Stac on some more cloud
Trip Start
Sep 12, 2006
1
85
100
Trip End
Sep 08, 2008
Ullapool,
Scotland,
United Kingdom
Thursday, June 26, 2008
I was a little disappointed with the service in Ullapool to say the very least. Up in the highlands I was hoping for some traditional highland hospitality, but at not only the chippy, but also the Ferry Boat Inn and the Seaforth we were met with sterned face Polish waiters. It didn't quite seem right in a place like Ullapool, but later that evening back at the Ferry Boat Inn we were lucky enough to see a traditional highland folk band playing. The three piece sat in a room which joined the main room with the bar, and it was here we spent a few hours with a couple of single malts. We would have loved to have stayed longer, but we both knew we had one more peak to knock off before we made the long haul back to Glasgow. Unfortunately we didn't make it to sundown, although during an early morning bathroom trip I did catch a glimpse of some darkness out of our hostel room window.
Our plan for the final day of the trip was to hike up perhaps one of the most distinctive peaks north of Ullapool, that of Stac Pollaidh. Rising precipitously above Loch Lurgainn, it was supposed to offer magnificent views as fine as those from the other nearby peaks, some hundreds of metres higher. Unfortunately, yet again, the weather gods weren't with us, and upon reaching the car park we found we could only see half way up the 612m peak, with the summit covered entirely by cloud.
We waited about half an hour in the car park, and whilst the cloud seemed to lift a little, things didn't look promising. We figured there was no point in heading back without giving it a go though, so we decided to head up. After passing through a gate just above the road we followed the trail around the western flank of the peak beneath sheer cliffs. As the trail began to swing around it was as if the cloud cover became heavier, and before long our visibility was significantly reduced. However, it was a small peak, and we soon made it to the summit. We couldn't see a thing, and after having a quick bite to eat and taking some photos to capture the moment we began to make our way down the eastern flank.
About half way down we noticed the cloud beginning to clear somewhat, swiftly moving around the summit. It made for some great shots, and Steve and I debated climbing back up, as it really did seem like the cloud was moving on. We turned around and climbed back for about ten minutes, but things didn't seem to change much from there, and giving in we made our way back down to the car.
The weather really did let us down on the trip, almost ruining all but two of the hikes we did. However, that was the Scottish Highlands, and we couldn't really have expected anything less. The blue skies we were rewarded with at the summit of Bla Bheinn were also something I'm sure many travelers to the north of Scotland never saw. So there was no point in complaining. If anything, the trip just opened my eyes to the sheer beauty of the place even more, rather than satisfy any thirst. It was a good four hour drive back to Glasgow, passing through Inverness, Perth and Stirling, which again offered great views for the most part. I certainly felt ready to tackle another seven week summer camp, although I also knew there was a lot more travel I needed to do in Scotland. It's one of those places, so unbelievably beautiful, that the more one sees the more one wants to see.
