Rishi’s Dishes

Today was the last day of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, designed to tempt the public back into restaurants as quarantine eases off. Concerned that the restaurant trade would suffer even more than it already has over the last few months, because many people are understandably wary of returning to indoor public spaces, Chancellor Rishi Sunak introduced this idea for the month of August. You could get up to £10 off per person per meal in participating restaurants, with the government footing the bill, from Mondays to Wednesdays. 
The scheme seems to have worked, and indeed some restaurants have reported that some overly entitled customers have become a bit stroppy if they feel that waiting times are too long. We have had several discounted meals at the Ceilidh Place in Ullapool, and one at Wetherspoons in Cambuslang. And today we had a discounted lunch at the Route 7 Café in Aviemore. We stopped off there because we were on our way home to Cambuslang. We have a lot to sort out in Grandma’s house, which has now been sold. It sold very quickly; there seems to be a property boom just now, perhaps due to people wanting to move to houses with good-sized gardens in case of possible future quarantines. This is predicted not to last, because unfortunately a lot of people’s jobs are currently under threat due to the economic situation. We also have a list of other useful tasks that we need to do, so it will be a busy week ahead. I felt so sad to leave Ullapool, and yet pleased to arrive home in Cambuslang, where we got a big welcome from Tom and Flora. They immediately took us through to the utility room to feed them, then abandoned us to go outside. However they did return later and I spent a cosy evening watching television with Flora sitting companionably on my knee, occasionally sticking her claws into my leg. 

Swimming in the estuary again

James, Ally and Cat arrived back at the cottage this evening, tired but happy after their big two day walk in the Fisherfields. Ally showed me his photos and they are amazing.  I have also had a good weekend, pottering about, walking around the village, reading and even a wee bit of writing. Yesterday I met our neighbour Natasha for the first time, and invited her for coffee this morning. She and her family have a croft nearby, and she brought me fresh eggs, home made sausages, and even a peat to burn in our fire! We had a lovely chat and she gave me all sorts of useful information about the area.
High tide was at 6.30 p.m. this evening and I went down to the estuary for a swim. It was fantastic; the water was deep and smooth, and the mountains were all lit up by the sun. The water wasn’t too cold once I got in and I swam about for half an hour, feeling very happy. When I returned to the cottage Janes, Ally and Cat had just arrived and were having showers. I had already prepared a hearty tea of haggis, neeps and tatties, with apple crumble to follow. James had a headache which he thought was due to being dehydrated so he took himself off to bed after tea, and the rest of us weren’t too late to bed either. It has been a good weekend. 

Boat Trip around Isle Martin

The last few days have flown by. Davie and Chanel really made the most of their time in the North West Highlands; on Thursday they walked from Oldshoremore in to Sandwood Bay and on their return they took us for a drink at the Argyll Hotel and treated us to fish suppers. We all then watched the last in the trilogy of Spaghetti westerns that we have enjoyed this week; “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” 
On Friday morning we all went for a boat trip from the pier around Isle Martin and back. It was great fun and the boat skimmed along very fast. When we started it was raining lightly and due to the speed of the boat the raindrops were driving into my eyes! Luckily the rain stopped after about five minutes and we were even treated to a rainbow! We saw cormorants, shags, gannets and rock doves flying overhead, and the boat captain pointed out that we could see the island of Harris in the distance, peeping out from behind the Summer Isles. We saw quite a few common (or harbour) seals on the rocks, and also some grey seals with their longer snouts, which were more wary of our boat. There was a sea eagle on a tree on a cliff, but although the others saw it I couldn’t quite spot it against the foliage. I did see the great skua (or bonxie) which circled our boat several times when we were near Isle Martin. Back at the pier we could see lots of lion’s mane jellyfish bobbing up and down just below the surface of the water. 
We popped into the Ceilidh Place for a warming breakfast before David and Chanel set off southwards. A couple of hours later our next visitors Ally and Cat arrived, and today they went on a two day camping trip with James to the Fisherfields.

Rock pools and Stars

It has been a splendid day here in Ullapool. The weather started out rather cloudy and then got sunnier and sunnier. In the morning Davie and Chanel decided to walk to Ullapool lighthouse, which is at Rhue, about a 5 km walk from the cottage along the side of Loch Broom. I offered to give them a lift back to the cottage afterwards, so I drove along to Rhue and went for a short walk along round the point towards Ardmair, before meeting Davie and Chanel at the lighthouse. It’s a very attractive area with fantastic views of the summer isles and across the loch. There are paths through the heather and big slabs of sandstone and lots of rock pools. The lighthouse itself is painted white and looks smart. I would definitely like to return here to explore further. 
After lunch the young ones went to visit Corrieshalloch Gorge and then Knockan Crag, and thoroughly enjoyed both places, while James and I walked along to Tea by the Sea and enjoyed tea and cake. By late afternoon I was reading in my hammock, and then we all had the pies that we bought in Lochinver yesterday for our tea, with mashed potatoes, peas and gravy. Davie, Chanel and I then played Bohnanza, which I have played once before earlier this year, although I needed to relearn the rules, which seem complicated at first but are fine once you get into the way of it. It was great fun and in the end Davie triumphed. Finally, at James’ suggestion we went outside to look at the stars which were very bright; the Milky Way arched above the house and we could see lots of constellations. A good end to a good day. 

A castle, some pies and a celebrity

We had a lovely trip to Lochinver today with Davie and Chanel. We stopped at Ardvreck Castle on the way and walked around it; it was very beautiful in the sunshine. Then we arrived in Lochinver which was quite busy with people fishing in the river and a small crowd milling about, waiting for the pie shop to open at 12. We had a tasty lunch at the An Cala café then strolled around the harbour chatting and looking at the fishing boats. On our way back along the road we passed the Peet Restaurant. Earlier on I had mentioned to Chanel that it is owned by the actress Ruth Jones and her husband. And just as we passed, they came out of the side door towards us! I alerted Chanel by whispering to her while stopping on the pretext of pointing out a place where James and I once saw a boy feeding fish to a seal (which is true) and she confirmed that it was definitely Ruth Jones. James and David looked very puzzled about why we had suddenly stopped walking, so we quickly explained. I’m sure that she saw us looking round at her but we didn’t approach her which she probably appreciated!
After buying pies for tomorrow night’s tea (of course!) we headed for Achmelvich Beach where Chanel and I went for a paddle. Rainclouds were rolling in but the water in the bay was still a beautiful turquoise colour. We rounded off our day with dinner at the Ceilidh Place, and watched the classic Clint Eastwood film “For a Few Dollars More” back at the cottage. A couple of nights ago we watched the first in the trilogy; “A Fistful of Dollars” and despite having watched the third one “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” several times, I’m pretty certain that I have never watched the first two - certainly not from start to finish. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching them, they are excellent. 

Hello again sunshine

The sunshine has returned and David and Chanel set off early to climb Stac Pollaidh *. What a beautiful day for it! James and I had a more leisurely start and went for a wee run in the car to Corrieshalloch Gorge. I had forgotten quite what an amazing gorge it is; the waterfall beside the suspension bridge plunges dramatically to the deep and narrow ravine hundreds of feet below. We strolled round the path and took photos of Lochbroom in the distance with bright rowan trees in the foreground. Then we had lunch at the friendly Lael tearoom and craft shop where we also bought an attractive beech framed mirror for our bedroom. 
Back at the cottage, the sunshine and gentle breeze had driven away the midges, so I am in my hammock reading a Dandy Gilver mystery while James is cutting the grass. It’s delightful. 

* David and Chanel had a great day and went swimming in the sea at Achnahaird Beach after they climbed Stac Pollaidh. In the evening we all had a tasty curry. 

Cycling and midges

David and Chanel have arrived for a visit in between Davie submitting his MSc and Chanel starting her teaching job. It’s the first time that Chanel has visited Ullapool and it has been fun showing her the sights. The weather is more mixed this week but it hasn’t kept us in; in fact we have been very lucky with our excursions so far. For example, yesterday we went for a walk up Ullapool Hill (I made it to the top with much encouragement from Chanel), and extended the walk by descending via Braes of Ullapool, and then stopping for a well deserved libation at the Seaforth Bar. The weather was fine and dry all the way, and it only started raining after we were back at the cottage. 
Then today we cycled up to and along Loch Achall, and again the weather stayed fine for us the whole way. There was however one drawback to the warm, cloudy, windless weather - midges! Oh boy they were fierce! This week we have definitely noticed more midges than before, but today we were were cycling through huge clouds of them, especially near the loch. When we got back to the cottage we all had showers to make sure that there were none still lingering in our hair! 
David and Chanel gave us a fantastic and thoughtful house-warming present; an Ordnance Survey Map centred on our cottage. We are going to put it on a cork board on the kitchen wall. David even had it personalised with the name “Rowan Tree Cottage” and the distance to our home (240 km) and to Dunedin in NZ (19000 km)! 

The sunshine continues ...

Monday the 17th was Alison & Hugh’s last day with us. We went to Achnahaird beach, another beautiful beach, which is surrounded by a ring of mountains. This time Alison and I went for a paddle instead of swimming, while Hugh helped James to fly his kite on the beach. Hugh treated us to a takeaway lunch at a wee café in Achiltibuie, and we ate it sitting on a bench at the shore while James pointed out all the different mountains to us. Back at the cottage we said our farewells; it has been a great weekend.

And over the last couple of days the sunshine has continued. James has been gardening, and taking more bags of gorse twigs and branches to the dump. This morning I asked him to drop me off there and I walked down the hill back to the cottage, taking in the amazing views. We have been sitting outside reading and relaxing all afternoon. 

Swimming at Achmelvich Beach

On Sunday the 16th, Alison suggested a walk to Stoer Point, near Clachtoll. Off we set towards Lochinver, then turned off and drove around behind Achmelvich. The road became very narrow and twisty with many passing places, which Alison navigated both bravely and expertly. We parked the car at Stoer Head Lighthouse which was very pretty in the sunshine. Alison and James walked along to the end of the peninsula to see the Old Man of Stoer, and Hugh and I walked part of the route - yet again I overheated quickly, but I enjoyed myself by paddling in a wee lochan and walking barefoot through a bog, both of which were very cooling for my feet! 
We all met up to eat our sandwiches back at the car, and then Hugh drove us to Achmelvich Beach. It’s a beautiful beach which we know well, and I have never seen it so busy as Sunday - I suppose it would be busy on a hot, sunny Sunday in August. Suspiciously though, the only people in the sea were wearing wetsuits. This did not deter Alison and I, who changed into our swimming costumes and headed for the water. I was impressed that Alison plunged straight in; it took me a few minutes to ease myself into the water because it was very cold! My skin was stinging! But it was great to be swimming in the sea again, I love it. Later we collected our pre-ordered pies from the Lochinver Larder and returned to the cottage to sit outside in the sunshine until dinner time. 

A very sunny weekend

Alison and Hugh arrived to visit us on Friday, the 14th of August. The weather was absolutely perfect throughout the four days that they were here. We really couldn’t have planned it better! After lunch on Friday, we walked up Ullapool Hill. Alison, Hugh, and James walked to the top, but it was far too hot for me so I lurked around in a bit of shade behind a tree near the viewpoint. In my defence, it really was very hot! We had drinks sitting outside at the Ferryboat Inn after our walk, it was roasting but luckily the drinks were nice and cool. We then spent a happy evening in the cottage, chatting and catching up on all of our news.
Alison and Hugh had brought their bikes with them so on Saturday 15th we all cycled up to Loch Achall, the same route that I went on last week. It was very hot and sunny, so I set off earlier than the others so that I wouldn’t hold them up. My plan worked well and I arrived at the bridge about fifteen minutes before them, which gave me time to cool down. Then we all cycled along beside the loch which was a sparking blue. Back at the bridge, Alison and I cooled off with a swim in the pool. It was very refreshing although it had more midges than last week. 
In the afternoon we all relaxed in the sunshine, sitting outside the cottage and watching the ferry go by as we chatted. And in the evening we strolled along the path and over the bridge to the village, where we had a delightful evening dining at the Ceilidh Place. 

Back to the river

We are in Ullapool again - our third extended trip since the beginning of July. We are certainly making up for the time that we weren’t allowed to travel here during lockdown. It was a very warm day so I ventured down to the river again this afternoon, and this time I swam nearer the mouth of the river where it widens out as it flows into Loch Broom. I had thought that it might be too shallow there, but I was encouraged by seeing three other people swimming there. We chatted briefly and they pointed out a deep channel which sweeps round past the edge of the golf course. This made for good swimming; it was at least shoulder deep and in places I couldn’t even touch the river bed with my feet. The swimmers said that the depth varies a lot depending not just on high and low tides, but also the tides build up to a maximum (and fall to a minimum) twice a month, so the water will be deeper in a couple of weeks. James had loyally come with me to be my lifeguard, toting his deckchair and his book.  One of the swimmers, Becky, asked me if I would like to join their “Estuary swimmers” group and I said yes please! 

Keeping it in the family

We have had two social occasions with the same family over the last few days; we had lunch on Sunday at Heather and Ewan’s, and then this evening Andrew came for dinner. It was lovely to see them all. On Sunday Ewan thoughtfully made us a quorn lasagne (taking into account my ongoing vegetarianism) and it was absolutely delicious - the taste and texture was exactly right. We sat outside on their terrace overlooking their beautiful garden which was in the full bloom of summer, and chatted. 
We travelled home from Ullapool on Saturday for a few days; more admin for Grandma’s house (which now has its “For Sale” sign up) and also to see David who has been working extremely hard on his dissertation. It is due to be sent in on Thursday; he is very nearly finished and today I proof read it and was very impressed.
Andrew arrived this evening for dinner and we had a simple (but I hope tasty) meal of roast chicken with potatoes dug this very afternoon from the garden by James. We had a convivial evening talking about all sorts of things. I had a very interesting conversation with Andrew about the books he has been reading and I lent him Lampedusa’s The Leopard. James and I eventually took ourselves off to bed, leaving the young ones to keep socialising. 

More visitors

Anne and her boyfriend Ross have been doing the North Coast 500 Route this week, a very popular driving route around the north of Scotland, starting and finishing in Inverness. Ullapool is a popular stop on the Route, so Anne contacted us and asked if she could pop in to see us. Naturally we were delighted to invite them to stay overnight, and it was a bonus that Ally and Cat are here this week because it meant that they had young people with whom to socialise as well as us oldies. It’s the first time that we have met Ross and they seem very happy. We all went out for dinner to the Ceilidh Place and we had a convivial evening, then strolled back to the cottage as the sun set over the Summer Isles, for more drinks and chat. 

The young people were all up early this morning. The weather, which was so rainy only a couple of days ago, has turned absolutely gorgeous. Blue skies with one or two little lenticular clouds, and really warm. Ally and Cat were heading with their tent for a two day walk at Strathcarron. Anne and Ross were heading to Plockton in the next leg of their NC500 trip. And James went to bag two Corbetts at Strathconon. I also had an excursion planned; I cycled to and from the end of Loch Achall. The first part of the cycle is a bit steep for me but I managed to stay on the bike for most of the time, only getting off to push it on a couple of sections. Then it descends to a bridge over the river and goes along the side of the loch. The views of the blue loch sparkling in the sunshine were tremendous. When I cycled back I went for a swim in a large pool just below the waterfall at the bridge; James had told me about it. It was great for swimming, and lovely and cool on this hot day. If you swim up the the waterfall you can be swept down the pool by the rushing water, which is brilliant. The good thing about the last part of the cycle is of course that it’s all downhill! Later James and I walked into the centre of Ullapool to get fish suppers. It was nice to see lots of people outside enjoying the sunshine. 

Pies in Lochinver

Ally and Cat have been doing a lot of hill-walking this week, but Tuesday’s forecast was too rainy even for their enthusiasm, so we all went for a wee jaunt to Lochinver. It was dreich and drizzly rather than heavy rain, so we were able to go for a walk when we arrived, and had a tasty light lunch at the An Cala Café. We decided to buy some pies from the famous Lochinver Pie Shop for dinner, and found that although the shop is still closed, they had set up a truck with an awning, where we queued up to buy our pies. They had picnic benches where people could consume their hot pies, but given the weather I was very glad that we would be eating them back at our cosy cottage. And indeed they were delicious. 

Summit of Ullapool Hill

James, Ally and Cat set off early this morning to go hill-walking in Torridon. It was a fine day - a bit windy but sunny with clouds - so I decided that the time had come for me to reach the summit of Ullapool Hill. I planned to take my time and so brought my Kindle to read during any rest stops. As I set off I noticed a very few golden leaves falling from the trees - surely it’s too early for that? I’m counting on it remaining summer for a bit longer.

As I had planned, I took my time strolling up the hill, and stopped a couple of times to admire the view. And I did make it to the top! The last bit is quite steep but very short. It was great at the top; I could see Loch Broom in one direction and Loch Achall in the other, and I was circled by mountains. 

Instead of going straight back down the hill, I decided to follow a route that James had told me about, a path across the side of the hill which descended gently towards Loch Achall. It was really beautiful. I then walked back along the road past the quarry to the coast road and home. It was a lovely walk. 

Housewarming Pineapple

When Ally and Cat arrived yesterday, they brought us a lovely housewarming gift - a pineapple! They explained that this is a symbol of hospitality originally from the Caribbean. Early European travellers brought pineapples and this tradition back home with them, although pineapples were so difficult to transport that they were extremely expensive. So expensive that they cost many thousands of pounds each and were used as centrepieces for Royal banquets in 16th and 17th Century Europe. They became fashionable symbols in architecture and art and furniture, and are still popular in household decoration today. 

James and I were touched that Ally and Cat had brought us such a thoughtful gift, and we look forward to eating it with them this week! 

Walking, cycling, and visitors

Today James and I went for a walk up Ullapool Hill again, a small hill of 270 metres which overlooks the village and also has beautiful views of the mountains, Loch Broom, and the Summer Isles. It also has a lot of benches upon which the walker can rest to enjoy said views, which I appreciated. I only went about two thirds of the way up (I’m still not very fit) and waited for James on one of the benches while he popped up to the top and back down. Ally and Cat weren’t going to arrive until mid afternoon, so after lunch James checked over my bike and put more air in the tires, and I went for a wee cycle around the village which was very enjoyable. Then James and I sat on the bench outside the cottage and read our books in the sunshine.

When Ally and Cat arrived, we all walked down the path and over the bridge and saw the Calmac Ferry sailing majestically into the harbour. We had pre dinner drinks at The Frigate before visiting the Seafood Shack where James and Ally chose lobster and Cat had salmon, which they ate before dinner back at the cottage. We had a lovely chat and caught up on each other’s news. There was also much planning of hill-walking and camping for the week ahead.