Exploring the North West Highlands: Why Ullapool Is the Perfect Base
Exploring the North West Highlands of Scotland is an experience like no other.
Spectacular coastlines, distinctive mountains rising straight from the ground, lochs stretching in every direction, scattered crofts, vast skies, and ever-shifting light. Awe-inspiring views unfold around every corner.
This is a destination that deserves time.
Time to explore.
Time to feel.
Time to just be.
Why Ullapool Makes the Ideal Base for Exploring the North West Highlands
Ullapool is a beautiful fishing village set in the heart of some of the North West Highlands’ most rewarding landscapes, all comfortably reached as day trips. While the wider region is often described as one of Europe’s last great wildernesses, Ullapool remains reassuringly accessible, with an easy journey to Inverness taking just over an hour.
Despite its small size, the village offers everything expected for a comfortable base - a walkable layout, excellent local eateries, and all the amenities you should need.
One Base, Five Stunning North West Highland Landscapes
Surrounding Ullapool are five distinct regions of the North West Highlands, all easily explored as relaxed and manageable day trips.
Loch Broom: Stay Close, Slow Down
Closest of all, Loch Broom is the landscape that frames Ullapool itself. Calm and expansive, it offers gentle coastal walks, incredible boat trips, gorgeous lochside views, and a sense of space just minutes from the village. Loch Broom is ideal for slower mornings or days when staying nearby feels right.
Assynt: Dramatic Landscapes, Taken Gently
Assynt is known for its striking scenery – mesmerising mountains, breathtaking beaches, memorable coastal drives, wide open views, and charming waterfalls. A day here leaves your heart feeling full and your spirit renewed.
Coigach: Coast, Silence, and Space
The Coigach peninsula is a special corner of the world. Beautiful coastal roads, open skies, enchanting vistas, quiet beaches, and a feeling of remoteness come together to create a place that stays with you long after you leave.
Gairloch: Scenic and Unhurried
Gairloch offers a slightly softer Highland experience, with long beaches, spectacular sea views, beautiful gardens, and a calm, settled feel. It is perfect for a relaxed, slow-paced day out that never feels rushed.
Torridon: Iconic Scenery, Enjoyed on Your Terms
Few places are as instantly recognisable as Torridon. Incredible scenery, unforgettable drives, picture-perfect lochside stops, and views that etch themselves into memory make for a truly rewarding day.
A Base Worth Returning To Each Evening
After a day exploring the North West Highlands, Ullapool provides everything needed for a relaxed evening. A fabulous choice of food, gentle strolls by the harbour, and spectacular sunsets that bring the day to a perfect end.
For those days when you want to be car-free, the village itself is a wonderful setting for a relaxed, carefree day. Gentle walks along the shore, watching the boats come and go, cafés with something for everyone, independent shops, and plenty of peaceful spots to simply be.
A Place That Rewards Time
Ullapool and the wider North West Highlands are not somewhere you rush through.
They are places you grow into.
They are places that reward slower travel.
With space to breathe and the freedom to shape each day around exploration as well as rest, Ullapool is the perfect base for exploring the North West Highlands, one relaxed day at a time.