Ullapool
Ullapool is a small village on the shores of Loch Broom in the Highlands of Scotland, about an hour north of Inverness on the A835.
Get in
By bus
Buses from Inverness, operated by Citylink Return from Inverness costs about £12. They all arrive at and leave from the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry terminal.
Stagecoach run a bus from Inverness once per day Mon-Fri and from Lochinver on school days only.
By ferry
Ullapool is served by two ferries most days from Stornoway on Lewis, taking about 2.5 hours.
Get around
Ullapool is a small town and can be easily viewed on foot.
See
The main attraction of Ullapool is the beautiful situation it is in beside the loch and surrounded by typical west Highland scenery. The town itself is pretty and can be wandered around in half and hour or so. Most people also end up walking over to the pretty but still functioning harbour, down to the loch or up the hill behind the town that, for very little effort, provides a wonderful view over the town and over to the Summer Isles.
- Ullapool Museum, 7 & 8 West Argyle Street IV26 2TY. May - Sept Mon - Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Museum in a Thomas Telford church built in 1829, with temporary exhibitions.
Do
Ullapool is a great base for walkers and Munro-baggers - see Ullapool walks for details of many routes.
There are cruises to the nearby Summer Isles in the boat 'The Summer Queen' and, for the more adventurous, on a speedboat (a RIB).
Festivals and events
Ullapool is one of the most 'happening' places in the highlands with frequent live concerts and events. Much of the best musical talents of the highlands make Ullapool a regular venue with concerts in the Ceilidh Place, Seaforth and Macphail Centre (a theatre attached to the newly built secondary school). There are also a number of annual festivals:
- The Ullapool Book Festival: One of the best small book festivals around
- Loopalu: An increasingly popular rock music festival.
- The Ullapool Guitar Festival: An acoustic guitar festival
Buy
Ulapool has a number of shops and two banks (Bank of Scotland and Royal Bank of Scotland).
For the essentials
- Tesco, Latheron Lane IV26 2XB. M-Sa 7:00-22:00 Su 8:00-20:00. A reasonably well stocked medium sized supermarket
- Food for Thought. A local butchers and seafood restaurant next to the ferry terminal. Local quality produce including smoked fish and locally caught seafood. Recommended - shop small and local.
- The Frigate. A small deli attached to the coffee shop and restaurant.
- The Saturday craft and food market. In summer there is a weekly Saturday market selling crafts and local produce - organic vegetables, seafood, smoked cheese and fish, local bakery.
For the mind
Two great bookshops with a wide variety of books but specialising in Scottish books:
- The Ceilidh Place book shop (attached to the hotel, cafe and restaurant).
- The Ullapool Bookshop. in the centre of town
For the spirit
There are a number of arts and crafts shops in Ullapool.
Eat
Two very good fish and chip shops are situated just over the road from the ferry terminal. They both claim to be award winning so take your pick. Most of the pubs serve food and there are a small number of restaurants, including an Indian.
- Jasmine Indian restaurant, West Lane, Ullapool, IV26 2UT, ☎ +44 1854 613331. An Indian restaurant with a difference. Nice and classical spicy Indian food available 7 days a week in an affordable price.
Drink
The Arch Inn on the harbour front offers a nice atmosphere and live bands.
Sleep
- Broomfield Holiday Park, West Lane, Ullapool, IV26 2UT, ☎ +44 1854 612020, fax: +44 1854 613151, e-mail: sross@broomfieldhp.com. There's a great camping and caravan site right on the shore of Loch Broom. You can pitch right by the water and watch the Stornoway ferry come in and out of port. Has a midge eating machine. from £14 for a tent, £18 for a caravan.
- The Ceilidh Place. It's a Hotel 'cum Restaurant 'cum Bookshop 'cum Cafe 'cum Pub 'cum Art's Venue. This place is in all the best books about Scotland and for good reason, its somewhere to get away from it all and chill out. There is great food downstairs, solace upstairs in the guest lounge, the rooms are comfy and if you are lucky you will catch one of the passing musicians downstairs in by the fire. Its Scottish without being tacky, you will find no Jimmy Hats or dodgy tartan here.
- Ullapool Youth Hostel, Shore Street, Ullapool, IV26 2UJ., ☎ +44 1854 612254, e-mail: ullapool@syha.org.uk. Check-in: 16.30 - 22.30, check-out: 10.00. Great SYHA Hostel on the sea front, a few minutes walk from the ferry pier and the Citylink Bus Stop. Good kitchen and internet access. From £18 for an adult bed, £44 for a private room.
- Riverview, 2 Castle Terrace, Ullapool, IV26 2XD, ☎ +44 1854 612019. Former Bed & Breakfast now let as a complete self-catering house. All rooms have en-suite shower rooms, flat screen TV/DVD players, tea/coffee making facilities. from £600 per week.
- Caledonian Hotel, Quay Street, IV26 2UG.
Go next
- Get on a ferry to Stornoway
- North West Highlands Geopark
- North to Achiltibuie, The Summer Isles and Lochinver
- South to Gairloch