We often travel between Inverness and Ullapool on our Scotland adventures, as it’s one of the most convenient routes from east to west. If you want to get up to the far northwest of Scotland, it’s much quicker to travel up the A9 to Inverness and then cut across, than it is to meander up the west coast, beautiful as it is. You can easily reach Inverness from Edinburgh or Glasgow, which is a gorgeous route in itself, passing along the edge of the Cairngorms National Park.
What is the best way to travel between Inverness and Ullapool?
You have two options for getting from Inverness to Ullapool: by car or by bus. There’s no train station at Ullapool so it’s not possible to travel by rail, although you could go half way to Garve if you really wanted, and then take a bus or taxi onward to your final destination. But that seems a bit silly if you can just get the bus all the way there.
We always opt for driving our own car if we can, as it’s the best way to explore the Scottish Highlands. Yet if you don’t drive or prefer to use public transport, the bus is a great way to do this journey too.
How long does it take to travel from Inverness to Ullapool?
The bus from Inverness to Ullapool takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. If you’re driving, it’ll be a bit quicker at around an hour, unless you’re going to stop along the way. The route is around 58 miles, and for the most part follows the scenic A835.
So, here are your options for the Inverness – Ullapool route:
The Citylink 961 Bus
This Inverness Ullapool bus is one of the most popular ways to journey from east to west Scotland. Operated by Scottish Citylink, bus 961 travels between Inverness bus station and Ullapool Pier, so it’s a great option if you have an onward ferry journey to Stornoway on Lewis and Harris. The bus times run in sync with the ferry schedule for a seamless trip.
It’s a scenic route and takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes. There are usually a couple of departures each day from Inverness bus station, although generally just one service on Sundays. These buses are actually coaches, which make for a comfortable and efficient journey. They are a popular way to city-hop in Scotland and usually have modern interiors, USB charging points and fold-down tables.
You can check the Inverness to Ullapool bus timetable on the Citylink website to help plan your trip and buy tickets.
Driving from Inverness to Ullapool
We’ve driven the Inverness to Ullapool road many times, and it never fails to impress. The scenery gets better with every mile, building up the anticipation for your arrival in Ullapool. There are lots of natural sights to stop at on the way too, so you can turn it into a bit of a day trip if you like. We tend to take a picnic lunch and eat it at a pretty spot overlooking one of the lochs.
The driving route to Ullapool
After crossing the Moray Firth on the A9, you’ll pick up the A835 and follow that all the way to Ullapool. It really is that simple. That’s another reason we love this journey, it’s so easy to navigate!
It takes about an hour to drive, but that’s without stops, so we recommend factoring in another couple of hours if you plan on seeing some of the sights.
What to see on the Inverness to Ullapool route
If you have time and fancy a leg stretch during your drive, we recommend stopping at some of the sights along the route. Here are our suggestions:
Rogie Falls
Rogie Falls is our favourite spot, with several trails to explore as well as a viewpoint from where you can admire the waterfalls. It only takes a few minutes to walk from the car park. There are seasonal toilets here from April – October.
Insider tip for visiting Rogie Falls: linger a while on the bridge over Black Water River and you might see a leaping salmon making its way up the falls in August and September!
Loch Garve
You’ll pass alongside Loch Garve during your drive. It’s a pretty loch surrounded by typical Scottish mountains, and there are a few laybys where you can pull in for a closer look. It’s best between Autumn and Spring when the trees are bare (they can obscure the view a bit in summer!).
Black Water Falls
Turn off the road and park in the Silver Bridge Car Park, then it takes just a few minutes to walk through the woods to Black Water Falls. There’s a lovely old stone bridge to check out here too, which makes for beautiful photos. You’ll find toilets here too.
Loch Glascarnoch
This reservoir is over 4 miles long and is scenic companion during your drive from Inverness to Ullapool. There’s a dam on the eastern end, and a trail along the northern side if you fancy a proper walk. On a clear day here, the reflections are stunning. There are a few places where you can pull over to park.
Insider tip for parking at Loch Glascarnoch: hold your nerve and carry on driving about a third of the way up the loch, and you’ll find a decent parking area overlooking the water (we always stop here for a breather, and sometimes a picnic!). It’s called Loch Glascarnoch Viewpoint on Google Maps!
Loch Droma
Loch Droma is another pretty loch, just a lot smaller than the last one. Pull over in the layby at the head of the loch for the best views. This is really the only place you can park by the loch, so make the most of it (there is a layby right at the other end too).
This is actually one of our favourite lochs on this trip as the road gets really close to the water and the sections without barriers make it feel really wild!
Falls of Measach
Yes, it’s another waterfall, and quite a dramatic one at that. You’ll come off the A835 and turn into the car park. From there, you can walk down to the Falls of Measach Bridge for a great vantage point of the gorge. Cross over the bridge and turn left on the trail to walk up to the main viewpoint.
Our verdict on the bus v car debate
The route from Inverness to Ullapool is fairly straightforward, whether you travel by car or by bus. If you want to enjoy the sights along the way, having a car is obviously better, but the Citylink buses in Scotland are reasonably priced and comfortable, so this is a good choice too. We’ve tried both options, and actually liked them equally. Driving is great as it gives you flexibility and sightseeing opportunities, but the bus is more relaxing as someone else is navigating those bendy roads! Really, you can’t go wrong with either.
Read more about Scotland: Our ultimate guide to the West Highland Peninsulas
