Things to do
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Achiltibuie
Crofts and a scatter of houses face the Summer Isles along the shore of Coigach, at the end of a long single-track road off the A835 north of Ullapool. Achnahaird beach lies on the way in, and the road passes under Stac Pollaidh. The drive from Ullapool takes about 45 minutes, with passing places all the way.
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Corrieshalloch Gorge
Falls of Measach drop about 45 metres into a slot gorge on the River Droma, seen from a Victorian suspension bridge and a cantilevered platform over the drop. The gorge lies off the A835 about 20 km south of Ullapool. The bridge takes only a few walkers at a time, and the steep path from the car park is slippery when wet.
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Knockan Crag
Rock panels and sculptures line a short trail up Knockan Crag, where the Moine Thrust puts older rocks on top of younger ones and geologists first understood how mountains are pushed together. Views from the top reach Cul Mòr and Cul Beag. The unstaffed shelter stays open all year, and the upper loop is steep in places.
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Stac Pollaidh
Jagged sandstone pinnacles crown this small mountain in Coigach, and a well-built path from the roadside car park circles to a col with views over Loch Lurgainn and the lochans of Assynt. The circuit takes two to three hours. Reaching the true summit needs a scramble suited to experienced hillwalkers only, and the car park fills on fine summer days.
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Summer Isles
Scattered across the mouth of Loch Broom, this group of small islands is home to grey seals, seabirds and little else. Boat trips from Ullapool harbour circle the islands, with seals hauled out on the rocks and the chance of porpoises and dolphins. Sailings depend on the weather and run from spring to early autumn.
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Ullapool Harbour
Ferries leave twice a day for Stornoway on Lewis from this working harbour, where fishing boats unload beside the whitewashed houses of Shore Street. Wildlife cruises head out toward the Summer Isles in season, and seafood is sold fresh near the pier. Crossings take about two hours and forty-five minutes and should be booked ahead for cars.
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Ullapool Museum
Inside a former Telford church on West Argyle Street, this museum traces the village's founding as an 18th-century herring port and the emigrants who sailed from Loch Broom to Nova Scotia on the Hector. Family history records help descendants trace Highland roots. Opening is seasonal, roughly April to October, with short hours.
