History

For a beautifully isolated part of the country, Loch Ewe, and the communities that lie on its shores, have a long and fascinating history. There is evidence of human habitation here going back to the Iron Age, and the name of our village - “Naast” - has been attributed to the probable Viking settlement of the area.

But Loch Ewe really came into its own during the Second World War, as a safe haven for the Navy and merchant ships preparing for the dangerous Arctic Convoys heading out with supplies for war-torn Russia. It is said that you could walk across the Loch without getting your feet wet, due to the number of ships on the water. Whether true or not, records show that 200,000 tons of shipping were in the Loch daily - an extraordinary degree of activity. Watching the gulls lazily glide across the water, it is difficult to imagine what it must have been like. But even today, the Navy keep a presence here, due to the deep mooring, and we are occasionally surprised with warships in the bay.

Poolewe Village has three cafes, one of which doubles as a bakery Monday-Friday, a hotel offering traditional bar food, and a street cart (actually a converted horse-box) serving excellent wood fired pizzas, good coffee and churros.

There are many places to visit in the area, the nearest being the famous Inverewe Botanical Gardens, a National Trust Scotland owned tropical garden in Poolewe village, just 3 miles away. https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/inverewe

Gairloch Museum (8.5 miles away) Voted Winner of the Artfund Museum of the Year 2020, displays include a replica croft house, showing how people lived in the area in times past, comprehensive information on the geology of the area, and the original Fresnal Lens from the Rua Reidh lighthouse. There are exhibitions of contemporary and local art, and we recently enjoyed a concert of early chamber music, performed live in the cafe. So it’s worth keeping an eye on the website, to check out what’s going on there during your stay. The cafe serves brilliant food, hand prepared by Sally and her excellent team. https://www.gairlochmuseum.org/museum

At Mellon Charles, about 12 miles away, you will find The Perfume Studio. Well worth a visit to stock up on the skin care products and toiletries we use at Am Bothan, there is also a great Cafe with a fabulous view of Loch Ewe, a small gallery, crafts and books. We are particularly interested in the Photography Workshops they conduct during the summer months. https://www.perfumestudioscotland.com

Our nearest beach, Firemore, is 3 miles up the road, and is a beautiful place to walk the dog, enjoy the view and, with interest in wild-swimming growing at the moment, maybe take a dip to re-jig your circulation. Watch the tides come and go, and see the gannets diving for fish. Other beaches well worth a visit are Gairloch, Big Sand, Gruinard Bay and a favourite of ours, the fabulously named Mellon Udrigle.

The wildlife in the area can be a surprise - you might drive around a corner and see two large stags running down the road in front of you. There are red squirrels, voles, pine martens, otters, countless garden birds, hooded crows, golden eagles and white-tailed sea-eagles, along with the unmistakeable call of the Great Northern Diver. On the road to Ullapool, you will probably meet the wild mountain goats, and if you’re lucky, their kids. We get porpoises in the Loch from time to time. It’s always best to have a pair of binoculars with you, just in case.

If you’re visiting early or late in the year, you might be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. On a cold, clear night, if you step outside the Cottage and look left up the Loch towards the Ocean, you might see a subtle greenish glow in the sky. This could be the Aurora, and if you have a camera with a slow shutter speed and a tripod, you can get some amazing shots. (See the Gallery).

Inverness is a good centre for shopping, with all the normal amenities of a modern town (Asda, Tesco, Aldi etc). There is also The Highland Wholefoods Workers Co-operative where you can buy vegan and gluten-free items. We go there to get pin-head oats for our favourite porridge - you can pre-order and pick up your purchases on your way through.

Once you settle in, there are numerous things to do - hill-walking, sea-kayaking, coarse and sea fishing (subject to license), the “Shellfish Safari” from Gairloch harbour https://www.facebook.com/Shellfish-Safaris-110970302336974/, glass-bottomed boat trips with friendly Skipper, Tim https://glassbottomedboat.co.uk , whale watching and a variety of other activities. Or there may of course be the odd rainy day (it is Scotland after all) when all you want to do is curl up with a good book.