skua, arctic tern, great spotted woodpeckers, song thrush, bullfinches, golden plover, skylark, merlin, greenshank, dunlin, red and, occasionally the rarer, black grouse, dotterel, and rock ptarmigan. In terms of marine life there are common seals near the shore as well as basking sharks, minke whales, porpoises, and bottlenose dolphins. Adders can also be found here. Economy In July 2010, at a cost of £40,000, the UK's first unmanned petrol station was opened. It uses a credit card reader to enable customers to serve themselves. The business was taken over by Applecross Community Company in 2008 in response to its possible closure. The only alternative involves a round trip to Lochcarron. Tourism Recently Applecross has experienced an increase in tourism for those looking for a place to hike, kayak, fish, and cycle. The North Coast 500 cycling route crosses the Bealach na Bà pass and goes through Applecross along the coastal road. Media and the arts Applecross appeared as Laxdale in the 1953 film Laxdale Hall, in which the community protests against the poor condition of the access road by withholding their Road Tax. On television, Applecross appeared as Carnochie in the "Upstairs Downstairs" episode "Will Ye No Come Back Again?" (1975). It later featured in Monty Halls' Great Escape (2009) and an edition of Channel 4's Time Team (series 13, episode 12) when a broch (hollow-walled structure) was excavated. It is mentioned in the writings of Margaret Leigh; particularly in 'Driftwood and Tangle'. It is also the setting for Graeme Macrae Burnet's 2015 novel His Bloody Project which was nominated for the Man Booker Prize in 2016. It also was the main setting of the "Enchanted Emporium" series by Pierdomenico Baccalario. Climate See also Aber and Inver as place-name elements References External links Applecross Landscape Partnership Applecross Historical Society Applecross Walks The Applecross Trust Populated places in Ross and Cromarty Peninsulas of Scotland Clan Mackenzie Former Christian monasteries in Scotland Parishes in Ross and Cromarty