Ullapool is a town of around 1,500 inhabitants in Ross and Cromarty, Scottish Highlands, located around 45 miles (72 kilometres) north-west of Inverness. Despite its little size it is the largest settlement for many miles around, and an essential port as well as tourist location. The North Atlantic Drift passes Ullapool, regulating the temperature level. A couple of Cordyline australis (New Zealand cabbage trees) are grown in the town and also are commonly incorrect for hand trees. The town pushes Loch Broom, on the A835 road from Inverness. The Ullapool River moves with the village. On the east shore of Loch Broom, Ullapool was founded in 1788 as a herring port by the British Fisheries Society. It was made by Thomas Telford. Prior to then the town was just an irrelevant hamlet of simply over 20 houses. The harbour is still the edge of the community, used as an angling port, yachting haven, and ferryboat port. Ferryboats sail to Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides. The village was historically in Cromartyshire, a region comprised of numerous different enclaves scattered throughout north Ross-shire. Cromartyshire was eliminated and incorporated with surrounding Ross-shire in 1890. Many of the essential discoveries of the Victorian period that contributed to the development of the concept of plate tectonics were made in this area, as well as there are still routine worldwide geological conferences. It is called the leading geological hotspot in Scotland. Parliament granted permission in the 1890s for a railway from Ullapool to the major Highland network at Garve, however the plan was deserted due to not enough funds. The name is perhaps stemmed from the Norse for "Wool farm" or "Ulli's farm".