Day 26 – To Achnahaird

Friday 21st May

Just before I left this morning Sam and Gabriella pulled over in their self-converted Crafter. I had originally met them at Braveheart in Glen Nevis, and then by coincidence, the following night in Glenbrittle on Skye. We were the only two vans in the car park. They have since been in the Outer Hebrides, so we might call the first two meetings a coincidence, but this one as well…just strange.. They are good company and at only 23 years old probably the youngest on the camper road at present – bringing down the average age from well above 60.. Gabriella runs her jewellery business from the van, and Sam, between jobs (was Test and Trace, now looking to get into camper conversions), helps out. Crafting in a Crafter indeed. There aren’t many Crafters on the road, so we do stand out somewhat.

The stretch of road heading away from Dundonnell may be one of the most scenic in Scotland but it has a very dark history, and is known as Destitution Road.

When a potato fungus from America hit the Highland in the 1840s the effects devastated the country. Many were left starving and walked the seashores looking for any kind of nourishment while dysentery, influenza, scurvy, typhus and cholera killed in large numbers. Some help came from wealthy landowners, but soon there was a call for those in need to be made to work for their rations. A ‘destitution test’ was administered to ensure that each man worked their required hours. This labour included the construction of ‘destitution’ roads which pioneered routes in remote parts of the Highlands.

The stretch from Dundonnell to Braemore is one of the most famous of the Destitution Roads. The A832 road enters the Dundonnell Gorge where it climbs alongside the waterfalls on the Dundonnell River before leaving at Fain Bridge. It then travels across open moors reaching an altitude of 332 metres, close to the peaks of An Teallach and Beinn Dearg.

A beer, good conversation and a luxurious carpet for the dog to sleep on – last night at the Dundonnell Hotel.

This is the Rhue, or Rubha Cadail, lighthouse, and was built as late as 1952, so it isn’t one of the Stevenson Lighthouses. It’s close enough to the road that it’s never had a keeper live on site, so it’s small, and therefore not of interest as a private home or AirBnB rental, as most others are. It guards the entrance to Loch Broom and Ullapool’s harbour.

It was my weekly shop and refuel. So it was into the small Tesco’s in Ullapool. There’s still just the one tiny fuel station which really struggles with the big motorhomes, the result being queues on the road. Two motorhomes fill the place. The Royal Hotel kindly offers water fill ups for free, as the owner has a campervan himself. But, as to be expected, the further north, the less facilities… but still the same number of campers / motorhomes/ motorbikes / cyclists / vintage cars on the road. This summer I’m sure there will be times when the infrastructure cannot cope.

At Drumruie on the A835 the official NC500 route takes a left and passes under the spectacular ridge of Stac Pollaidh. I’ve taken groups up here a few times. It is a ‘mountain in miniature’ as it’s quite easy and a relatively short walk to gain the ridge, where then there is some exposed scrambling. It’s only just over 600 metres high. The problem baby twenty years ago was that the approach paths were heavily eroded, and becoming more so. It is very popular.

For me it was on to Achnahaird and it’s beach to try and find a stopover. SearchForSites has some good reviews about the beach car park, and indeed it is a great location, but there is a sign, which looks new, stating no overnight stops. Despite that two vans were settled for the evening.

We had an hour on the superb beach, which has surely one of the most incredible backdrops of all, with the Assynt mountains (Stac Pollaidh in side profile, Suilven and Cul Beag). The rain of the morning had given way to a clear evening, but windy. Just tremendous views. We found a little spot a mile or so up the road and settled in for the European Challenge Cup Final.