Applecross is the end of a long, slow road, and it is meant to feel that way. The village sits on the shore of the Sound of Raasay, on a sheltered bay of sandy beach and low green fields, with the island of Raasay and the hills of Skye across the water. For centuries it was almost cut off from the rest of Scotland, reachable mainly by sea or by the steep pass of the Bealach na Bà, and the Gaelic name for the place, A' Chomraich, means the sanctuary. That refers to a monastery founded here in 673 by the Irish monk Maelrubha, who came from Bangor and spent decades converting the Pictish north. The site of the old church and graveyard still lies in a quiet, tree-sheltered spot, and carved stones from the early centuries have been found there.
Today the village is tiny, a scatter of whitewashed houses, a few holiday cottages and an inn beside the shore that has become a destination in its own right for riders and walkers. The seafood is local, with langoustines, crab and scallops landed in the bay, and on a clear evening the terrace is a good place to sit and watch the light fade over the water. There is also a heritage centre and a walled garden a little way inland, an unexpectedly lush corner for this wild coast.
The road beyond the village runs north along the coast to Shieldaig and Torridon, a different pleasure from the pass. It is a narrow, undulating road that follows the shoreline through crofting townships, with rocky outcrops, small bays and views over the sea, and it is slower and gentler than the climb. Wildlife is part of the show: otters in the sea lochs, seals on the skerries, and white-tailed eagles in the right places. The surface is single track in many parts, with passing places, and the corners are often blind, so pace yourself.
The weather here is decided by the Atlantic, which can mean sparkling clear air or a week of horizontal rain, and midges in summer are a real bother in still conditions. Fuel is limited in the peninsula, so arrive with a full tank and plan for the next pumps in Lochcarron or farther afield. Be flexible with time, because everything on this road moves slowly, and that is the point.