Ullapool

Ullapool is the social hub of the NC500’s west coast, and after days of single-track roads and villages with one shop, it feels almost metropolitan. Whitewashed buildings strung along Loch Broom, fishing boats in the harbour, the CalMac ferry heading off to Stornoway, and more live music per capita than anywhere has a right to. For a town of under 2,000 people, it punches absurdly above its weight.

What to See

The waterfront is the thing. Shore Street’s colourful buildings house cafes, bookshops, craft galleries, and a couple of pubs that get lively at night. The harbour is always interesting — fishing boats, yachts, and the big CalMac ferry turning around in the loch. Just walking along the front with a coffee is one of the pleasures of the trip.

Boat trips to the Summer Isles run during the season. You’ll see seals, porpoises, and seabirds on a cluster of low-lying islands about 12 miles offshore. Some trips land on Tanera Mor, the only inhabited island. It has its own stamp — collectors go nuts for it.

The Ullapool Museum, in a former church, covers the town’s history as a planned herring port (founded 1788 by the British Fisheries Society). Good for a rainy hour.

Where to Eat

The Ceilidh Place is part hotel, part arts venue, part bookshop, and it hosts live music most nights — traditional ceilidhs, folk, jazz, spoken word. Even if you don’t catch a gig, the bar is excellent. The Seaforth pub is the other main option and does good bar food.

For fish and chips, the vans by the harbour are the move. Fresh fish, eaten on the pier wall, watching the boats. One of the great simple pleasures on the route. The Arch Inn does solid pub grub and often has live music too.

Getting There & Parking

On the A835, about 60 miles north-west of Inverness. The drive in along Loch Broom is scenic. Several car parks in town, including a big one near the ferry terminal. Fuel, supermarkets (a proper Co-op), pharmacy, and a bank — resupply here.

Insider Tips

Spend an evening in Ullapool. Seriously. Most NC500 travellers pass through during the day, grab fish and chips, and move on. But the town comes alive at night. The pubs fill up, someone produces a fiddle, and the long summer twilight over the loch makes everything feel slightly magical. If there’s a ceilidh on, go. You’ll be dragged onto the floor regardless of ability.

If you’re planning to take the ferry to the Outer Hebrides, book months in advance for summer sailings — especially with a car. The crossing to Stornoway takes about 2.5 hours and is beautiful.

The drive south from Ullapool towards Gairloch through the Destitution Road is wild. The name tells you everything about why it was built.