Ahh yeah, well it will take some time - and there's no avoiding that really, sorry to say :-S The distances round these parts are one thing, but most of the area you want to travel round is quite slow roads, single track, or two way but slow...

OK the various options...

Take the north route round the coast. Living where I do I have never had the need to drive from Wick / Thurso way to Ullapool, but the road from not far out of Thurso all the way round to Ullapool is pretty tiring and slow going. The bit round Loch Eriboll always seems to me to take an age to drive and can be quite tedious if you are rushing and cant just take your time and enjoy the view (or rain ;-) ). There are some benefits - a stop at Smoo Cave is worth it, and Balnakeil Bay is amazing tiny detour (and there's good chocolate to be had at the craft village. I can't help too much with the ancient stuff, as really we're still to search our way round those parts (to give you an idea a day trip to that North West corner for us even, living about 45mins north of Inverness, is a huge long day trip).

You could take the north coast road to Tongue and drop down through Altnaharra to Lairg (but gosh thats a long slow road too), then take the Strath Oykel road over to Ledmore Junction and then south to Ullapool - at this point the road is a bit faster and you can pick up time. I know it will take you 1 1/2 hours from Lairg to Ullapool at minimum - I can't tell you how long from the ferry to Lairg though.

You could though go down the A9 to The Mound (just south of Golspie) and go across to Lairg that way, then take the same route to Ledmore Junction and then Ullapool. I recon it would take you 1 1/2 hours to The Mound-ish (as long as you don't get caught with caravans / motorhomes / lorries) and then 2 hrs plus to Ullapool.

This is all guessing really, as I've not had to do these exact routes...

If you went all the mainest of main routes (as main as there is) - straight down the A9, round via Dingwall then back up the A835 then I think you’re looking at 3 1/2 prob' more like 4hrs without any stopping, just foot down.

Scubi,

Bearing in mind the wealth of Scotland's treasures it's a bit ironic that there isn't a great deal along the coastal route. Arguably the finest monument is the Skelpick Long, a small detour south of Bettyhill

http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/5121/skelpick_long.html

with the Coillie na Borgie cairns nearby (nice facade). The Ardvreck chambered cairn is also worth a quick look...

Ah! You've had some great replies already... I was gonna suggest tapping Suave Harv for info, cos - although a few years back now - he's the only person I know that's done the journey! :)

G x

I was last up in the area a few years back holidaying at Gairloch and Ullapool. These are fair distances on poor roads.
If you have a full day take the coastal A836/ A838/A894/A837/A835 route. It is long and winding but a totally epic journey. I did it with a pal back in the early 90's. The weather shifted between black storms and blue, blue skies over the course of the FULL day we took to travel from Ullapool to Wick. We didn't do any sites (we had intended stopping at Inchnadamph but didn't) but the coastal route is worth it alone for the Kyles of Tongue and the headlands and beaches at Durness, Torrisdale and Armadale. The roads are in many parts single track with passing places and will have been trashed and pot-holed by the severe winter weather this year.
For speed and ease of travelling I'd take the main road A9 down to Strathpeffer and go back up the A835. But your probably looking at 4 hours at least without any stops for that one.
The short answer is there are no short cuts.