park a stone throw from the Seafood Shack itself. 

After you have reacquainted yourself with the familiar sights and sounds of buildings and signposted streets you will notice the return of road markings and busier roads on your journey to the Corrieshalloch Gorge National Nature Reserve. 

With its utterly mesmerising view of the gorge and path-making waterfall, this is an absolute must do for any visitors to the Ullapool area. Although a quick visit at just 40 minutes, its effortless snaking paths and views are the best way to end day 7. Parking was plentiful.

Finish your day by making the stunning drive to Aultbea for your overnight accommodation. The drive itself took on the coastal roads which gave dramatic views out to the Summer Isles and the dark navy waters of . On a clear day you may see the island of Lewis and Harris, an island in the Outer Hebrides.

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/10/16/nc500-day-6-itinerary/
https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2023/01/17/highlight-seven-of-the-nc500-paradise/

NC500 Day 7: Clashnessie Falls, Achmelvich Bay and Corrieshalloch Gorge
Highlight six of the NC500 – The weakness in me

Happy 2023

Hello 2023. I won’t pretend I’m shocked at how long it’s been since I’ve written. There’s been a lot going on, there always is and somehow writing has taken the biggest back step to everything else. It’s a shame because of how much I love it, how much there is to tell you and just how much it helps. However, forcing it also isn’t great. 

So where do I begin. We’ve had SO many days out in London which have been amazing. Unfortunately, the saturation of the word amazing in social media these days is quite something but let’s take it back to basics. ‘Amazing.’ It is when something amazes you and I’m not talking about the perfect frothy detail on your cappuccino, no I’m talking about something that quite literally feels your mind with amazement. Whether it be on the day, that evening, the day after and/or when you look back at pictures taken. We obviously have the great pleasure in doing the latter frequently because we are big photo takers and we had 4, 5, 6 (can’t remember until I recap them) amazing days out which means there are plenty of photos to go through. Two of those days in particular would not have been possible without meeting our new friends from America, which I’ll go into more detail when I recap those days. 

Mr W and I had a lovely Christmas, which after 2 years of covid disruptions (it took me a long time to think of polite word ‘disruption’), was really nice to just again get back to basics.  Lots of family time, good food and just stopping. That actual stopping of work and plans and obligations, as such, and rushing around. It was really important for us to do that and we knew the benefits of stopping because we do it every year. Every Christmas Mr W will have off a big chunk of time and we halt the horses so to speak. However after the last couple of months it’s been just horrifically busy and we have been (I think) closest to burnout that we’ve ever been. It was both nice and necessary to just stop and we really did. There were days where we didn’t get dressed. We didn’t eat anything but Christmas leftovers. It was absolutely great.

Moving forward into this year things are going to look a bit different for us both. We’re already planning some big big renovation works in the house. Which is very exciting. It does mean that our travel budget is cut in half this year. Which seen as we are on year 2 of working on a travel budget it’s quite strange. It is all very new territory for us. I must say that Mr W and I do shine best when we have a project as a couple and I am so excited for our ideas to come together. Of course, it will be lovely to have our very own bathrooms rather than a shower that doesn’t work and a bathtub we have to vault to get clean. Back to travel; we’re maybe going to have a weekend away before starting the renovations and then a big travel trip at the end of the year. We’re going to do a lot more days than in 2022. I’ve actually taking it on myself to write a list of all the day trips we planned last year and never got to. This is done to other commitments and the fact there are only 52 weekends in a year. I mean, hardly fair is it!

Last March, we planned to do Dancing Ledge on the Jurassic Coast when we spent time in the New forest but we simply ran out of time. So 2023 will be the year we catch up doing things like that. It would be great to do these big days out and freshen our weekends up with adventures. We’ve got the wet suits, so who knows what we’ll get up to! There is a lot more we both want to see in London but we also just want to enjoy the silly things. This Saturday, rather than you know have a coffee in bed (something we love and certainly plan on doing a whole lot more of this year, adding our books into the mix) or drive to town and having a coffee, we’re going to drive into London for free parking and have one in St Katherine’s Dock. It is honestly just such a lovely place. Even though you’re in the middle of the city, you find this micro community hidden behind the tall buildings of Tower Hill. It feels like nobody really knows about it or if they do it’s like it’s our little secret. It’s like our own little club of people that’s waiting for the waking up of the city that surrounds it. And that is a simple moment between us, coffee and the city noises. 

The big trip this year is looking like it’s going to be in September. Shocker right? I don’t want to tell you too much right now because although it’s not heavily reliant on budget it is slow in its emergence from ideas and trying to push ourselves to go new places and do brand new things. There seems to be a form of doing less in the way of tours and entrances and yet more in experiences that mean more to us. There will be some moving from country to country via train. To gain the most from this means a lot of research, as you can imagine we don’t just want to move from country to country and not be on the best route to see what the new country is all about! 

When we went to Brussels in November (blog coming soon) we were there for roughly 30 hours.It was just so thrilling to be in a brand new country (for us, tick!). We didn’t feel rushed even though it was a very short amount of time. Those kinds of experiences wake you up a bit and it felt revitalising to have left the UK for the first time since late 2020. 

We have had such a busy but beautiful and blessed life since our return from Scotland that there has been a vast array of things to write about. However, lately it’s been problematic to find the time to write. There is a lot going on and in all honestly when Mr W gets home I just want our time to be together. I don’t want to be typing or editing. I came to the conclusion on our return from Scotland that we really only have a very small window each weekday to be together. 3 or 4 hours away from the office in which we can live our married life and just enjoy ‘us’ without the interruption of other hobbies and choices. It won’t always be so easy. We aren’t simply a family of ‘two’, we have a large family that is important and it is my goal this year to see as many of them as possible and more often. It’s never a duty or a chore, it’s just a case of prioritising. So if I can write during the day. Perfect. 

Speaking of nightly activities, when Mr W gets home we inherently have dinner and watch TV. Which is fine. When you consider that the nights have been darker, it’s been colder, the snow, oh god the snow (!) laziness is put into perspective weather-wise. But since New Year’s Eve (and this was very subconscious on both our parts) we kind of realised that we didn’t want to sit on the sofa every night, just watching something for sake watching it. This was called into conversation when Mr W asked me out on a date night last week! How cute. We went out to dinner, which we never really do, we’re always so budget conscious that we don’t go out. Most of the time, we cook, it’s rare that we get takeout, if we’re gonna have pizza we’ll dig one out of the freezer. Which is obviously everybody’s nightmare. You always want takeout pizza, they just taste better and that’s a fact. I digress! We went out for dinner. It was lovely. Really lovely. And last night,  we went to the cinema. The fact that it cost a tenner is just awesome and I am pushing myself to think that £10 here and there will not blow our chances of travelling this year out of the water. Or… other obviously important things like paying bills and house renovations. Of course. Last night we had a very very cheap Costco dinner sitting at the plastic table and chairs, you know the ones, inside the store. And for a supremely awesome dessert, I smuggled in my pocket some leftover Christmas chocolates. It really was a really cheap night out. Something  like £17/18. We’re planning on doing a lot more of these kinds of nights out and chop and change it up a bit.

2023. It’s here. It’s almost unexpected to be here. Not living, but that 2023 is here already, where did 2020/21/22 go? It is is time to get back into the writing and there are a few other projects I’m working on at the moment. All time consuming but worthwhile. Just need to find my rhythm again. I’ve been dictating this particular piece if you have noticed how much my writing changes when I do so. It just gives me a chance to get back into the swing of it before starting with a big piece with just typing. There’s so much to write about as well. I’ll need to write a little list of what I can share with you all. I’ll be heading back to the Scotland pieces soon, as I’m a hater of unfinished business and the itineraries could really help you, someone, plan that NC500 trip you’ve been longing to go on. 

I really love the fact that I’m still getting followers despite my absence, hello to all of you, it may mean that this blog resonates with people which is really special actually. I didn’t think it would to be honest and in the beginning it was just some way of me talking through things. If you like what you’re reading and feel like sharing it please do send the link on to people you think may like it too. Thank you for sticking around if you’ve been here since the beginning and thank you to everyone who has ‘liked’ and shared the odd writing over the last couple of weeks. Until next time, be kind to yourself. I think that’s the most important thing we can learn from the past couple of years. Do what makes you happy. I’ll see you soon.