Aultbea is a small fishing village in the North-West Highlands of Scotland. It is situated on the shores of Loch Ewe, about 30 km west of Ullapool. The village has a Primary School. The village has two closed hotels; the Aultbea Hotel, which closed without warning following a phone call from the owner to staff one morning, and The Drumchork Lodge Hotel, which won the accolade of top whisky hotel in the world in 2006 and was the home of the Loch Ewe Distillery, also closed. The Drumchork Lodge Hotel is currently closed and waiting refurbishment by new owners. Aultbea has two churches, a shop, a masonic lodge and a craft shop. Aultbea also has a NATO base; large ships often come inshore to refuel here. There is also an annual "fun day" where most people from the village and surrounding area turn up and play football or socialise over a home baked scone as well other activities. The nearest airport is in Stornoway, although that is across the sea and thus not convenient for onward travel to Aultbea. The nearest railway station is at Achnasheen which has trains either to the Inverness or through scenic Plockton to Kyle of Lochalsh. There is also a ferry service to the Isle of Lewis in the relatively nearby town of Ullapool. This service was once proposed to be based in Aultbea but due to Aultbea's remote setting Ullapool was granted the ferry port. In 1893 there was also to be a rail track to Aultbea but again the decision went against the village as demand for such a service was expected to be low.
Sport
Aultbea has an amateur football team, although they play away, Gairloch and Aultbea merged into one team under the name Gairloch Aultbea United or GA United. Nowadays its just Gairloch juniors that play in GA. Most of the population support Scottish Premier League side Ross County F.C., based in Dingwall, as they are the closest league team to the area.
Attractions
Aultbea offers sandy beaches as well as rocky shores which all look out at the Isle of Eweacross the water. Scattered around the area are the remains of World War II buildings and barracks. Next to the localfootball pitch is a display board, which describes the role of the buildings in detail. Aultbea has views out to Cove and the Isle of Lewis, as well as the nearby Torridon Hills. There is a small, blue bar situated at the side of the Aultbea Hotel which offers great views of the shore and bird life.
Geography and climate
The coast is affected by the Gulf Stream, bringing relatively warm waters. These are ideal for jellyfish, which can swarm the local waters, as well as visiting dolphins. The Northern Lights are visible on occasion depending on the weather and time of year, around the equinox being best. The record lowest temperature is amongst the highest in the UK. The lowest temperature was recorded on 17 December 2010. On 22 February 2019, Aultbea recorded its warmest February day on record, with 16.5 °C. As of 19:11 GMT on 22 February it was the warmest place in the UK with 16.2 °C. This was then beaten the next day, with a temperature of 16.8 °C.
Places to go
There is Oran Na Mara Cafe which sells homemade food, cakes, teas & coffee and a gift shop within its cafe. Loch Ewe Distillery in Drumchork is the smallest licensed distillery of Scotland. The main shop is known locally as Aultbea Stores where essentials can be purchased. The two hotels both have restaurants and sell bar meals. Near Aultbea is a Perfume Studio and cafe, which serves as a unique attraction to the area. There are also many walks into the hills or nearby Laide Wood. The area also boasts many fishing hotspots through nearby rivers and lochs. The butchers shop closed in 2017 and the building converted into the Russian Arctic Convoy Exhibition Centre,.
