There is a distinct lack of modern communications in the Highlands so posts will be sporadic!
We’ve finally started to do some proper touring. We set off from Morvich in overcast conditions with the intention of heading for Applecross, which is on a peninsular just north of the Isle of Skye crossing.
I knew that there is a notoriously steep road which can be taken as one of the options to reach Applecross, but was unsure whether it would be suitable for Basil’s bulk. A question of a motorhome forum soon elicited the response that it was OK “if you are brave”. I am distinctly not brave, but after our tour through numerous mountain ranges last year, I have discovered that I am pretty “brave” when it comes to precipitous roads.
Only a few miles into our journey we passed one of Scotland’s most photographed castles – Eilean Donan. It is very photogenic, built out into a loch with a bridge linking it to the mainland. It was originally built in the 13th century, but during attempts by James II to reclaim his throne in the 18th Century it was blown up and the current iteration is as a result of 20th Century reconstruction. It has also featured in many films. We have visited the castle before, but we made a brief stop so that I could take a compulsory photograph!
Eilean Donan Castle
Before Applecross we took a little diversion to the beautiful hamlet of Plockton. Sarah and I once rented a cottage here 31 years ago when Sarah was heavily pregnant with our first son, Sam. We managed to find somewhere to plonk Basil and went for a walk along the length of the village. Plockton consists of a picturesque row of whitewashed cottages arranged around a curving bay, which serves as a harbour, now for pleasure craft, once for fishing boats. Although the tide was out and the sky overcast it still brought back memories of a previous holiday in one of Scotland’s prettiest villages.
Plockton
We stopped for a quick lunch at Lochcarron and then started the journey to Applecross. Turning off the road to take the shortcut across the mountains, there were signs warning that it was not suitable for large vehicles, but then there was a notic with a weight limit of 30 tonnes. Basil may be heavy, but he’s been on a strict diet and he would be furious if anyone suggested he was a 30 tonner, so off we went.
The gradient of the road, which rises from sea level to 2,053 feet, was not as bad as we have experienced elsewhere, but the only thing that made it less than straightforward was the narrowness of the surface and its poor state of maintenance. It was, of course, single track all the way but luckily there were not many cars, because some of the passing places were not large enough for Basil. The views as we climbed through the dramatic valley to the pass, were spectacular, but would have been more so if the weather had been better. One you reach the high point and start to descend, views of the Isle Skye reveal themselves.
View to Skye from the top of the pass
On reaching Applecross we ensconced ourselves at the Applecross campsite (57.431294′ -5.814448) which is pleasant enough but at £22.50, including electricity, is a little expensive for its fairly basic facilities.
Much to our surprise the late afternoon saw the sun come out and so we walked down to the village and treated ourselves to our second pub meal of the week. We sat in the lovely pub garden right next to a loch awash with Great Northern Divers – well 3 to be honest, and enjoyed a couple of drinks with fish and chips from an airstream style caravan the the Applecross Inn puts adjacent to its building for that very purpose. Although Applecross is a very small isolated community, the pub was very busy and one of the barmen said that they were only really quiet in November and February – they must be doing something right.
Applecross
As we walked back to the campsite there were several red deer in the fields by the road, who seemed completely undisturbed by human presence as we walked within 10 metres of some of them!
We started the day by topping up at Applecross’ community petrol pump. It is run by the community to keep prices low and visitors are encouraged to use it to keep it economically viable. We paid £1.27 for diesel when the going price in this remote area is about £1.37. What a great idea.
Today we finished the circuit of the Applecross peninsular heading north along a spectacular, sea hugging, single track road. The landscape was bleak, but beautiful. Bare rocky moorland pockmarked with small lakes scattered amongst the boggy ground. As we neared the northern tip of the peninsular we could see the big mountains of the Torridon range, but before we reached them we turned south towards the Isle of Sky.
Lochcarron
Finally we retracted our steps from yesterday back the the Kyle of Localsh, where we crossed the infamous bridge to Skye. It is infamous because access to the island had always been a short ferry crossing for which visitors and islanders alike payed a small fee. Once the bridge was completed the government removed the ferry and attempted to charge users a much higher fsum to access the island and repay the construction cost. There followed a strike where many islanders refused to pay the toll and now it is free for everyone to use.
Our initial impression of the island was that it was not as busy as we had expected. Traffic seemed no worse than on the mainland. We had decided to try to find a wild camping spot for the night and we turned off the main road towards Ergol. I had seen a potential camping spot on one of my apps and it was for that we headed. The drive was slow down single track road, but with views of Skye’s jagged Red Hills to our right.
Eventually Sat Nav told us to turn off down a tiny potholed track towards the sea. After much jarring of Basil’s suspension we reached a glorious spot, overlooking the sea and with the Red Hills dominating the skyline. One walker has a arrived and pitched a tent, other than that we are alone with the sheep and a few Great Black Backed Gulls (you knew I had to get a bird in somewhere!).