Scotland NC500 – day 5 – fog, castle, mountains and forests
This article is part of the series “2025-10: Northern Scotland”.
October 17
My wife Annika and I have left Lairg where we stayed overnight and head west on the A837 through hilly farmland. Some places are covered with patches of dense fog which give even the more common views a magical touch.
We cross the River Oykel. North of the A837 another bridge spans the small river. These stone arch bridges are quite common, but here we can park so that we can take photos. We even get a bit of sun.
Half an hour later we arrive at the Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve. We park the car and have a view of the lake Lochan An Ais and the mountains behind. At least on those parts, that are not covered by fog.
Anyway, we hike the Crag Top Trail, a circular route. It starts drizzling as we follow the path and learn about the geological history of Scotland. Have a look at the seven photos of the stones.
While we continue our hike clouds approach and most of the view vanishes into a white void. But not for long, then lake and mountains are visible again.
Our next accommodation is in Badrallach in the south. However, we have time and first take the road north to Loch Assynt where Ardvreck Castle is located. We already visited this place three years ago.
As we hoped, the weather forecast was correct and it cleared up more and more. The silhouette of the castle ruins looks as impressive as last time, but now the water level is much lower and you can reach the peninsula with dry feet without wearing high rubber boots.
Not far from the castle there is a little waterfall, that is surrounded by birch trees. Now the leaves are bright yellow – one of the reasons why Annika and I love to visit Scotland in autumn.
Back in the car we follow the same roads that we already used three years ago. The same A837 to Lochinver by the sea where we take a light lunch in the very same guesthouse we stayed overnight three years ago. The same ridiculously small and bent single track road, that leads us further south to Badnagyle. Perhaps this is my favourite Scottish road (as long as Annika is driving and not me).
We turn left and reach the highlands again. We pass many mountains, amongst others Stac Pollaidh, that we climbed last time.
And we finally find a parking place where I can take a photo of a gorse bush, that is still in bloom.
Last time we spent a lot of time in Ullapool, now we do not even stop. (Or did we? I don’t remember.) We have to drive around the Loch Broom, a sea loch that cuts deeply into the land. But finally we can leave the main route and take the small road to Badrallach where we will spend the next night. Left and right there are some of the most beautiful trees I have seen for a long time, but again this road is single-track and it is not possible to stop without blocking it completely. Only once we can leave the car to admire the beech forest and to have a curious look at the two fenced in tombstones.
Then Annika and I arrive at our tonight’s accommodation where we get an extraordinarily beautiful room with a Scandinavian wood-burning stove and a large double bed. We take an evening walk to the end of the road and back again. Then we’re winding down the day in our room.
