Last house

Summer was yesterday! The strong wind came back in the night but it was bright first thing. It clouded up but we decided to go ahead with our planned walk. We call it the ‘Postie’ walk but it’s only the walk that leads to the real one - more later.
We nearly always start our holiday with this walk, but made a change by going down to the beach at Acheninver in front of the former Youth Hostel first. It has new signage describing it as the Acheninver trail. It’s a pretty little pink beach and is always quiet. 
Climbing up through the scattered houses of Achduart we sat for little while at the viewpoint across the Summer Isles and the Minch and we’re rewarded by seeing the Loch Seaforth on it’s way to Stornaway, Isle of Lewis. It always lifts my spirits. Lots of white horses on the water today.
Dropping down into Culnacraig there is lots of gorse at this time of year., we met a couple going the other way around. They’d been up on Ben Mor Coigach which looms above the route on the inland side. They hadn’t been to the top as they could barely stand up! They’d seen people setting out on the ‘Postie’  route which goes around the rocky base of this mountain 7 miles to Strathcanaird on no proper path with the rocks plunging into Loch Broom below.  Cul na Craig means ‘back of the rock’ and these historic walks are described that way. In the past a Postie would walk to the community on this hazardous route twice a week to deliver the mail. Again an excellent new information board tells more about it and the area. We’ve seen the Cuckoo here more than once but although we heard it as we set out there was no sighting today.

Climbing past the houses to the road, the end of the road, I always look back to this house. It intrigues and attracts me for some reason. It’s not on the road or any other obvious path but looks well kept with its view over the head of Loch Broom and Isle Martin.

The walk back on the road is the bit I like least, even though there are good views along the way, today we were literally blown back along it! We met the same couple again struggling walking into the wind. 5.5 miles done.

Just in the car and it started to rain. A quick trip to Achiltibuie Stores for a stock up of fresh items and then back for a snug afternoon inside!


16,000 steps