Lotte Glob – amazing ceramist

On our way from John O'Groats to Gairloch today we stopped off at Lotte Glob's amazing gallery – full of lovely and unique ceramics. Understandably some have prices to match the quality and imagination shown in the work. 

Her gallery is in Laid on the North Coast of Scotland not far from Durness with stunning views across Loch Eriboll.

Our Highland jaunt 2013: Gairloch and surroundings

Gairloch Bay view across to Skye: view from our hotel

Myrtle Bank Hotel

We stayed a couple of nights at the Myrtle Bank Hotel, which is right on the bayside with views out to Skye. It's a comfortable and friendly hotel – we would certainly stay there again if we get to Gairloch again.

If you are in Gairloch then you have to eat at the Na Mara restaurant, which is really excellent and not expensive for the quality. The cooking is brilliantly precise. I had some of the tastiest and perfectly cooked mussels – from Skye – that I have enjoyed for many years and my venison to follow was impeccable. CRM had line caught cod and local scallops both were again perfection. The scallops were wonderfully fresh and even better than those we had eaten the day before at the Applecross Inn.  Carole finished with a classic sticky toffee pudding, which was again excellent with a light not heavy pudding. To drink we enjoyed a bottle of Nico, a red from Setúbal (Portugal) – reasonably priced at £15.95. The restaurant has been going four years and is run by Flo and Stuart – book to avoid disappointment.    

 Loch Airigh Mhic Criahe (above and below)

 

 Nearby hills

West Coast of Scotland: Melvaig Inn

Melvaig Inn – it opens@noon

Yesterday we stopped off for a quick lunchtime snack at the Melvaig Inn, which turned out to be a wonderful and unusual find – a marvellously funky lcafé! Certainly worth the journey!

The innside

One of the many classic LP covers displayed at the inn


Two more classic LPs: The Stones' first LP and Ricky Nelson

The exhausted piano player...

 God Save the Queen – Sex Pistols

Opening Time is Guinness Time

Lunch menu

Relaxed dog; in background some of the many LPs carefully filed

Vital warning in the WC!

West Coast of Scotland: Rua Reidh Lighthouse, Gairloch

 
Rua Reidh Lighthouse, Gairloch

This morning we drove up northwards along the coast from Gairloch to the very isolated Rua Reidh Lighthouse. Much of the way it's a narrow, twisting road with passing places and some pretty rickety bridges. Great views over the sea to Skye in the middle distance with Harris and Lewis on the horizon.

The lighthouse, which was manned until 1986 is now a hostel and self-catering apartments. The road up wasn't built until the 1950s – Wikipedia says 1962 but info at lighthouse goes for 1950s. Prior to that all supplies had to come by sea to a rocky jetty about 400 metres north of the lighthouse. Presumably it could only accommodate small boats and must have been very tricky in stormy weather – not at all unusual especially in winter! 

We were lucky that the weather was reasonable in the morning as it turned into a pig of an early afternoon with heavy rain.    

 Lighthouse as a hostel plus self catering apartments

 Lighthouse and its history

A small sailing boat between mainland and Harris-Skye just on horizon

 Rocky inlet by the lighthouse

 CRM on the jetty

 The jetty (above and below)

Scottish holidays 2013: The stunning West Coast

Somewhere in that mass should be Ben Nevis: 
the road from Laggan to Spean Bridge 

In 2011 for Netta's Tours it was the Outer Hebrides. 2012 it was Orkney. For 2013 it is the West Coast and John O'Groats. We left Newtonmore this morning heading down through Laggan to Spean Bridge and then onto Invergarry, where we headed off west. Heading through Dornie to Loch Carron and then the spectacular drive over the steep narrow road to Applecross, where we had a extremely good lunch at the Applecross Inn. It is rare that I find so many tempting choices on a menu. 

After lunch it was northwards along the coast of the Applecross Peninsula – just breathtaking views across to Skye and the Outer Hebrides – then northwards through Torridon up to Gairloch and the Myrtle Bank Hotel. With the every changing scenery and light it was almost impossible not to take non-stop photos!!    

Eilean Donan Castle 

Looking from Applecross to the Cuillins and Skye (above and below)

Applecross

 The excellent Applecross Inn