So my bags are just unpacked from what was an absolute belter of a trip to the West Coast of Scotland the past four days. A whistle stop campervan tour took me to so many amazing places, but one of the most spectacular has to have been Applecross, with the wildest entrance by road known to man.
Having picked up our campervan from Elgin, the trip began with Stuart and I winging our way up to Inverness, through Nairn and onwards through Dingwall before sweeping through Torridon. To say this campervan was an improvement on our vintage VW campervan last year is a bit of an understatement! But more on the van itself later on!
Having made it to Sheildaig, we then carried on until we reached the infamous road up into Applecross. We weren't quite sure what to expect but had been told of the hairpin bends and steep inclines that waited ahead on the single track road up into the clouds.
As we turned the corner and passed the Applecross signpost, we were amazed! On what was a beautiful scorching day (20 whole degrees!), the rolling hills and winding road took our breath away! Stuart was absolutely in his element and if anyone knows what it's like to be in a car with him, I was well placed to secretly hold onto the door handle and pretend I wasn't a tiny bit wary. Hello, Bealach na Bà, we're here to conquer you!
Onwards and (extremely) upwards we went, ears popping and everything. It definitely helped that I had scenery like this to look at on the way up as we met cars head on and squeezed into passing places that had vertical drops to the valley below.
When we reached the top, I'm not going to lie, I breathed a slight sigh of relief and squealed with excitement as I glanced outwards towards the horizon. We were so lucky to arrive on such an absolutely glorious day and couldn't have asked for a clearer view. I climbed out of the van and wound through the little cairns, all lovingly balanced by fellow adventurers as they marked their little visit to what felt like the top of the world.
From where we stood, we could see right over to Skye in all its mountainous glory. I don't think I said anything for a good five minutes, which is quite unusual for me. I'm not sure if I was just so glad to be stood on firm ground after that adventure or if I just couldn't quite believe where I was. Either way, it was a good moment to be alive.
If you get the opportunity to take on Bealach na Bà to Applecross, you really must do it. What waits down below on the other side is amazing too....which I will tell you all about in my next blog.
Here's to you Scotland. You've done it again, you incredible country!
No comments
Post a Comment