The Strathcarron Hotel was cosy and friendly, and its comparatively large size (11 bedrooms - we're used to places with 2 or 3!) was no problem. Outside was wet and mild, with mist covering the tops. We were also soon to be reminded that while getting photos from a moving train is difficult, snapping from a minibus is virtually impossible. So we'll spare you the efforts of that... But whatever the weather, arriving in Torridon was just ace.

So, after a long chat with the proprietor over breakfast (eggs from the hens in the field next door), we left Strathcarron and walked the 4 miles to Lochcarron village, where we had a cup of tea in the Bistro, then picked up the minibus to Torridon. The nice driver from DMK motors kindly took us all the way to Jo's café/stores at Fasag. We gathered our stuff, breathed the air for a few minutes, then went into Jo's place. "Hi, great to see you. No bikes this time?!" It was just like we'd never been away. And the soup and egg rolls were every bit as good as ever...

We sorted out our shopping at Jo's, then went for a walk down the road to the junction and off to the Mains and the head of the Loch. Back to Fasag along the beach, and to an excellent craft fair at the village hall. We had a long chat with Ed Duncan, a fantastic local photographer, and Bruce Blaxter, who makes wonderful silver jewelry. What a great start to the holiday. Back to the stores, and Jo's colleague very kindly took us and all our stuff to Lochside. Just before we got to the cottage, an owl flew in front of us. We stopped and watched it for several minutes in the headlights. Then the cottage, and the amazing darkness outside. Home from home, and we settled in for the evening, out of the rain and wind. It felt so good, but it was just the start.

[To see any of the photos below at a bigger size, please left-click on the (small) photo in the table: You can step through the photos on the enlarged display by using the arrow keys; press Esc to quit the bigger display. To make the enlarged display full-screen size, press F11. The full-screen mode will take effect once you move to another photo. Press F11 again to get it back to normal size, etc.

Each box on this page is linked to a self-contained slide-show. You can start the slides at any point in a box clicking on any thumbnail]

Strathcarron to Lochcarron:
8th December: Looking back at Strathcarron from the road to Lochcarron	Many of the trees were almost covered in lichen	A well-horned sheep	After turning left towards the village, the hills aren't far away...
...giving a fine position for this craft centre. It's still a long road to the village from here, though	The new glasses beaded well in the rain!	Looking from Lochcarron (village) across Loch Carron (sea loch), to the railway west of Attadale. The train on the left gives some sense of the context of the line! In some places, the sea cliffs were so intractable, they built out into the loch.
(A closer view of the waterfall)	Attadale, from across the loch	OK, here's one from the minibus: Liathach (right, vague, skyline); the near bay is Ob Mheallaidh, with Camas a' Chlàrsair (the harper's bay), beyond
Arrival at Fasag:
The real start of the holiday: Jo's Torridon stores and café on the right	Am Ploc and the head of Upper Loch Torridon, from just outside Jo's	Waterfalls streaking the steep north flanks of Beinn na h'Eaglaise, viewed from the road towards the Youth Hostel	As we headed past the NTS countryside centre and down towards the Mains, Sgurr Ruadh came into view in a misty kind of way. Certainly it was wintry - looking good enough for us, though much better was to come.
The west end of the Fasag, in context.	Trees by the road to the mains - not normally this wet	Beinn Damh and the saltmarsh at Eilean Mòr with Mol nan Eun	Further round to the west: Beinn Shieldaig (middle) and the north edge of the Applecross peninsula
Liathach (Mullach an Rathain, right, Sgorr a' Chadail, middle) and Beinn Alligin (left), from the same spot	Looking down to the narrows, from the same spot: fading day but also clearing haze: hefty showers arrived before we got in for the evening, though.	First and last of the sun today	Sgùrr na Bana-Mhoraire of Beinn Damh

(Text and photos by Daniel and Clare Gordon. March 2013).

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