Detour Pit Stop #40: The Seafood Shack, Ullapool, Scotland
For the best and freshest seafood supper, make The Seafood Shack in Ullapool a port of call on your NC500 itinerary, says Detourist Charlotte Vowden.
Ideally placed for a North Coast 500 pit stop, The Seafood Shack in Ullapool serves Scotland’s best seafood street food (try saying that when you’re hungry and in a hurry). Tucked away in a courtyard off West Argyle Street, everything on the daily changing menu is caught and landed locally so dishes are as fresh as it gets. A hearty helping of cullen skink with bread is less than a fiver, but if you’ve the budget to push the boat out, a half lobster (when it’s available) will cost around £20.
The shack’s best-selling staples include the battered haddock wrap (£8) and creel caught langoustines served in garlic thyme butter (6 for £10.50) but Kirsty and Fenella, the lassies who opened this multi-award-winning eatery in 2016, keep things interesting by adding specials that can include seafood curries, platters, pates and quiches, into the mix.
“We change recipes and try new stuff, but find that people want to see our popular dishes on the menu,” explains Fenella. “Keeping things fresh and simple works.”
When you’ve chosen what to eat, the canopy-covered seating area tends to get packed-out, so to avoid feeling rushed, take the five-minute mooch down to the harbourfront.
On the way, pop into the Highland Liquor Company’s Bottle Shop for liquid refreshments. They’ve a smashing selection of batch distilled gins, and for the designated driver, The Ullapool Gin is an appropriate souvenir tipple to take home.
When you’re driving the NC500, seeing the waves through your windscreen just isn’t enough. Having your supper next to them, when it tastes this good, will make the miles even more worthwhile.
