1 EAGLETON NOTES: Ullapool: The Starting Point

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Sunday 1 April 2018

Ullapool: The Starting Point

The first time I saw this sight was 1975. MV Suilven had been commissioned and the new route between Ullapool and Stornoway had been opened. In some ways Ullapool has altered little since then but on the other hand the new ferry terminal and pedestrian access to the ferry completely block the view of the town's central junction and much of  Quay Street and the Shore Street seafront from the aft passenger deck. I shall try and find some of my original photos of the seafront before the new piers and terminal were built.

West Shore Street
The recent passenger gangway.
Loaded and ready for sea
A view of the passenger facilities on the quay
The new harbour and pier development.
Looking back from the ferry along West Shore Street

15 comments:

  1. Visited Ullapool some years ago and remember it as a rather nice village and seafront. Bought some lovely scented candles from an enterprise there for people with learning disabilities and we visited the Ferryboat Inn. Hope Ullapool still maintains its charm.

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    1. Cath, the candle place is still there. I popped in some time last year. The Ferry Boat Inn is little changed from what it was like in the '70s. Mind you I hope they've modernised the bedrooms. On the whole I think Ullapool has managed to retain its charm well enough.

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  2. West Shore Street seems quite exposed to the occasional wrath of the sea. I wouldn't wish to live in one of the end houses. I first visited Ullapool around 1963. I remember that a lot of rust-coloured jellyfish had been washed up on the beach. Are they still there?

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    1. YP the jellyfish come and go: some years they are there and some they are not. My first visit was around 1959. We were towing a caravan and parked on the site ate the end of West Shore Street. It rained! I think that the town is far enough inland up Loch Broom to be spared the worst of the storms.

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  3. Ferries and island living are certainly different from how most people live.

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  4. It all looks very neat and prosperous. So often such ferry ports are not so; just look at Newhaven in Sussex.

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    1. Cro it is, I think, a fairly prosperous little town. I've always had a fondness for it.

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  5. Somehow looks busy and calm all in one :)

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    1. Monica, that's a pretty good assessment I think.

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  6. It looks very cold there but the whole area is beautiful.

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    1. Amy, despite the sun the wind was bitterly cold as you surmised.

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  7. I love the first shot of this cute town going out into the sea. However a new ferry terminal must be good for growth.

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    1. Diane the new ferry terminal was absolutely necessary for the growth of traffic to the Islands as well as bringing more people through Ullapool which does rely largely on tourism for its existence.

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  8. The township looks like a little model village, with white cottages lined up along the street. Quite delightful I think.

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