Poolewe and Surrounds – Scotland

Live in a cramped hotel room with a view of a parking lot?

Nah!

How about a unique ‘Pod’ with a deck overlooking a broad river, and mountains in the background?

This was the location of our base at the picturesque little village of Poolewe in the Northern Highlands of Scotland, where we spent four enjoyable days.  We got there by driving a long way south, through heavy rain, after exploring the NC500 route in the northernmost part of the Scottish Highlands.

Poolewe is a lovely little village located near the sheltered head of Loch Ewe which runs from the Loch Maree into the sea. It is a short drive of an hour and half from Ullapool and about 2 hours northwest of Inverness. Poolewe is between Gairloch and Aultbea on the A832 road around the Gairloch peninsula. The terrain in this part of Scotland is mostly mountains and sea with rivers, waterfalls, beaches and gardens.

Our cute luxury pod was sited just next to the Loch Ewe which flowed just in front of us and the mountain range of Beinn Airgh Charr in the background.

Here is a map showing the location, driving route, and the highlights of the interesting places we visited during our time in Poolewe.

(click on the maps to zoom)

INVEREWE GARDENS

Located in the Northern Highlands of Scotland, just north of Poolewe, you will find this huge award-winning Inverewe Gardens which is cared for and maintained by National Trust of Scotland. It is set in a lush green expansive estate and there is plenty to see and do here.

The garden was created from barren land in 1862. The original building was destroyed in 1914 by fire and replaced by the current Interewe house in 1937.

The size of the garden and estate is quite impressive. It is about 50 acres of garden with over 2,500 exotic plants and gardens. There is more land used for recreation and conservation.

The most interesting aspect of this unique garden is that it has species that would not normally grow here, but by using the effects of the Gulf stream, great effort has been put to grow species that are not native to the area, such as prehistoric trees like Wollemi pines. There are rhododendrons from China, Nepal and India, and Tasmanian eucalyptus and Himalayan poppies too. We were surprised to see huge Californian redwoods!

Loch Ewe, from which the name ‘Poolewe’ is derived, provides an ideal habitat for seals, otters and various coastal birds.

Apart from the gardens, there is an interactive museum. Here, children as well as not-so-young visitors will find a lot of do. The global garden and the Savage garden provide interesting activities. A map is given to the younger visitors to encourage them to explore various plants including insect eating plants. There is a ranger service that hosts the children’s events which even includes feeding these plants.

As regards wildlife: Scotland’s ‘BIG 5’ species are spotted here – seals, red deer, red squirrels and otters. You might see golden eagles if you get there in the right season.

When you are done with walking around and exploring, there are two cafes here that serve homemade soups and sandwiches. We enjoyed our coffee here with awesome views of the Loch Ewe.

Interewe gardens also has a garden lodge for those who want to stay here overnight.

As the effects of the Gulf steam meet the Highlands, some rare species can be seen especially when you take a wildlife boat trip around the shores of this place. Heritage and underwater gardens are worth exploring to view marine wildlife and coral reef.

We spent three hours here. The terrain has several slopes – some steep – and by the time we finished walking around, it was a great workout for the legs!

CORRIESHALLOCH GORGE AND THE FALLS OF MEASACH

About an hour’s drive from Poolewe, and closer to the seaside town of Ullapool, you will find the spectacular Corrieshalloch gorge and the Measach falls.

This national nature reserve is an awesome place to visit. Car parking facilities are available on the A832 off the Dingwall/Ullapool road at Braemore junction.

Strangely,  Corriechalloch means ‘Ugly Hollow’ in Gaelic!

A short walk, suitable for all fit hikers, will get you to the falls of Measach. The path is unpaved, with a slight slope, but it is wide and well kept. There is also a longer loop where the path becomes a bit narrower, with tree roots to traverse in some places.

There is a 1974 suspension bridge across a deep canyon and a cantilevered viewing platform from where the beautiful views of the falls and gorge are visible. This is perhaps the best location for taking photographs.

This slot gorge (also called box canyon) was cut some 2.6 million years ago by melting waters of Ice Age glaciers. It is nice to see River Droma forging through the gorge and dropping a whopping 100 meters in just about 1.25 kms through a series of waterfalls, one of which is the huge Falls of Measach – 45 m high.

The suspension bridge sways in the breeze and people with vertigo may find it difficult to cross it.

VICTORIA FALLS

Just 30 to 45 minutes from Poolewe, driving on the A832 route and passing through Gairloch and Slattadale, is the location of the Victoria falls. The falls are named after Queen Victoria who visited Loch Maree in 1887.

It sits on the banks of the beautiful Loch Maree in Scotland. There is a convenient car park and a short walk will get you to the falls.

Wester Ross area, where it is located, is designated as one of the seven Biosphere Reserves in UK by UNESCO – a place with a unique mix of plants and animals and varied environment. There was a lot of flora and fauna in May when we visited.

A short walk on an easy path will take you to the viewing platform, where you can see the waterfall tumbling down the side of the mountain.

The trail continues further up, along steps and slopes, towards the head of the waterfall. We got another awesome view of the side and top of the falls and could get a bit closer to the falls.  Further ahead, the path loops back to the car park.

It may be possible to swim or dip at the top end of the falls (there are no signs saying otherwise) which is quite flat and shallow, provided you stay well away from the place where the water tumbles down.

The whole trail, including stopping for photos, takes about an hour max.

If you have time, here are some more trails and hikes in this popular Wester Ross area:

• There is a trail between Tollie and Slattadale (not sure of the exact name).
• Beinn Eighe Woodland trail – a bit south of the Victoria falls.

Apart from the above highlights, the main route A832 has several scenic drives and viewpoints to stop at and take photographs. In spite of it being off-season, we found the route busy most of the time.

OUR AIRBNB POD AT POOLEWE

We were excited at our first pod-stay! Ideally located in front of and almost on Loch Ewe. We could get awesome views of the loch and the mountains beyond from the front deck. There is a gate and an upward climbing drive to reach the pod.

There are two bedrooms, a living-cum-dining area and a small modern kitchen fitted in a compact way in the pod. Innovative arched wooden panels on the ceiling add to its cuteness. Huge glass doors and windows provide views of the loch in front and flora and fauna behind. Here are some images.

HEART-WARMING EXPERIENCE

We have to mention an unusual and touching experience at this place.

We had checked out and were almost in the Isle of Skye (our next destination) when the hostess called us and said we had left behind a rucksack! That backpack was absolutely essential because it contained all our cords – for our phones, laptops and adapters. We decided to turn back and collect our bag – a 3 hour-drive each way on wet and winding roads. On our way to the pod, the hostess called and said that she would meet us halfway at a gas station and give us the bag, which saved us a lot of time and driving!

It was simply an amazing gesture – not easily experienced from anyone let alone an Airbnb hostess.

All in all, we had a wonderful experience of Poolewe, followed by some more days at the Isle of Skye.

We have been to Scotland six times and are not done yet!

We are planning another trip to explore the western part of the beautiful Northern Highlands sometime soon!

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