The whitewashed cottages that gather around a large harbour on Loch Broom belong to Ullapool, the main town hereabouts. It was founded in the late-18th-century to service a herring boom and Fishing is still part of the fabric here. But the town is every bit as important for its ferries to the islands of Lewis and Harris.

Of course Ullapool’s a good supply centre, but with a fair amount bustle, a couple of attractions, a good number of restaurants and live-music pubs; and some good walks in the vicinity, it’s well worth stopping for a couple of nights.

Ullapool Museum

The small Ullapool Museum (7–8 West Argyle St; Apr–Oct daily 11am–4pm (from noon Sun); £6.50) lives in a former parish church by Scottish engineer Thomas Telford. It tells the story of local crofting, fishing and emigration, as this was one of the main ports from which evicted crofters left for new lives during the Highland Clearances.

Highland Stoneware