things to see and do near Coille Bheag
Snow-capped mountains beside Loch Ewe
This may seem like a remote area, but it's actually well-placed for all kinds of activities while you're staying at Coille Bheag. Whether you're an active outdoor type or just want to relax in peace, there's plenty for you here...
Hill Walking
If you're a keen walker, you couldn't choose a better place for a holiday; there are many high and low-level walks to satisfy everyone from the occasional hiker to the serious mountaineer.
We are within easy reach of the world-famous Torridon range, An Teallach, Slioch and the Great Wilderness.
If you'd like to learn more, check out this site on Walking in Wester Ross for more information.
Wildlife
If you've come to spot wildlife, we've seen otters, seals, dolphins and even a minke whale in the loch, all without moving from home! It's unlikely you'll be lucky enough to spot all those, but there are also pine martens in our wood which sometimes steal our chickens' eggs when they're daft enough to lay them under trees.
Sheep and Highland cattle wander loose on Inverasdale's single-track road,
...and if you want to spot wolves, elk, reindeer and much more you can take a trip to the Highland Wildlife Park at Kingussie.
In the skies, you'll probably see buzzards and golden eagles - maybe even a rare sea eagle circling overhead. This is also a good place to spot seabirds like shags, herons, oyster-catchers, and lapwings.
Messing About in Boats
Loch Ewe has its own quiet slipway at Inverasdale where you can launch your own dinghies or canoes.
If you fancy something on a larger-scale, our friends at Ventura Sailing can book you in for a variety of trips in a yacht or speedboat. There are also other trips available from both Gairloch and Ullapool, including trips to the fabled Summer Isles.
Fishing
Fishermen come from miles around to try their luck in the river and lochs. You can fish in the lochs or the fast-flowing River Ewe...
... or if you don't fish, just marvel at the spectacular waterfalls at Corrieshalloch Gorge.
Swimming
In summer the ocean and sea-lochs offer clear and unpolluted water for swimming - and there's an indoor heated swimming pool in Poolewe, open all year round.
Horse-Riding
If horses are more your thing, Gairloch Trekking Centre at Flowerdale offers local pony trekking and riding instruction.
Cycling
The roads are ideal for mountain biking, and there's a cycle hire business in Gairloch.
Other Sports
There's a gem of a nine-hole golf course in Gairloch, with stunning ocean views. At the nearby sports centre you can enjoy all kinds of activities for adults and children.
Gardens
Keen gardeners may relish a trip to the world-famous Inverewe Gardens a few minutes' drive away in Poolewe. You can see its cliffs and woods from Coille Bheag.
Beaches
If sitting on the beach is more your style, try beautiful Firemore Beach, just twenty-minutes walk from Coille Bheag. It's a huge, unspoiled expanse of sand with a promontory that reaches out into the ocean (sometimes cut off at high tide). It's an ideal place to walk your dog or just soak up the space - it's unusual to meet more then a handful of people all day.
There are also many other secluded sandy coves where you can swim or sunbathe if the weather is warm. The big beach at Mellon Udrigle offers some of the best panoramic views in the Highlands.
For all those necessary items, there's the village shop/post office/off-licence in Poolewe - and there are two excellent general stores in Gairloch, one with a delicatessen. There's also a first-class butchers/greengrocers and a smokehouse for excellent fish in nearby Aultbea.
An hour's drive away in the lovely port of Ullapool, there's a Morrisons supermarket and lots of other shops to enjoy.
Or Inverness (make a day of it!) offers all the shopping facilities of a fast-growing if still historic city.
Eating Out
Poolewe boasts fine dining at the upmarket Pool House Hotel (book ahead) or pub grub at the Poolewe Hotel. Other great places to eat locally include The Old Inn in Gairloch, The Badachro Inn and the Melvaig Inn.
If it's just a snack you're after, try the marvellous Bridge Cottage Coffee Shop in Poolewe - easily the best soup, salads, coffee and cakes around, and they even have an art gallery upstairs. Like the Pool House Hotel, they buy our organic produce!
History
There's a wealth of history on our doorstep. Loch Ewe was the starting point for wartime shipping leaving for Murmansk, and still serves as the venue for naval exercises twice a year.
A short drive (or a beautiful walk) away from Coille Bheag at Cove, you can see the remains of World War II gun emplacements and lookout posts, as well as the memorial to the North Atlantic Convoy.
Click here or here for more information about our wartime history and relics .
The burial ground at Poolewe also has many historic graves, including an ancient Pictish symbol-stone.
And when the Stone of Destiny was stolen from Westminster Abbey in 1950, it was to Inverasdale that it was brought by local resident Kay Matheson, one of the students who liberated it.
The hills surrounding our villages also show features of iron age settlements and hill forts, such as An Dun at Gairloch.
Gairloch Heritage Museum is a wonderful local history resource with exhibits of interest to both young and old.
Further afield, you can visit the historical battle site at Culloden (near Inverness) where authentically costumed (and armed!) guides are often available.
Interested in Gaelic? Check out this page on Scots Gaelic Language and Culture.
Entertainment
Local arts promoter West Coast Arts puts on regular theatre and musical events in the villages halls in Poolewe and Aultbea - there are often ceilidhs to attend, too.
There are plenty of events in the region celebrating Highland culture: regular ceilidhs are held in Poolewe, and if you're a music fan, you might like to combine your visit to Coille Bheag with a trip to Skye for the Isle of Skye Music Festival, usually held in May.
Our nearest cinema is the Vue multiplex in Inverness (2 hours drive), unless you happen to be lucky and be staying with us when The Screen Machine comes to Gairloch!
For Further Reading:
Gairloch and Loch Ewe Action Forum - our community website offering more accommodation in the region.
Celtic Fringe - promoting tourism in Wester Ross
The Internet Guide To Scotland - Wester Ross
Undiscovered Scotland - Gairloch and Poolewe area
Wildlife in Wester Ross - where to see it, what to do
West Coast Arts - you may be lucky and catch some local theatre or music events
Luib House - planning a stay on Skye too? Nestling in the shadow of the Red Cuillins and along the shores of Loch Ainort, a warm welcome awaits you at Luib b&b where our friends Phil & Marilyn will serve you a full Scottish breakfast.
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