Wester Ross Activities

Worth getting out of bed for

Viewpoint

Set on the northwest coast touching the Atlantic Ocean, Wester Ross reveals no shortage of viewpoints, many of which will, on a clear day, treat you to a 100-mile vista. A few miles south of Poolewe, Gairloch boasts gasp-worthy views of the Isle of Skye and the Torridon Mountains; take in the sights while you swing your way around the nine-hole beachside golf course here (www.gairlochgolfclub.com).

Arts and culture

If you’ve ever felt the need to swot up on crofting and the Clearances, the diminutive but intriguing Ullapool Museum (www.ullapoolmuseum.co.uk) holds the key to local history. Housed in a group of attractive old farm buildings, Gairloch Heritage Museum (www.gairlochheritagemuseum.org.uk) gives another lucid snapshot of the West Highlands, right the way through from prehistory to the present day.

Something for nothing

Birdwatching – keep your neck craned to the skies to spy sea birds (particularly waders), wildfowl, raptors, black-throated divers and herons.

Shopping

You must buy an AromaSciences scent from the Perfume Studio in Mellon Charles (+44 (0)1445 731065; www.aromasciences.com); perfumer George Dodd is nicknamed ‘Le Nez’ by locals for his amazing pre-blended and bespoke fragrances. It’s also a great place to buy gifts for people you never know what to get, with scented candles, woollen toys, glassware, pottery and condiments galore. Inverewe Gardens’ excellent shop (+44 (0)844 493 2225) harbours the more sophisticated souvenirs; find a veritable cornucopia of Scottish treasures, from stylish handmade jewellery to an upmarket assortment of books, crockery and children's toys.

Daytripper

Promenade through sub-tropical Inverewe Gardens (www.nts.org.uk), taking in the intricate rock garden and the evocative loch-scape from the jetty on the northwestern tip of the peninsula. A horticulturalist’s dream, Inverewe is guaranteed to titillate those who don’t know their rhododendrons from their daisies. The lovely café here will fill you up with a well-deserved afternoon tea spread.

Perfect picnic

Cast open the hamper on the craggy, postcard-perfect shores of Loch Maree; if that’s too pedestrian for you, take a fast boat to the Summer Isles, alfresco feast in hand, from Achiltibuie (www.summer-isles-cruises.co.uk). These myth-soaked isles, once inhabited by fishermen, are all but deserted these days – unless you count the seal colony.

Walks

There is an abundance of wonderful rugged coastal walks throughout the region; from Gairloch, try the Big Sand, a glorious stretch of beach that looks west out to sea. From the cliffs, Skye and the Western Isles fill the horizon. Wander along the rugged coastline to the end of the peninsula at Rubha Reidh lighthouse, built in 1910 by Robert Louis Stevenson’s cousin David and now a hostel.

Road trip

From Poolewe to Poolewe via Applecross and Achnasheen . A round trip to and from Mr & Mrs Smith’s northernmost UK hotel, this stupendously scenic route takes you along the lovely shores of Loch Maree and Loch Torridon, following the Wester Ross Coastal Trail to the ancient settlement of Applecross, and back inland, up and over the sky-high Bealach Na Ba pass and home again via dream driving roads. read more…

Children

Pony trekking around Gairloch Estate is an ideal day out for your wee bairns (+44 (0)1445 712652; www.gairlochtrekkingcentre.co.uk), who can ride atop diminutive mounts through forests, across streams and along private pathways only accessible to ponies. Kids’ riding breaks can be booked for young ’uns wishing to care for their own little pony for one to three days – and grown-ups can choose from a range of larger equine stock for their cantering pleasure.

Activities

Spend a day getting to grips with (and flying) Harris Hawks at West Highland Hawking (+44 (0)1445 760204; www.westhighlandhawking.com). Stride to the site of a World War II plane crash that lies amid the beautiful and wild scenery of the ‘Fairy Lochs’ near Gairloch. Come summer, take to Loch Gairloch and learn to sail on the 30-foot Ventura, go power-boating with a qualified instructor, or gaze down into the abyss from a glass-bottomed boat (+44 (0)1445 781729; www.sail-scotland.com). Porpoises may well come up to play. Traverse stunning, sacred Loch Maree until you reach the moon-goddess-dedicated Isle Maree: Celts, Pagans and Christians have all laid claim to Maree, but most now boat over to see the isle’s Viking graves (Nick Thompson runs the boat service; +44 (0)7871 174600).