Rua Reidh Lighthouse in Scotland's Wester Ross - Scottish Highlands

Rua Reidh in Wester Ross

The Rua Reidh lighthouse is situated at the end of the road beyond Melvaig. That is you drive from Gairloch, Wester Ross, past the big sands towards Melvaig which is shown on the map as the end of the road, and you then keep going for a few more miles. Driving to the Rua Reidh lighthouse can under certain circumstances be considered an adventure. Our last trip to the lighthouse was in November 2005 during a short three day break which we enjoyed immensely.

Rue Reidh Lighthouse near Gairloch in Wester Ross

The drive along the road beyond Melvaig has to be taken carefully as it is narrow and there is a drop along certain stretches of the road of several hundred metres to the beach on one side of the road, while the other side (of the road) has ditches used for draining away the water from the hillside. Infact there are ditches on both sides of this single track road. The road is perfectly safe to drive, just be careful and take your time as you share the road with sheep and cattle, plus the odd wild deer or two. The Rua Reidh Lighthouse is well worth the trip and during the main tourism season you can have a snack or a meal in the lighthouse restaurant. When we visited it was closed and I can tell you it was a disappointment as the menu looks great. The lighthouse also has holiday accommodation available so you can stay in your own lighthouse when you visit Scotland, definitely something to talk about when you get home.

The path along from the lighthouse leads to the jetty, please keep dogs on a lead as their is sheep around this area and very steep cliffs, not a good combination (dogs and sheep going over the cliff).

Pictures of Scotland - ideal for creating calendars or for other printing (large size 990 x 750 approx)

On arrival at the lighthouse there is a barrier across a road to the right and when you walk along this road you will come across the small harbour. The harbour is at the bottom of a very steep path. I did fancy having a spin into the wild surf around this small harbour; I just did not have the time.

The scenery around the lighthouse is photogenic. In November the weather was changeable, that is within a 30 minute period we had snow, rain and sunshine, along with a slight gale. My photographs of the lighthouse and the surrounding area is atmospheric – another word for hardly having enough light to take the picture one minute, while being blown off the ground the next. In summer the area is just fantastic, yes I use these words a lot to describe Scotland.

The area around the Rua Reidh lighthouse is well known for wildlife, the type of wildlife you must see at least once in your lifetime, that is whales and dolphins. I can’t promise you will see these creatures if you take a trip to this area of Scotland, I can say that you do have a very good chance to observe these creatures if you take time out to watch for them, so remember to bring your binoculars when you visit this area of Scotland.

One thing to point out, the coastal area around the lighthouse is fairly adventurous and the area also has sheep, so if you have dogs with you please ensure you keep them on a lead. If your dog chases a sheep in this area, well not only may it be shot by a farmer it will probably fall down steep cliff area. It is better to be safe than sorry and I kept all three of my dogs on their leads while walking around the area.

I have spend many years on holiday around this area and I only recently visited the "end of the road" past Melvaig and I found it just wonderful. It is wild, it is Scotland. A Scotland you will not forget if you take the time to visit this area of the Scottish Highlands.

Lighthouse near Gairloch - Rua Reidh Dramatic views can be seen of the lighthouse from different positions nearby. The rocks slope very steeply into to sea.

Scotland Scottish Highland Sheep at Rua Reidh Lighthouse

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Incorrect spelling Rua Reigh, Ru Reidh, Rua Reig, Rue Reidh Lighthouse

Rua Reidh Lighthouse in Scotland's Wester Ross - Scottish Highlands

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