Bothies
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Greensykes Bothy
Dave and I arrived at the small, frost-edged parking space at the head of the glen, the sun bright and low, for our annual new year bothy trip. The cold hit instantly as we left the van warmth, sharp at minus two. Boots crunched, packs were shouldered and the silence felt wide and welcoming. We…
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Third Time Lucky
We were going to the back of beyond. Now those are not my words, but the words of a descendent of the last resident of Loch Glencoul bothy. They explain in an info pack to be found at the bothy that “coul” in the bothy name comes from the Gaelic word “cul”, meaning back, and…
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Is it Will’s Bothy? Or Leysburnfoot?
I only ask because the bothy we used for our annual boys bothy adventure this year seems to have two names of equal standing. For instance, when I checked instagram for pictures of the bothy, I found nothing tagged Leysburnfoot but lots of pictures tagged as Will’s Bothy. But I checked the MBA website and…
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More New Year Bothy Therapy
The last time I made a plan of adventures for the year ahead was 2020. And you’ll remember how that year turned out. New adventure ideas present themselves all the time and I find it easier now to make one or maybe two plans at a time for the months directly in front of me.…
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Storm Babet’s Bothy
A photo of my grandad can still be found on the wall in the restaurant area of the Cross Keys Hotel in Ettrick Bridge. What he is doing in the picture I can’t quite remember as I saw the picture about 12 years ago on a quick stop through the village. The Ettrick Valley was…
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Loch Con and the Field of the Flat Stones
With its single track roads and remote spaces, I’ve always been a fan of Highland Perthshire. So when by a total fluke I found an article online about Loch Con, it’s bothy and the walk in, I immediately added it to my ever-growing wish list of places to visit and waited for the ideal opportunity.…
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New Year Bothy Therapy
Easter Earshaig car park to Brattleburn bothy is 6.7km, walking along part of the Southern Upland Way, according to my calculations using OS maps. After all the snow and rain over the last week, I was wondering how many of those kms would be on boggy paths and fields. Dave and I had decided at…
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Seeking Sanctuary in A’ Chomraich
It was appropriate that while the country struggles to come to terms with the cost of living crisis, and the government tries its best to justify tax cuts for rich people at the same time, Paul and I decided to escape to Applecross for three days exploring in the wilds. The Gaelic for Applecross is…
Challenge Kev Outdoors 