Applecross peninsula
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-> Applecross peninsula
The most dramatic approach to the Applecross peninsula (the English-sounding name is a corruption of the Gaelic Apor Crosan, meaning "estuary") is from the south, along the infamous Bealach na Ba (literally "Pass of the Cattle"). Crossing the forbidding hills behind Kishorn and rising to 2053ft, with a gradient and switchback bends worthy of the Alps, this route - a popular cycling piste - is hair-raising in places, but the panoramic views across the Minch to Raasay and Skye more than compensate. The sheltered, fertile coast around APPLECROSS village, where the Irish missionary monk Maelrhuba founded a monastery in 673 AD, comes as a surprise after the bleakness of the moorland approach. It's an idyllic place: you can wander along lanes banked with wild iris and orchids, and explore beaches and rock pools on the shore. The old Applecross Inn (tel 01520/744262, www.applecross.net; £40-50), right beside the sea, is the focal point of the community, with rooms upstairs and a lively bar serving snacks and tasty platefuls of local seafood. The inn is the first stop for most folk coming here; if their rooms are full they'll happily recommend any houses locally offering B&B. Camping (tel 01520/744268) is provided at the Flowertunnel, as you come into the village from the pass.
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