Day 5 of the Northcoast 500

Ardmair to Big Sand at Gairloch via Corrieshalloch Gorge, Gruinard Bay, Mellon Udrigle, Mellon Charles and Gairloch

This is a much loved area, Wester Ross, that have visited twice before, so knew of it's beauty, wildness and stunning views, like breathtaking, if the weather was kind and we could see it!!

And we were lucky.  Stopped off at Corrieshalloch Gorge first on our way to Gairloch, and was amazed when stopped in the layby to see some moron had dumped a microwave oven on the site of this site of great beauty :-(

Next stop was the lay-by overlook Gruinard Bay, and then it was on to one of my favourite place in the world, Mellon Udrigle.  You can see here that the sea is blue, the sand is white with little pebbles with the majestic mountains giving the perfect backdrop.  We walked for a while here and sat on the beach watching Breagha have fun in the water.  We sat and enjoyed the peacefulness,  There were only a handful of people, possibly because it's so remote not many visitors at all.  It also off the A832 main road, well as main as a Highland Road can be.  They should not be confused with a busy main road like the A9 !!

A short walk back to the van in the car park at the beach so we had a cuppa and lunch and sat outside on our seats looking at the mountains.

Next stop was Mellon Charles to a place called The Perfume Studio http://www.perfume-studio.com/about-the-perfume-studio/ that we visited 10 years ago on our honeymoon.As well as making and selling their on perfume, soaps, candles etc there is the Aroma Cafe with stunning views over the Loch Ewe to the Torridon Mountains.  The baking was wonderful and the coffee also wasn't bad.  Lovely place

Tootled along the road to Gairloch next and had a wander round the place before long it was time to have tea and we chose another place we ate 10 years ago called The Old Toll and amazingly, it had WIFI!!.  Had delicious fish there, Breagha allowed in too which was good.

The wind had started to get up as we scooted a couple of miles outside Gairloch to Big Sand Campsite.  Best facilities of the trip and stunning location overlooking the Atlantic (or The Minch) but the waves were throwing into the beach and the kite surfers were enjoying the waves and the wind. 

Another night of high winds - but again, the rocking of the van sends you to sleep  Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.