When you imagine the making the journey to the Scottish Highlands, what are you expecting? Windy steep roads with slightly over courageous sheep in your way? Quaint villages with whitewashed houses? Views on the sea or a loch? Although there are lots of places in the Highlands where this fantasy is a reality, one of my favourite places which fits this description the Applecross Peninsula in Wester Ross.
Getting to Applecross is half the adventure. There are only two roads to this area: a coast road which gives you views over to Skye and Raasay; and the Bealach na Bá, one of the steepest mountain passes in Britain. We chose to drive over the Bealach this time. I will say it is a tough drive with lots of steep sides, passing places and hairpin turns. Not a drive for the inexperienced!
Arriving in Applecross is a real treat, particularly when the sun is shining. We decided to take full advantage of this by enjoying a picnic on the beach. When the sun is shining and you are able to spend some time enjoying it with something like a picnic, really there is no greater place to be than Scotland. A real summer highlight!
After our picnic on the beach, we enjoyed a hot chocolate in Applecross Walled Garden. It's no secret that I love flowers and gardens, so this really is one of my favourite spots on the West Coast. It would say, however, that going at the end of June is truly wonderful! The flowers are in bloom and some of the fruit and vegetables that the Walled Gardens grow are starting to show signs of ripening.
After our time at the Walled Garden, we decided that the early evening would be a perfect time to enjoy a stroll along the waterfront at Shore Street. The views from this peninsula are particularly spectacular in the evening light. It is the West Coast at its very finest.
There are plenty of other things to do in Applecross, including getting drinks, ice cream or food from the Applecross Inn. However, after helping a poor couple jump start their car, we decided to call it a day.
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