Scenic Drives and the Falls of Measach: Day 27 – Scotland 2017

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2 May 2017

We had a ferry to catch at 6:30 in the morning, so we were up early to pack and drive the short distance down to the landing. If we missed the boat, we’d be stuck on Orkney until that evening because the ferry only runs twice a day. Not to worry, we were early and boarded just fine. On the agenda for the day? Scenic drives, a waterfall, and an evening at Coul House.

Durness to Ullapool

The first chunk of our day was all about taking in the Scottish scenery. We’d heard from multiple sources that the drive from Durness to Ullapool was a must, so our first leg of the drive took us from Scrabster to Durness. From there we went to Kylesku, and from Kylesku we continued on to Ullapool. If you get the chance to drive this area of Scotland, it’s worth every second. The countryside is breathtaking. There are miles of single-track road that wind through the highlands. We saw mountains, valleys, red deer, roaming cows, and made a few stops along the way.

Ceannabeinne Beach

While driving through the heather of the highlands, we rounded a corner and stumbled upon the most breathtaking beach either of us has ever seen. Without question, we pulled over and went down to check it out. We came across a sign that gave a little more information on Ceannabeinne Beach, but it was mostly about the name of the beach and the legend that brought it on.

An old woman was collecting peat for her fire and decided to drink from the burn (large stream). The burn was swollen after recent rains and the woman accidentally fell in. Her body was found on the beach the next day. It was known as Beach of the Burn of the Old Woman from then on.

While it has a tragic name, the beauty of the place is absolutely stunning. It’s as picturesque as it gets!

After walking along the beach for a bit, we made our way down the road. We stopped in at the next town for a bathroom break at the visitor center, and surprise, surprise, I bought another book. If I remember correctly, I started this one before we left the country. It’s such a sad story, but one I’m glad to have read about. My only regret is that we weren’t able to go visit this location while we were in the area. If only I’d found this book a few days sooner!

Ardvreck Castle

Another unplanned stop was Ardvreck Castle. As soon as we saw it, we pulled off into the parking area and made the short walk out to the ruins. The castle was built in the second half of the 15th century and has a bloody past. It has seen murder, execution, and sieges, the last of which ended the MacLeod ownership in 1672. In 1795, the castle met its final fate when it was struck by lightning, destroying much of the building.

From the castle, another ruin can be seen. This was the Calda House, built in 1726 by the Mackenzies. This was an upgrade from the castle, and it seems that they used some of the stones from the castle to build their new home. In 1737, Calda House burned down. Before any sort of repairs or rebuild could be done, the land was seized by the Crown less than 10 years later. The Mackenzies had been supporters of the Jacobite uprising in 1745. While you can get upclose to Ardvreck Castle, Calda House can only be viewed from a distance due to crumbling masonry.

The Falls of Measach

The next stretch of our scenic drive took us to the Falls of Measach, located in Corrieshalloch Gorge. The hike out the falls is gorgeous and rather short. It’s an easy walk, but there is a steep drop down into the gorge, so keep an eye on pets and small children if they’re going with you.

You can hear the falls well before seeing them. The power from the water is incredible. At the end of the trail, there is a suspension bridge that spans the gorge and you can get an amazing view of the falls from it. There is a sign saying to limit the number of people on the bridge, due to weight capacity.

After snapping our photos, we continued on the trail on the far side of the gorge. It walks away from the falls and leads to a viewing platform where you get great views of the gorge in both directions. You can also view the falls in their full glory, truly getting a feel for their size. Incredible location!

Coul House

The rest of our day was spent enjoying scenic drives. Scotland is such a beautiful country! Our trek ended at Coul House, where we were staying for the night. Coul House, which is now a hotel, was built in 1821. It’s a stunning estate and was one of our ‘spoil ourselves’ moments. It is so fancy! The website has loads of history, which you can read here. We were only here for one night, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. This is also where we had our first encounter with Thistly Cross, an outstanding cider that we can no longer get here in the States. Bummer!

We also had the sweetest encounter with a wee lamb. Long story short, he pretty much thought he was a dog and followed his master around constantly, along with the other dog in the family. We got to pet him and he was so darn cute!

Coul House is definitely worth a stay. We loved spending the evening imagining what life would have been like living there full-time.
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy