Walk The North West Highlands And Skye

The trip starts at Inverness Rail Station at 13.30. After meeting we have a scenic drive (1.5hrs) to Ullapool, a thriving fishing town nestled on the shores of beautiful Loch Broom. Founded in 1788 as a herring port, the town was designed by Thomas Telford. Despite its size with just 1500 inhabitants, it is the largest settlement in the area and an important tourist destination and port. Located just to the north of Ullapool is the UNESCO Geopark of the North West Highlands - an area of remarkable natural beauty, with dramatic mountain landscapes, pristine sandy beaches, ancient settlements and remote communities - all within one of the most sparsely populated corners of Europe. After settling into our accommodation we plan a warm up hike on Ullapool Hill with commanding views over the loch, village and the Summer Isles - a perfect introduction to our trip. The Tour Leader will talk through the plan for the coming days in an introductory briefing this evening. Please note that the planned walks may need to be changed in accordance with the weather, to maximise your enjoyment, and the Tour Leader will discuss these on the ground if necessary. Today's intro walk will take approximately 2 hours and will cover a distance of 3-4 kilometres along grassy trails with a total ascent and descent of 500 metres.

After a full Scottish breakfast we embark on our first exploration of the UNESCO Geopark with a wonderful walk in the Assynt region just to the north of Ullapool. Assynt is rich in indigenous plant life such as lavender, miniature wild orchids and Scotland's national flower, the thistle. The western part of this area has distinctive-shaped mountains sculpted by the huge forces of glaciation, resulting in 800 million-year-old Torridonian sandstone island mountains that rise majestically from the loch-strewn moors. Our aim today is to climb Cul Mor and the ascent starts from Knochan Crag making use of a good path onto the upper reaches of the hill with some off-trail hiking towards the top. From the summit we enjoy a breath-taking 360 panorama of this dramatic landscape. We descend and return to the vehicle via a different route. Today's walk will take approximately 6 hours and will cover a distance of 14 kilometres, with a mix of trails and off-trail routes, with a total ascent and descent of 750 metres.

We check out of the guesthouse this morning after breakfast. First we drive north again into the Geopark, this time further east into the Inverpolly area to Stac Pollaidh; arguably one of the more well-known and distinctive hills in the area. From the foot of the mountain with its distinctive sandstone pinnacles shaped by the last ice-age, it looks impressive, but the climb is relatively easy. After hiking to the easterly top and taking in the unforgettable vista, we continue our walk all around this mountain on the way back down. Back in the vehicle we make our way, on a scenic drive south (2hrs), to our next base in Gairloch. If time permits we have a quick stop at Corrieshalloch Gorge, an impressive 200m deep chasm containing the Falls of Measach. Situated on the shore of Loch Gairloch, the small town of Gairloch is a great base for exploring the awe-inspiring scenery of Wester Ross. Today's shorter walk will take approximately 3 hours and will cover a distance of 4 kilometres, mostly on trails, very steep in parts, with a total ascent and descent of 510 metres.