the sun is always shining in the Highlands

or maybe not… but we can cope. While the rest of the UK is sweltering in the heat, here in our holiday cottage on the Assynt, I am wearing my merino jumper and thick socks. We have a wood fired stove in the cottage, and plenty of wood. We got here on Friday evening, after a long drive with two dogs but no teens. We met with Annie and her boyfriend in Ullapool for a late lunch (they drove over from Aberdeen) and then it took another 1 hour and 20 minutes before we arrived at the cottage. The roads leading to our cottage were windy and single track and I bitterly regretted forgetting to pack my travel sickness tablets but the scenery breathtaking, green and wild. The cottage (see above) was a lovely surprise, small and cute and very well equipped. We spent the evening catching up with each other, and playing with the fancy armchairs and sofa that could be moved into a reclining position and back upright at the push of a button. The sun didn’t set until 10:26 pm and I am glad I took my sleep mask. The views from our cottage were amazing. We were taking it easy on the first day, just chilling and walking the dogs on a nearby beach. Frankie followed Jack into the sea to recover a stick by accident and decided it wasn’t for him. He now looks at deep puddles with suspicion. I visited Crafts on the Croft with Frankie, about a 20 minutes walk from the cottage.This was two small sheds full of locally made things, for example soap and hand dyed yarn. Also a freezer full of the crofter’s lamb, of which I bought some for my carnivore husband. I spent a long time chatting to the crofter, a woman I decided to call Morag because I forgot to ask for her name. She was very nice. We went for dinner in Lochinver, a place called Peets. The food was delicious.

Annie was not feeling well on Sunday and we stayed close to the cottage. Richard and I took the dogs for a walk around the neighbourhood. There are not walking tracks, sadly but the traffic is very very light. Frankie is learning to behave around other dogs but sheep are a different thing… I am working on that. Unfortunately we encountered a psycho-lamb living next door. Probably a hogget, rather than a young lamb. It chased the dogs, would you believe it? It properly head butted them. I had to carry Frankie to safety and Jack was upset, he was not quite himself for the rest of the day. The wild beast only gave up its chase when a car came. I’d not want to meet it when it is fully grown. Speaking to Morag a few days latter, I learned it was a pet lamb thinking it was a dog. That made sense.

Annie and her boyfriend left on Monday to travel to warmer climates for a week. It was lovely to have them. We didn’t do much on that Monday but we took the canines back to Clashnessie beach for runaround. We then decided to walk to the waterfall nearby but I chickened out because it involved crossing over some slippery stepping stones in the stream. Frankie was not keen either. We observed the waterfall from a distance. I don’t really know what happened for the rest of the day but looking at my sock knitting progress, I must have done knitting. 

We drove to Scourie on Tuesday. This involved some more very windy roads but the scenery proved a good distraction. Once we reached a faster road, my stomach settled. In Scourie, we walked around the headland and got soaked. But the scenery! I don’t know how long we walked, about 8000 of my steps. There was a small beach for the dogs to play. We have a big stick in the boot for Jack to play fetch on the beach. He is a very strong swimmer. Frankie watched from the shore. We spent the evening drying out but it was a really nice day. 

Wednesday, we woke to a dry morning. Richard went for a bike ride, the pups and I pottered around. I spent a while sitting in the garden, stitching and watching the pups. There is very secure fencing around the house, I think to keep deer out. There are a lot of deer. I spotted a group of 16 on an evening walk and a further two just outside our fence. For the afternoon we went on another walk. My walking boots were dry, thank goodness for that. We drove to the Stoer lighthouse and then hiked above the cliffs to the Old Man of Stoer (not to be confused with the Old Man of Storr on Skye). We hoped to see whales but no luck. Just an oligarch yacht and a few sailing boats. The Old Man of Stoer is a 60 metre high sea stack of sandstone, quite spectacular. We circled back to the lighthouse via the moors. Then we drove to Lochinver for coffee and supplies. This took longer than expected because a motorcyclist had an accident and needed to be evacuated by ambulance. No way of passing on a single track road. The wait was mercifully short and I can report that the biker was able to hobble into the ambulance on his own feet. While in Lochinver we also stopped by Highland Stoneware, a pottery factory with shop. They do some beautiful hand painted designs. We’ve had a single mug for years and I bought a couple of small cups to match. 

Then it was Thursday, our last day. We decided on a shorter walk because Jack isn’t really into long walks every day now that he is almost 12. We drove to Clachtoll beach, then walked along the coast to Clachtoll Broch, which is in good condition, after a restoration and excavation about ten years ago. It was part of a larger farming community. There were no artefacts in the broch but we saw photographs of some that were found. I liked the spindle weights used for spinning wool. We then walked a bit further to another beach and let the pups run free for a bit. For lunch we visited the Secret Garden in Drumbeg for a spot of lunch. I wanted to go because it is attached to Assynt Aromas, a small business that makes soaps, candles and skincare with local inspiration for scents. 

By Friday, it was time to pack-up and leave. We decided to go via Lochinver so I could visit the pottery again. We also stopped at Ripples Crafts, which was near Clachtoll beach tucked away down a single track road. Richard walked the dogs and I admired the hand dyed yarns. I bought a skein of sock yarn to make a gift and four skeins of merino/yak/silk yarn for a jumper or cardigan for myself. It’s been years since I knitted a jumper. We stopped in Ullapool for lunch and another dog walk, then drove back to Glasgow. 

Returning home when you leave teens in charge of the house is never pleasant, the house was disgusting and the fridge contents even worse. James and Iris were both ok, although also a bit yucky. Sam spent some time with them because to prevent Iris going of the rails. I am grateful for that but wished he had also asked the teens to clean up… All clean now. 

As always, the holidays were over far too soon. I only booked a week off but hope to take another one in early August. It was a lovely break. 

Thanks for visiting 😊