I was at Greenhill in Achiltibuie last week & experimenting with a new Flip video camera in the beautiful weather. Here’s the first one – a panoramic view from Altandhu across the Summer Isles to Achiltibuie. Please excuse the ‘amateurishness’…

The full timetable for this year’s Coigach Gathering in Achiltibuie has just been published in the Ullapool News. For those of you visiting during the first week of July the Coigach Gathering is the summer festival / highland games for Coigach and is a great occasion. It takes place mainly around the beach at Badentarbet.

The Order of Events:

1.00 – Local pipers will accompany the Gathering Chieftan, Tom MacIver to the fank

1.15 – Primary & secondary accordion & fiddle

- target shooting also starts and runs until 4.00

2.00 – Rowing demonstration by local fishermen

- Wee ones races

- Flycasting (2.00 – 4.00)

2.40 – Hill race / Biathlon start

2.40 – Juniors

2.50 – Ladies and veterans / over 40…

3.00 – Gents and veterans

4.00 – Sheep shearing

4.15 – Net mending

4.30 – Tug ‘o’ War

5.00 – Stone tower building competition

5.30 – Prize giving & prize draw results

6.00 – Bonfire on the beach

6.00 – 8.00 – Traditional music in the tent

9.00 – Dance to the Remains and MV5

There will also be sumo wrestling, wellie boot throwing, skittles, face painting, penalty shoot out, guess the weight of the salmon, BBQ and many other events taking place.

It’s a great day out and there are usually plenty of other things going on in the village around that weekend.

 

 

2 big features recently on holidays in the region.

1) Kayaking around the Summer Isles – ‘a big adventure on your doorstep’

2) A profile of eco-tourism in Assynt - ‘absurdly lovely and in the care of its community’

In a previous post I listed some of the guided walks planned in Wester Ross. I have now found a further list for Assynt (the area North of Achiltibuie around Lochinver).

For further information about all of these walks you can contact:

Highland Council Countryside Rangers, Assynt Visitor Centre, Lochinver IV27 4LX. Tel: 01571 844654 or e-mail: andy.summers@highland.gov.uk

Wednesday May 20th:- Achmelvich Coastal Walk. 11-3. Meet Achmelvich Beach Car Park.

Thursday May 21st:- Little Assynt. 11-3. Meet Little Assynt Car Park.

Thursday May 28th:- Trip to the meteorite crater at Stoer. 11-3. Meet Clachtoll Beach Car Park.

Wednesday June 3rd:- The Bone Caves, Inchnadamph. 11-2. Meet Bone Caves Car Park, 4km South of Inchnadamph.

Thursday 11th June:- Otters at Culkein. 11-3. Meet at Stoer Hall.

Wednesday 24th June:- Walk to the top of Suilven. 9-6. Meet at Assynt Visitor Centre, Lochinver.

Thursday 25th June:- Whale & Dolphin watching at Stoer lighthouse. 2-5. Meet at Stoer Hall.

Thursday 2nd July:- Drumbeg Peat Road. 11-3. Meet Drumbeg View Point Car Park.

Monday 6th July:- Rockpools at Achmelvich. 11-1. Meet Achmelvich Beach Car Park.

Thursday 9th July:- Dragons found in Little Assynt. 11-2. Meet Little Assynt Car Park.

Thursday 23rd July:- The Gruffalo. 11-1. Meet Culag Woods Car Park.

Wednesday 5th August:- Clachtoll Sand Sculpture Competition. 11-1.30. Meet Clachtoll Beach Car Park.

Thursday 6th August:- Conival. 9-6. Meet Inchnadamph Car Park.

Thursday 20th August:- Ardvreck Castle & Loch Assynt. 11-4. Meet Inchnadamph Car Park.

Wednesday 26th August:- Bat Evening Lochinver. 7.30 – 9. Meet Assynt Visitor Centre.

Thursday 27th August:- Aeroplane Flats, Inchnadamph. 10-5. Meet Inchnadamph Car Park.

Wednesday 2nd September:- Fungi, Fruit & Nuts. 11-3. Meet River Inver Bridge, Lochinver.

Wednesday 30th September:- Coastal Birds of Culkein Stoer. 11-3. Meet Stoer Hall.

All the walks are free but donations are appreciated. For further details of these and many other planned walks visit www.assynt.info.

 

One of the cozy bedrooms in Greenhill

As well as writing this blog I also rent out our house in Achiltibuie for holiday-makers who are looking for comfortable self catering accommodation.

Greenhill has been in my family for 4 generations and was extended by my great great uncles in the 1920’s from an original crofting house. It has an enclosed garden and fantastic views across the Summer Isles.

Currently we have availability for the following weeks in 2009 – May 30th; June 20th & 27th; August 8th, 15th & 29th. The house is also available from September onwards for late summer holidays.

Greenhill sleeps between 2 – 6 people and full details and pictures can be found by clicking on this link.

Any queries, just e-mail rory.home@gmail.com

Rory.

I get a lot of enquiries through asking for the dates of various events in Achiltibuie – in particular for the Coigach gathering – Achiltibuie’s very own highland games.

The gathering this year takes place on Saturday 4th July and during that weekend there are lots of linked events taking place. This website gives a good list of dates.

One of the great services offered to visitors in Wester Ross is a series of guided walks and nature events that take place throughout the year. Most are free to attend – although small donations are often welcomed & advance booking is sometimes required.

The events that I have seen publicised so far in the Achiltibuie, Ullapool and Lochinver areas are as follows:

Wednesday 27th May. 10.30 – 12.30 – Brochs and crofts in Achiltibuie. A coastal walk in the North West Highland Geopark with views of the Summer Isles. Discover the history and archaeology of the Brochs and Crofts. Booking is essential – Tel: 01854 613904 or 07881 502230. Start point will be advised on booking. (Walking over rough but fairly flat ground. Reasonable level of fitness required).

Wednesday 3rd June. 11.00 – 4.00 – Wildlife along the Torridonian Edge. Step back in time on this coastal walk to see a billion years of life and maybe some otters and seals. Bring a packed lunch and binoculars. Tel: 01854 613904 for more information. Meet at the Achnahaird – Achiltibuie junction. (Walking over rough and boggy ground with some hills. Reasonable level of fitness required).

Thursday 11th June. 11.00 – 2.00 – Wildlife wander up the Inverianvie river, Gruinard. Explore the waterfall and gorge of the Inverianvie river looking out for the flora and fauna including orchids and maybe a dipper or two. Bring a packed lunch. Meet at Gruniard Beach car park. Booking essential. Tel: 01854 613904. (Walking is over a rough path so please wear sturdy footwear).

Tuesday 23rd June. 11.00 – 2.00 – Wildlife wander at the Falls of Stroma, nr. Ullapool. Explore the waterfalls and gorge of Gleann Mor looking out for the flora and fauna including orchids and maybe a dipper or two. Bring a packed lunch. Booking essential. Meeting point advised on booking. Tel: 01854 613904. (Walking is over a rough path so please wear sturdy footwear).

Tuesday 4th August. 2.00 – 3.30 – Around the world in 80 minutes! Join the ranger at Lael Forest Garden and visit trees from around the world. This is orienteering for those with the travel bug. A fun trail for all the family. All children must be accompanied by an adult and wheelchair users can also join in. Meet at Lael Forest Garden West car park. Tel: 01854 613904.

Saturday 15th August. 2.00 – 4.00 & 8.00 – 10.00 pm – Go batty in Ullapool. An afternoon of batty fun activities for children – making bat badges & kites and listening to bat stories (2-4pm). Also an evening presentation and bat walk. Suitable for all ages. A torch is helpful. Adults £2, Children £1. Booking essential. Tel: 01854 613904 or 07881 502230.

Thursday 17th September. 7.30 pm – late – Creatures of the night! Ullapool. Discover the fascinating nightlife of Ullapool – moths, bats and anything else you find. Set up moth traps. Meet at Morefield play area car park, Ullapool. Bring a torch, hat and sunglasses. Suitable for all ages. Tel: 01854 613904.

Wednesday 23rd September. 11.00 – 4.00 – A billion years of life in Achnahaird. Explore the ancient rivers and lakes and get a glimpse of fossil records of the first life forces to appear on Earth. Part of Scottish Geology Month. Meet at Achnahaird / Achiltibuie junction. Tel: 01854 603 904.

Saturday 10th October. 11.00 – 3.00 – Ancient fort of Dun Canna. Join the ranger in a walk to the ancient fort of Dun Canna. Learn about the lives and times of the people who once lived in this stunning area. A highland Archaeology Festival event. Meet at Blughasary car park (near Strathcanaird), N of Ullapool off the A835. Tel: 01854 613904. (Walking over rough but fairly flat ground. Reasonable level of fitness required)

These are just a few of the events in the local area but many other walks, nature trails and educational gatherings are organised throughout the year. I’ll add further details as they are publicised.

One of our visitors in Greenhill last week sent me this picture he had taken from the bottom of the garden. Thanks for sharing Patrick. A beautiful shot and glad you had a good holiday.

I’m just back from a couple of days in Achiltibuie. It has been a long, wet winter but the weather was glorious. Here’s the view from the front garden of Greenhill yesterday morning.

For anyone who didn’t catch Monty Halls’ Great Escape on BBC 2 last night here is the link to the episode on the BBC iPlayer (which I think only works for viewers in the UK). Some fantastic scenery from the Applecross peninsula.

Those visiting from outside the UK can read a fun review of the programme here.

(Applecross is in Wester Ross but further south from Achiltibuie & Coigach)

Broadcasting House

The area round Ullapool and Lochbroom has its own local radio station – Lochbroom FM.

You can find it on 102.2 or 96.8 FM and it is totally staffed by volunteers. For any holidaymakers to the region it is worth a listen.

Full schedule details can be found here.

You may have seen that there has been quite a bit of publicity over recent weeks to promote a year of events aimed at encouraging those of Scottish descent to visit Scotland in 2009. The Homecoming Scotland initiative includes a series of adverts with (amongst others) Sean Connery, Lulu, Chris Hoy & Sam Torrance.

Whilst it’s all a bit twee and predictable – focusing on golf, whisky and Robert Burns the Visit Scotland team have done a good job promoting it and linking together a wide range of events under the Homecoming umbrella. I wish them luck and hope it is successful – they’ve certainly picked a good time to promote holidays in the UK given what has happened to the exchange rate recently.

The Ullapool Book Festival - May 8-10 – is included in the schedule of events alongside several other cultural and outdoor activities.

Visit the Homecoming website for further details.

If you want to see the advert, Caledonia, it is here:

Nice to see that progress is being made on the evolution of the Hydroponicum into the Achiltibuie Garden.

Di, Alison and Julie have a very nicely designed new site up and running with a blog to follow their progress.

Achiltibuie War Memorial, originally uploaded by captain.tarmac.

From the Ullapool News this week here is a list of some of the things happening in Achiltibuie over Christmas and New Year.

Saturday 20th December – Christmas Crafts for Kids. In the Coigach Community Hall. Make Christmas decorations and paint Christmas pictures. £1.50 per child.

Wednesday 31st December – Fourth annual Ba’game. The Uppies vs. the Downies on Badentarbet Green at 1 p.m.

Thursday 1st January – New Year’s Day drop in. Coigach Community Hall. 4-7 p.m. Tea, coffee & soup. BYOB.

I had an e-mail yesterday from a holiday-maker called Dan who will be in Achiltibuie for Hogmanay this year. He was asking what happens in the village and where they should go?

I’ve only spent one new year in Achiltibuie, a long time ago and can remember little after a session at the Fuaran.

Can anyone give Dan some tips in the comments below?

Rory.

(Image from Flickr)

I cannot believe that it will be December next week. The year seems to have flown by.

Inevitably over the next few weeks (as the Christmas spirit sets in) posting here will be less frequent so if you want to stay in touch with the Achiltibuiecottages blog then the best way to do so is to sign up to the e-mail or RSS alerts.

You’ll find all details over in the bar on the right hand side ——>> (over here…). It’s easy to do, either click on the ‘get free updates via e-mail’ section or the ‘add to your RSS feed button’.

Rory.

Midgie Nation 2: Winter

 

Next Monday at 4.30 in the Macphail Centre in Ullapool there looks a fun show to take the kids to.

Midgie Nation 2: Winter is the tale of what happens to midgies in the winter. It is aimed at kids between 3 – 6 years old & tickets are £2.50.

It looks exactly the type of thing my girls would enjoy but it does seem strange putting it on during the week – although I suppose that the local schools will be finished by then.

At some point in the near future I will aim to do a more general post on the top things to do with the kids in Achiltibuie & the surrounding area – although I might get my wife to guest post after she has spent 3 weeks in the house next Summer!

A very quick post to say that this afternoon the Achiltibuiecottages blog received its 10,000th visit!

I continue to be amazed by the traffic that has come through since launching in mid-April this year. Thanks to everyone who has visited so far.

Rory Brown.

Achnahaird, just one of the fantastic local beaches near Achilitibuie 

 

What with the credit crunch, recessions and the terrible exchange rate; more and more of our friends are talking about holidaying in the UK in 2009, & who can blame them? 

If you are planning a UK holiday I can heartily recommend spending it in Achiltibuie – fantastic scenery, stunning beaches, walking, fishing, cultural events, great seafood.. I could go on. Rent a house or a cottage for self catering and you could have a great holiday for less than £100 per head for the week, even in high season!

We have this week opened up 2009 bookings for our house, Greenhill. It is already let for Spring Bank Holiday and for a couple of weeks during the height of summer but there is currently availability over Easter, most of July, a couple of weeks in August and for half term. All accommodation in the area gets booked up early for the peak weeks so don’t hang around – sort out those holidays now!

For full details of Greenhill, pictures and rates please click here.

I had a query from an American visitor called Tom asking me to put a map on this site to show where Achiltibuie is. Here you go… click the link below.

Achiltibuie, nr. Ullapool, Wester Ross, Scotland

Tom also asked how to pronounce Achiltibuie – it’s ack-ill-tee-boo-ee.