Ullapool is a village of around 1,500 occupants in Ross and Cromarty, Scottish Highlands, found around 45 miles (72 km) north-west of Inverness. Regardless of its small dimension it is the biggest settlement for many miles about, and an essential port as well as visitor location. The North Atlantic Drift passes Ullapool, regulating the temperature. A couple of Cordyline australis (New Zealand cabbage trees) are expanded in the town and are usually incorrect for hand trees. The community rests on Loch Broom, on the A835 road from Inverness. The Ullapool River streams with the village. On the east coast of Loch Broom, Ullapool was founded in 1788 as a herring port by the British Fisheries Society. It was developed by Thomas Telford. Prior to after that the town was only an insignificant community of just over 20 houses. The harbour is still the edge of the community, used as a fishing port, yachting place, and ferry port. Ferryboats cruise to Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides. The village was historically in Cromartyshire, a county comprised of many separate territories scattered across north Ross-shire. Cromartyshire was eliminated and also incorporated with surrounding Ross-shire in 1890. A number of the critical discoveries of the Victorian period that added to the development of the idea of plate tectonics were made in this area, and there are still regular worldwide geological seminars. It is referred to as the top geological hotspot in Scotland. Parliament granted permission in the 1890s for a train from Ullapool to the major Highland network at Garve, yet the scheme was abandoned due to insufficient funds. The name is potentially derived from the Norse for "Wool farm" or "Ulli's farm".