The main route that leads NE to SW through northwest Scotland is a one lane road; regular pull-offs allow oncoming cars to pass one another, sometimes at an alarming speed. The scenery, on the other hand, is spectacular.
Numerous lochs, firths and rivers dissect the landscape, which is composed of rolling hills, low ridges and taller ranges. All of these uplands are adorned with rocky grasslands, reminiscent of the alpine zone of North America's western mountains. Of course, unlike the latter alpine ecosystems, which usually bask in brilliant sunshine, these Scottish highlands are subject to the effects of the North Atlantic and rapidly changing cloud formations enhance the beauty of the region. Sheep are everywhere in this open-range territory, often grazing along the road and oblivious of the vehicles that speed past; indeed, their presence augments the tranquility of this remote landscape.
Arriving in Ullapool last evening, we will spend a day in this port on Loch Broom, a marine inlet of the North Atlantic, before taking a ferry out to the Hebrides. That excursion will begin tomorrow morning.
Numerous lochs, firths and rivers dissect the landscape, which is composed of rolling hills, low ridges and taller ranges. All of these uplands are adorned with rocky grasslands, reminiscent of the alpine zone of North America's western mountains. Of course, unlike the latter alpine ecosystems, which usually bask in brilliant sunshine, these Scottish highlands are subject to the effects of the North Atlantic and rapidly changing cloud formations enhance the beauty of the region. Sheep are everywhere in this open-range territory, often grazing along the road and oblivious of the vehicles that speed past; indeed, their presence augments the tranquility of this remote landscape.
Arriving in Ullapool last evening, we will spend a day in this port on Loch Broom, a marine inlet of the North Atlantic, before taking a ferry out to the Hebrides. That excursion will begin tomorrow morning.
