The town of Ullapool at dawn this morning – Wester Ross, North West Highlands of Scotland. On the east shore of Loch Broom, & designed by Thomas Telford, Ullapool was founded in 1788 as a herring port by the British Fisheries Society. Despite its small size it is the largest settlement for many miles around and a major tourist destination of Scotland. The harbour is still the edge of the town, used as a fishing port, yachting haven, and ferry port. Ferries sail to Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides. Many of the pivotal discoveries of the Victorian era that contributed to the development of the concept of plate tectonics were made in this area, and there are still regular international geological conferences. Ullapool is a key stop on the North Coast 500 route.