Ullapool (; gd, Ulapul ) is a village and port located in Northern Scotland. Ullapool has a population of around 1,500 inhabitants. It is located around northwest of

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histor ...

Ross and Cromarty Ross and Cromarty ( gd, Ros agus Cromba), sometimes referred to as Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use, the lat ...

Scottish Highlands The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland S ...

. Despite its modest size, it is the largest settlement for many miles around, and an important port and tourist destination. The North Atlantic Drift passes Ullapool, moderating the temperature. A few ''

Cordyline australis ''Cordyline australis'', commonly known as the cabbage tree, tī kōuka or cabbage-palm, is a widely branched monocot tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to tall with a stout trunk and sword-like leaves, which are clustered at the tips of ...

'' (New Zealand cabbage trees) are grown in the town and are often mistaken for

palm trees Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...

. The town lies on

Loch Broom Loch Broom ( gd, Lochbraon, "loch of rain showers") is a sea loch located in northwestern Ross and Cromarty, in the former parish of Lochbroom, on the west coast of Scotland. The small town of Ullapool lies on the eastern shore of the loch. ...

, on the A835 road from

. The Ullapool River flows through the village.

History

On the east shore of

, Ullapool was founded in 1788 as a

herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Ocean ...

port by the British Fisheries Society. It was designed by

Thomas Telford Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE, (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scot ...

. Prior to 1788 the town was only an insignificant

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

made up of just over 20 households. The harbour is used as a

fishing port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...

, yachting haven, and ferry port. Ferries sail to

Stornoway Stornoway (; gd, Steòrnabhagh; sco, Stornowa) is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it by far the largest town in the Outer Hebrides, as well ...

in the

Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coas ...

. The village was

historically History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

Cromartyshire Cromartyshire ( gd, Siorrachd Chromba) is a historic county in the Highlands of Scotland, comprising the medieval "old shire" around the county town of Cromarty and 22 enclaves and exclaves transferred from Ross-shire in the late 17th centur ...

, a county made up of many separate

enclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

s scattered across northern

Ross-shire Ross-shire (; gd, Siorrachd Rois) is a historic county in the Scottish Highlands. The county borders Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire – a county consisting ...

. Cromartyshire was abolished and combined with surrounding Ross-shire in 1890. Many of the pivotal

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwa ...

discoveries that informed the concept of

plate tectonics Plate tectonics (from the la, label= Late Latin, tectonicus, from the grc, τεκτονικός, lit=pertaining to building) is the generally accepted scientific theory that considers the Earth's lithosphere to comprise a number of larg ...

were made in this area. There are still regular international geological conferences held in Ullapool, which has been described as the top geological hotspot in Scotland. Parliament granted permission in the 1890s for a railway from Ullapool to the main Highland network at Garve, but the scheme was abandoned due to insufficient funds. The name is possibly derived from the Norse for "Wool farm" or "Ulli's farm".

Landscape

The region surrounding Ullapool is dominated by rugged mountains, and especially by Bheinn Ghobhlach to the west, An Teallach to the southwest (both across the loch), Beinn Dearg to the southeast close to the head of

, and Beinn Mhòr na Còigich to the north. An Teallach is a mountain which dominates the area and consists of Torridonian sandstone, which is layered nearly horizontally. It is a challenging climb and a considerable distance from the nearest road. The climber will be rewarded with magnificent views of the surroundings, especially to the sea and the islands to the west, but also to the south, and the desolate Whitbread wilderness.

Culture

Ullapool has a strong reputation as a centre for music, the arts and performance. The village has a small museum housed in a Telford Church, An Talla Solais, an

arts centre An art centre or arts center is distinct from an art gallery or art museum. An arts centre is a functional community centre with a specific remit to encourage arts practice and to provide facilities such as theatre space, gallery space, venues fo ...

with frequently changing exhibitions and workshops, a swimming pool and fitness centre, and several pubs, bed and breakfasts, restaurants and hotels. It is a centre for walkers, wildlife enthusiasts and other holiday-makers as it is situated in a scenic and remote part of Scotland. In May every year there is the three-day Ullapool Book Festival which attracts a diverse range of writers and with work in both

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

and English. The Macphail Centre has a theatre hosting a regular programme of musical, dance and theatrical performances. Many Scottish national companies participate, along with smaller reps and the traveling

Edinburgh Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

performers. Due to the number of performances in any given week, there is overspill to the Village Hall and other venues. The Tall Ships visited Ullapool in July 2011, a major event for the village and the surrounding area. Ullapool is home to the

shinty Shinty ( gd, camanachd, iomain) is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread in Scotland, and ...

team

Lochbroom Camanachd Lochbroom Camanachd is a shinty club from Ullapool, Scotland. It was active 1992−2000 then 2006−2015. , the club has been abeyance at senior level. History The club was founded in 1992 but went into abeyance in 2000, however the club maint ...

Music

Throughout the year there are many small

fèisean A () or () is a traditional Gaelic arts and culture festival. The plural forms are () and (). The term is commonly used referring to Irish dance competitions and, in Scotland, to immersive teaching courses, specialising in traditional mus ...

and

music festival A music festival is a community event with performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock, blues, folk, jazz, classical music), nationality, locality of musicians, or ho ...

s in the local halls and hotels, especially in the Ceilidh Place and the Arch Inn. The Ullapool Guitar Festival takes place in early October each year, attracting performers at several venues over the weekend. The

Loopallu Festival Loopallu was a 2-day music festival that took place in Ullapool, in the north of Scotland. It was held annually between 2005 and 2019, attracting 2,500 people which essentially doubled the population of the village while the event was being h ...

, created by the American rock-grass band

Hayseed Dixie Hayseed Dixie is an American band formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2000. Their first album was ''A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC''. The band performs bluegrass cover versions of hard rock songs and also original songs of a mostly satirical or absu ...

and local promoter Robert Hicks in 2005, was well received and has become a major regional annual event, more than doubling the size of the village during the festival. In 2007 it attracted several bands including

The Saw Doctors The Saw Doctors are an Irish rock band. Formed in 1986 in Tuam, County Galway, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in the Republic of Ireland including three number ones. Their first number one, " I Useta Lover," topped the Irish charts ...

Dreadzone Dreadzone are a British electronic music group. They have released eight studio albums, two live albums, and two compilations. Career Dreadzone were formed in London, England in 1993 when ex-Big Audio Dynamite drummer Greg Roberts teamed up ...

and

Franz Ferdinand Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I. Fr ...

headlining on the second night. There are also fringe events at local bars. The Pigeon Detectives have played the Village Hall.

Amy MacDonald Amy Elizabeth Macdonald (born 25 August 1987) is a Scottish singer-songwriter. In 2007, she released her debut studio album, '' This Is the Life'', which respectively produced the singles " Mr. Rock & Roll" and " This Is the Life"; the latter ...

in 2008 and

Paolo Nutini Paolo Giovanni Nutini (born 9 January 1987) is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician from Paisley. Nutini's debut album, '' These Streets'' (2006), peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Its follow-up, '' Sunny Side Up'' (2009), de ...

in 2007 both played the Ceilidh Place.

Mumford & Sons Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band currently consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass), and Ben Lovett (vocals, k ...

have also played in Ullapool twice. Ullapool has a local

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

called Lochbroom FM broadcasting on 102.2 and 96.8 FM and online, with programming provided mostly by Two Lochs Radio in Gairloch.

In popular culture

The community was rated as among the "20 most beautiful villages in the UK and Ireland" by

Condé Nast Traveler ''Condé Nast Traveler'' is a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine published by Condé Nast. The magazine has won 25 National Magazine Awards. The Condé Nast unit of Advance Publications purchased ''Signature'', a magazine for Diners Club mem ...

in 2020. Ullapool is referenced in the multiplayer video game ''

Team Fortress 2 ''Team Fortress 2'' is a 2007 multiplayer first-person shooter, first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to the 1996 ''Team Fortress'' Mod (video gaming), mod for ''Quake (video game), Quake'' and ...

'' as the hometown of the Demoman and in the name of an in-game melee weapon that the Demoman can choose to have in his loadout, the "Ullapool Caber".

Ferry service

In 1970, Ross and Cromarty council voted to create a new £460,000 () ferry terminal at Ullapool, from Stornoway, replacing that at the

Kyle of Lochalsh Kyle of Lochalsh (from the Gaelic ''Caol Loch Aillse'', "strait of the foaming loch") is a village in the historic county of Ross-shire on the northwest coast of Scotland, located around west-southwest of Inverness. It is located on the L ...

that is from Stornoway. The ferry terminal is linked to the A835 trunk road with the A893. During 2022 the Ullapool Harbour Trust commenced a £4.3 million project to construct a new promenade and wider access road along the trunk road which will improve the inner harbour, provide pontoons for marine tourism and provide better access for pedestrians and cyclists. At the terminal

Caledonian MacBrayne Caledonian MacBrayne ( gd, Caledonian Mac a' Bhriuthainn), usually shortened to CalMac, is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west ...

operates a

roll-on/roll-off Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using ...

carferry to

on the

Isle of Lewis The Isle of Lewis ( gd, Eilean Leòdhais) or simply Lewis ( gd, Leòdhas, ) is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to a ...

Gallery

Ullapool Museum Telford Church - churchyard - J H Wallace 1.JPG, Old Telford Church: memorial to J H Wallace, lost in the sinking of the

SS City of Benares SS ''City of Benares'' was a British steam turbine ocean liner, built for Ellerman Lines by Barclay, Curle & Co of Glasgow in 1936. During the Second World War, ''City of Benares'' was used as an evacuee ship to transport 90 children from B ...

Ullapool Mill Street Old Burial Ground - Cameron Gravesite - image 06.JPG, Mill Street Old Burial Ground: grave of Lord Cameron, KT DSC Sgurr fiona.jpg, upright=1.3, Sgurr Fiona and the Corrag Bhuidhe pinnacles on An Teallach Ullapool in summer 2012 (5).JPG, Ullapool Ferry Terminal Ullapool-2003.jpg, A view of Ullapool from a nearby hill (Maol Calaisceig) Ullapool in summer 2012 (2).JPG, The main street in Ullapool

Climate

Ullapool has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

( Cfb) with, considering its northerly latitude, relatively mild temperatures year-round. With an average 1,105 sunshine hours per year, it is cloudier than any major city in Europe.

References

External links

Ullapool Photo Slide Show 35 large images for Phones and up to 60 inch TVsUllapool Tourist and Business Association official site

Ullapool Accommodation updated daily by the accommodation providers

Ullapool tourism, community and business website

Ullapool tourism guide

Loopallu Festival website

Biggest UK space impact found
— BBC News {{authority control Populated places in Ross and Cromarty Ports and harbours of Scotland Port cities and towns in Scotland Fishing communities in Scotland Villages in Highland (council area) Populated places established in 1788 1788 establishments in Scotland Populated coastal places in Scotland