Staying Local........

GDO No:1: Stay VERY local!

Yes - You CAN have a "GDO" and not actually leave Gairloch. A typical day out in Gairloch could mean a look around the award winning museum in the morning, followed by lunch in a local hotel or cafe. (Several options there). In the afternoon, immerse yourself in the local history, and have a walk through the peaceful woodland areas around Flowerdale House - walk up past the riding stables towards the waterfalls, then on a bit further until you have the mountains of An Groban and Sithean Mor wrapping their rocky slopes around you.

Alternatively, there's a wide choice of boat trips available from the harbour , whether staying within the "Ghearrloch" or taking a high speed dash out towards the Shiants and Harris to spot whales.

 GDO No: 2: Stay relatively local! Gairloch to Ruareidh Lighthouse.

Take the coast road past Big Sand towards Melvaig. This takes you along single track road for much of the way, and has pretty spectacular views out towards (South  - North) the islands of Skye, Raasay, Rona, North Uist, Harris, the Shiants, and Lewis. Below you on the water, you can see fishing boats, occasional sumbarines / warships, and even a passing whale. Take Binoculars! After Melvaig, and immediately after a small turning area, the road turns up a steep hill and becomes even narrower! However, the Lighthouse visitor will take this in their stride,  and everything up to an including Mini Buses can get along the road without too many problems. At the Lighthouse, there's a Visitor centre that looks out over the Minch, with binoculars / scopes / coffee machine etc - and FREE entry. Also some walking trails, and of course you can walk back along the track towards Melvaig, taking in the sights and sounds of the Minch sealife and birdlife.

Journey time each way is about 45 minutes, and you can easily spend an hour or two at the Lighthouse & Visitor Centre itself.

GDO No:3: Only a few miles North: Inverewe Gardens & Poolewe

Ok, this might be more interesting if you are into gardens - but as a total non- gardener who really isn't bothered whether it's an Orchid tree or a Eucalyptus bush, even I quite enjoy a trip to Inverewe. Set on the same latitude as Moscow, these are actually sub-tropical gardens due to the effects of the Gulf Stream. There are plants, trees, and flowers from all over the world here growing together perfectly happily. There are numerous walks and trails around the gardens, along with a very good visitor centre, shop, and restaurant. A full tour of the gardens will easily soak up half a day.