The continuing excellent weather motivated me to walk up Ullapool Hill today. James gave me half an hour’s head start, which was just as well because he arrived on the summit moments behind me. In fact as I clambered up the last and steepest slope, we could wave to each other as James advanced rapidly up the path below me. We also got great views of the ferry sailing out of Loch Broom on its way to Stornoway.
James had kindly brought my Chilly flask filled with tea, and we quaffed it on the bench just below the summit. I was really hot as usual after the ascent and James was worried that I would get a chill because there was a welcome cool breeze at the top of the hill. Of course I wasn’t cold at all, I was only gradually cooling down due to my faulty internal heating system. We circled back down the hill, and on the way James pointed out to me some old lime kilns. He explained to me that the heated and ground up limestone was used by local farmers to make their soil more alkali.
We had more tea and some cake at Tea by the Sea before going back to the cottage. Mid afternoon was high tide so I donned my swimming costume and big coat and nipped down to the estuary. It still gives me a thrill that I can be in the water less than five minutes walk from the cottage. And in I went; I got right in this time and swam for about ten minutes. It felt wonderful and as I looked up towards the 270 metre summit of Ullapool Hill I reflected that I had journeyed from the hill top almost directly into the sea.
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