Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Non-Thorn Related => Topic started by: rualexander on March 19, 2014, 12:39:59 pm
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Following my recent mention of Kearvaig bothy near Cape Wrath and the interest from others, I have compiled a pdf list (see below) of 47 bothies in Scotland which I consider should be accessible with a loaded touring bike.
I have been to some of them but by no means all of them so if planning a trip, this list should be used as an initial guide only, and full research and planning should be carried out, the MBA website is the best starting place for further information http://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/
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Some bothy views
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Good resource! From personal experience, Kershopehead bothy is also easily reachable via an unsealed but easily rideable forest road. It's in England, but literally meters away from the Scottish border.
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Fantastic resource you've compiled there, Rual; makes me want to go *now*!
Thanks very much.
Best,
Dan.
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Me too!
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Great list pal. Thanks for sharing it.
From a trip last year I can also say that 'The Lookout' at the top end of Skye is fairly easy to get to with a fully loaded touring bike with some riding and pushing towards the end. The views from there are fantastic, too! It's a handy place to head to if you are using the Uig to Tarbert ferry en route to or from the Outer Hebrides.
All the best, Mark
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That does it -- Scotland's on the list for sure, by bothy of course!
Best,
Dan.
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Excellent info.
Many thanks.
I hope to complete the Scottish four corners, five Bens and one bike challenge this summer. The bothies will be very handy.
Matt
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Excellent info for touring in Scotland.
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Excellent info for touring in Scotland. There does seem to be difference of MBA region numbers between the list and the NBA site though, have they changed since you put the list together maybe?
No, I used the regions currently on the MBA website as shown on the map on this screenshot :
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Hell of a place this Scotland. ;)
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Oops, sorry. I was reading multiple different threads/sites and got myself confused.
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Having compiled my list of bothies, last week I got away for a couple of days to cycle in to Dryfehead bothy from Eskdalemuir. Weather was a bit ropey and I got soaked on the ride in through the forest, but arrived at the bothy to find a walker had the fire going in the stove built from an old gas cylinder, so it was nice and warm and I got my stuff dried out overnight.
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Absolutely fantastic photos as always, Rual; thanks so much for sharing them. Always a treat to see!
All the best,
Dan.
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Dryfehead is a new bothy to the network, only opened last year after significant work by the MBA.
A good circular route can be ridden from Eskdalemuir with a visit to the Tibetan Tea Room at Samye Ling monastery for some tasty soup and samosas very welcome on a wet day.
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What a great resource you've put up here rual, and the pictures of your latest trip are excellent.
The whole thing is inspiring, thanks rual.
Jim
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Fantastic!
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Excellent resource - printed! Lovely photos of your Dryfehead area - that's the kind of trail I'd definitely like to ride down on my Nomad - made for each other I would say.
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On my recent stay in Lerwick the hostel had a notice detailing these.
Shetland camping Bods.
Sorry, I can't post their link at the moment.
They appear to be £10 a night converted barns or small houses.
I paid £20 at the hostel.
Anyone any experience of them?
Pretty sure they just cover Shetland.
Matt
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Was down in the Borders again last weekend, and took the Brompton for a spin up to the head of the Ettrick valley (past Shorthope farm, Matt) and up the mile or so of track to Over Phawhope bothy.
First ride with new Spa Nidd saddle, which felt pretty comfortable, if pretty hard at the same time.
Also first time I've had the Brompton off sealed road surface and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was on the track surface, which was quite rocky in places as the track has been recently rebuilt to allow logging trucks access to the forest.
Didn't stay overnight at the bothy, just popped in to have my lunch and a look around, nice bothy.
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Matt2matt2002, what an excellent resource, they look fantastic and £10 seems exceptionally good value.
I found the link: http://www.camping-bods.com/index.asp
rualexander, Excellent, wonderful scenery, wonderful photos - I've love to cycle on roads and areas like this.
Tony
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Finally got around to using my own list again, with a wee four day, 100 mile tour of three bothies in south west Scotland.
Parked the car in the village of Straiton in Ayrshire and set off on Sherpa into Galloway Forest Park to spend the first night at Tunskeen bothy, access is easy with only the last km being on a rougher track requiring the odd bit of walking. Nice bothy, very roomy inside and good stove to get a fire going.
Next day, carried on through the forest park around the edge of Loch Doon and out to the main road near Dalmellington, couple of km on the main road then took minor road east into Carsphairn forest and onto forest tracks up to Sware Brae near new windfarm. Due to windfarm construction works and traffic I cut off the track early and headed downhill across rough country to the Bow Burn and then followed that over hard going tussock grass to eventually reach Clennoch bothy, which does not have a fire :(
Day three, headed south from Clennoch on fairly good estate tracks and minor roads to St John's Town of Dalry and from there minor roads to Clatteringshaws Loch in Galloway Forest Park again, forest tracks took me the last few kms to White Laggan bothy, which is in a great location and has a stove :)
Final day, through Glen Trool out to minor road then turned north and headed up over Nick of the Balloch pass back into Ayrshire and back to the car in Straiton.
Great wee trip in superb weather.
Left the panniers at home for this trip and decided to try 'bikepacking' style travel, with my sleeping bag slung over handlebars in an Alpkit (https://www.alpkit.com/) Airlok drybag and my Thermarest held in a Gorilla Cage (http://www.freeparable.com/gorillacage), with everything else in my more traditional Carradice Super C saddlebag.
The observant will notice from the photos that initially the saddlebag was attached to my saddle via a Carradice Classic rack but later was mounted on my normal rear rack. This was because the combination of weight and rough tracks caused the saddlebag to bounce around a bit and the tangs on the classic rack bent the saddlebag loops on my saddle and the tangs could no longer hold the bag in place. I think if I had been on good road surfaces everything would have been fine though.
Photo slideshow of trip here https://www.flickr.com/photos/rualexander/sets/72157665521169960/show?rb=1
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Fabulous - the complete slideshow is amazing. I'm quite envious - I would love to do something like that, but know that I would freeze miserably at night. It can be hard enough keeping warm at home!
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Absolutely fabulous. If seeing these photos doesn't get you astride your bike then nothing will. I particularly liked the night shots of the bothies and starlight. Thanks for sharing.
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Ah, the memories.
I had the shop in St. Johns Town of Dalry for 18 years.
Moved up to Aberdeenshire 3 years ago.
So I know that area quite well. Yes, great touring country.
Thanks for the photos.
Matt
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Matt,
I was in the shop for a can of Coke and a wee tub of Galloway ice cream! Nice wee village.
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Glad this thread was resurrected...thanks Rual....this will give me an option when I revisit Scotland this year.
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Matt,
I was in the shop for a can of Coke and a wee tub of Galloway ice cream! Nice wee village.
That's good to hear. We sold it to a nice lady who had grown up in the village before moving to Edinburgh. She divorced and wanted to return to the village where her father ran the local garden centre.
She gutted the shop after we left and put the Post Office in.
All good changes. If we had stayed we probably would have done the same.
Pub opposite is good for food, if you return.
Matt
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Matt2matt2002, what an excellent resource, they look fantastic and £10 seems exceptionally good value.
I found the link: http://www.camping-bods.com/index.asp
rualexander, Excellent, wonderful scenery, wonderful photos - I've love to cycle on roads and areas like this.
I hope to have 4 days back on Shetland in 2 weeks time and will be using the Bods for accommodation.
I like to camp but March/ April too early in the year that far north.
Yes, I know. I'm a softy.
;)
Tony
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Thanks for all your information and photos Rual - top drawer!!
You could feel the crispness in the air from the photos and nigh on smell the peat and vegetation. What a glorious location to cycle and have the place to yourself.
As mentioned in previous replies, it has stimulated the imagination and whetted the appetite for investigation.
Thanks a million.
Hoot
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That looks like a superb trip Rual. Thanks for the list of bothies – a Scottish bothy trip is definitely on my todo list, so it should come in very handy when planning…
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Just back from this year's bothy tour, three nights, three and a half days, three bothies visited.
Left the car in Moffat, short cycle in to Brattleburn bothy. Next day, back out to road and headed north up the old A74 to Elvanfoot then south and in to Daer reservoir, track over the hills from there to Kettleton Byre bothy was hard going due to gradients, snow, and rough surfaces.
From Kettleton Byre, took the track out to the minor road that runs south to Forest of Ae, then up track to Burleywhag bothy.
Final day, out to road again, down to Ae village, then onto forest track cycle route through to Moffat.
Good weather again apart from first afternoon ride in to Brattleburn.
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rualexander/albums/72157678588332933
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Map of tour
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Excellent photos! I stayed one night in Betty-Mouats Böd before taking a flight from Shetland to Bergen on the North Sea Cycle Route back in 2013. This Böd is five minutes by taxi from the airport and a great place to build/disassemble and pack you bike after/before a flight. The standard is good and the place was clean. All facilities - showers/toilets and kitchen and bunk beds. Just put your £10 in the plastic sandwich box!
http://www.camping-bods.com/Betty-Mouats-g.asp
I haven't tried any other Böds on Shetland but if they are of the same standard and accessible by bike it would be an ideal accommodation option for a cycle tour of the Shetland islands.
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I'll second the Shetland bods.
I have stayed at Windhouse x3.
Excellent value.
I think the price has increased from £10/ night but they can't be more than £15 now.
I used it as a base to tour around the island and visited Muckle Flugga to start my Scottish end to end tour 3 years ago.
Back to the bothy list; I hope to do the Hebridean Way next week so will try to incorporate a few.
Kick off from Inverness then Fort Bill, Oban and ferry to Castlebay.
Fingers crossed for only mild gales.
😉
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What wonderful photos and what great tracks. Thanks for posting. Love it.