Update/report on the Ullapool area:
Ardmair Beach bouldering is OK, decent rock, nice spot, for anything above about 6c you're into traversing/linkup/eliminate territory - so ideal for limestone/remergence aficionados, gives you some nice steep pulling. A bit like Bell Hagg by the sea, and I mean that in the best possible way. I was staying 300yards from it for 2 weeks but only climbed on it twice because unless the wind is in the exact right direction (north westerly) it's an absolute midge deathtrap. when the breeze is up, the tide coming in and the setting sun makes the crag burn orange it feels like a pretty amazing spot.
Ardmair crag: didn't go up there, kinda forgot about it, plus stuff looked like it would benefit from a spotter or more than one mat.
Rhue boulders: didn't go here due to weather and I wouldn't be arsed with searching it all out, looked good if you're up for exploring.
Cnoc Breac: aka the stuff over the road and on the hillside behind Ardmair beach - didn't climb on any of this, but there looks to potentially be tons of stuff there for the devoted local. It looks to be documented to some extent in the Boulder Scotland book or whatever it's called. There was a copy in the bookshop in Ullapool I tried to memorise but failed.
Reiff crag: Climbed there once, was a bit warm and damp as it had just rained but dried up fast. Only did a few things at the Salt Pans bit, huge (semi permanent?) puddle under the traverse but good session was had. Rock quality is great, amazing location, it's like Higgar/Burbage by the sea. A lot of single track driving to get there but it's a decent road surface and fairly open so not as bad as some Scottish single track roads. The view when you drive back towards the mountains is amazing. Would have liked time to have got to the "bouldering cliff" bit to do Romancing and look at Dan's 8a+ thing, maybe next time. Plenty of exploring and stuff to do for the kids etc. There's a pub/bar down the road that looked like it did good food.
Reiff In The Woods: Wasn't expecting to be able to climb here due to the sheltered location but dropped on a windy afternoon. Most of the harder/steeper stuff on the main top roadside area would benefit from several pads and/or spotters so I was a bit limited but had a really nice circuit of stuff and tried the non-necky moves on some harder stuff. Great views and clearly even a goer in summer if it's windy, would deffo go back there.
Achmelvich beach: probably about an hours drive from Ullapool but on really good fast main road. Amazing white sand beach with tons of sort of vertical wall pottering to be had with a few steady highballs thrown in, great for knocking around with the kids etc. Rock is some kind of gneiss and and pretty solid, more solid than it looks. You wouldn't call it a big destination bouldering venue, but it's an amazing spot and I really enjoyed it.
Generally it's a great place to go on a family trip if you want a bit of climbing to keep your hand in over the holidays. Surprisingly accessible really compared to say Skye or Mull, despite being way further north. Great to bump into Ian T too. As other have said, no surprise that the landscape there north of Ullapool is just bonkers, especially if you catch some good evening light.
