Wild Wanderings The ultimate bothy walks for remote rambling

WILD WANDERINGS

Adventurer Geoff Allan has hiked to each and every Scottish bothy. Here, he chooses his ultimate weekend walks taking in the remote hideaways...

Best for… easy access

For the perfect bothy adventure that doesn’t require a car, utilise the worldclass West Highland Railway line and take the train to Corrour Station - made famous in the film Trainspotting. From there, head down to Loch Treig and round to the sweeping glen of the Abhainn Rath, north of Rannoch Moor. Staoineag Bothy stands on a rocky prow above the river and is the ideal location to go off-grid, escaping overnight the urgent pulse of modern life. Return the next day the way you walked in, back to Corrour Station and the welcome embrace of the Station House Café. 10.5 miles 6 hours (over 2 days) Moderate

Best for… all the family

If you’re a bothy newbie, start with this classic family-friendly day-trip in the Cairngorms National Park. From Glenmore Lodge wander through the beautiful Scots pines of the Queen’s Forest to An Lochan Uaine (Little Green Lochan), before heading up the pass to Ryvoan Bothy. After a leisurely pit-stop, climb the eastern flank of Meall a’ Bhuachaille. From the summit cairn, there is a stunning view of the Northern Corries and Cairngorm plateau. Head down to the Glenmore Visitors Centre to finish. 9 miles 5 hours Easy

10.5 miles 5 hours (1 or 2 days) Moderate

Best for… wildlife spotters

Mull is renowned for its evocative scenery and abundant, accessible wildlife. From the conical peak of Beinn Talaidh there are amazing views of the islands winding coastline and wild interior, and you may be lucky enough to see a golden eagle soaring on the thermals above the summit ridge. Tomsleibhe bothy lies at the head of Glen Forsa on the northern approach to the mountain, and makes an excellent lunch spot before scaling the airy heights. The route begins and ends at Pennygown on the A849.

7.5 miles 5 hours Easy

Best for… a meditative journey

Follow in the footsteps of early Christian missionaries, drovers and traders on an ancient trail from the shores of Loch Awe to Carron Bothy in the south west Highlands. Soon after leaving the roadside, you’ll discover a ruined medieval chapel, dedicated to St Columba, before heading across the solitary upland moor to the bothy. Here, a beautifully constructed old stone bridge is the only sign that this lonely glen was a once welltravelled route. The walk begins and ends at Kilneuair on the B840.

11 miles 6 hours (1 to 2 days) Moderate

Best for… history buffs

The superb seascape of Loch Torridon lies west of the monumental peaks of Beinn Alligin and Liathach in the north west Highlands. Starting from the road end at Lower Daibaig, a winding path leads first to Craig Bothy, perched above the northern shore, and then on to a remarkable Mesolithic cave and shell midden further up the coast. A remarkable find, you can almost feel the presence of our prehistoric ancestors, returning home after combing the beach. Retrace your steps back along the coast contemplating the connection of the present-day landscape to our earliest ancestors.

Best for… a hiking challenge

Renowned for its steep-sided peaks and wild, inaccessible terrain, the Rough Bounds, Na Garbh Chriochan in the Western Highlands, boasts some of the finest mountain scenery in Scotland. This tremendous mountain walk plots a circular route to the summit via the superior bothy at Gleann Dubh-lighe. An ideal expedition for experienced walkers which involves negotiating a testing ridge up to the mountain peak before returning to the valley floor down the steep slopes of Streap Comhlaid. The hike begins and ends at a small car park on the A830, near Glenfinnan.

11 miles 8 hours (across 1 or2 days) Challenging

Best for… experienced explorers

Take a three-day voyage of discovery through the raw, icescoured back country of Assynt in the Northern Highlands, a wild landscape of peat bog, rugged moor and lonely summits dotted with innumerable tiny lochans. Walk in from Kylestrome to a loch-side base at Glendhu Bothy. This provides the launch point for a circular hike to the remote corbett of Beinn Leòid returning via Glencoul Bothy, tucked away at the head of Loch Glencoul. Enjoy spectacular views of the breath-taking, fjord-like sea lochs and Assynt’s distinctive island peaks then after a second night in the bothy, return to civilisation refreshed and revitalised.

22.5 miles 19 hours (across 3 days) Challenging

READER OFFER

Geoff Allen’s book Scottish Bothy Walks: Scotland’s 28 best bothy adventures is out now with Wild Things Publishing, £16.99. For an exclusive 25% discount and free p&p, i-on readers should enter the code BothyWalks at the checkout on www. wildthingspublishing.com