Three miles north of Inverkirkaig is Lochinver,
which has excellent facilities for such a small town.
These include two small supermarkets, the
Assynt Tourist Center, a cash machine, butcher, newsagent,
a petrol station (closed on Sundays in winter),
a mountaineering shop, post office and the excellent pie shop,
Lochinver Larder.
There is also a chandlery with a wide range of goods, including waterproofs, fishing tackle, etc and the Assynt Health Center which boasts 2 doctors for a population of under a thousand!
In Inverkirkaig itself is a public telephone box (50m away from cabin) and Achins bookshop, which also includes a cafe.
There are many restaurants in the area, some open from Easter till early October, others throughout the year. The best include:
- Lochinver Larder (award winning savory and dessert pies)
- Albannach Hotel (Michelin Star - excellent menu, set 5 course meals £50)
- Summer Isles Hotel (just voted into the top 10 UK seafood restaurants in the Times - and worth it!)
- Handa Island Sea Food Cafe (delightful, inexpensive seafood)
- Kylesku Hotel (local seafood in beautiful location)
- The local Caberfedh Public House (Main Street, Lochinver, good pub food)
Forty minutes to the south is the largest local town, Ullapool which boasts more extensive facilities, including a Tesco supermarket and many shops, a museum, pottery, leisure center and port (with a direct ferry link to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis).
The Sea Forth fish and chips in Ullapool is a recent winner of 'Best Takeaway in Britain', and one of our favourites. There is also an excellent butcher just around the corner from it, next to the harbour.