A Hidden Gem- Why You Need To Visit Gameshope Bothy

If you are somebody who often bypasses southern Scotland in favour of The Highlands, then I must say that you are missing out. Yes places like Skye, The Cairngorms and Glencoe are the jewels in Scotland’s crown, but that eighty odd miles of A74 between Gretna and Glasgow offers some wild and remote areas that sparkle too. On this trip, I’d be heading to the little-known mountain bothy of Gameshope. Located well off the beaten track and set deep in an isolated glen, it really is a beauty. It’s for this reason that I felt the need to write this article and tell you why you should visit Gameshope Bothy.

**You can enjoy your own slice of paradise without visiting one of the Scottish islands. This is Loch Enoch set deep inside Galloway Forest Park.**

**Another view of Loch Enoch after enjoying a great wild camp by its shore.**

**Typical scenery at the start of The Grey Mare’s Tail near Moffat.**

**Looking down from above The Grey Mare’s Tail, one of the highest waterfalls in Scotland.**

**Loch Skeen can be enjoyed a short distance above the falls with 700 metre plus mountains as a backdrop. Click here to read more about this great out and back hike.**

How To Reach Gameshope Bothy

I couldn’t believe how short a walk it was to visit Gameshope Bothy. The map below shows how it is just over 2km from the road, yet still manages to feel very far removed from anywhere else once there.

**The purple circles show the location of the hike and bothy.**

**There are several summits that reach or exceed 800 metres in the area. That more than holds its own with most places south of the Scottish border.**

**The exact length of the walk is 2.05km with an elevation gain of 126 metres. You shouldn’t find this one too strenuous.**

The best way to reach the start place of the walk seems to be via the A74 motorway. Leaving at junction 15 and then taking the A701 through Moffat and up into the surrounding hills is your only real way in, but don’t worry about that. Moffat is a great place to stock up on supplies and just enjoy for a while if you like. After this, the half an hour drive to the hamlet of Tweedsmuir is very scenic in places with new hilly vistas to enjoy at every twist and turn of the road.

When reaching this hamlet by the banks of the Upper River Tweed, you will need to turn right onto a narrow lane and then follow it south east towards Talla Reservoir. You’d be unlucky to meet anything coming in the other direction and I found myself stopping my car on the road several times just to enjoy the view. Not much chance of holding anybody up in these parts that’s for sure!

**The view along Talla Reservoir, as the hills and mountains loom high above you on all sides. What a view!**

visit Gameshope Bothy — **Next to Talla Linnfoots Farm is ample space to leave several cars parked by the side of the road.**

**The farm at the far end of the reservoir reminds you when it is time to park up. I couldn’t help but think what a wonderful place this would be to live and work everyday.**

The Walk In

Well I’ve already mentioned how easy the walk in is, especially if you’re somebody used to visiting other bothies in Scotland. The distance alone makes it a very manageable proposition; the clear track along the way is just the cherry on top of the cake. You won’t have to worry about leg-swallowing bogs or paths that just vanish altogether. I’m only too familiar with that happening on epic walks like this one on the rugged and wild Isle of Jura.

**These details can be found at the start of the walk. Nice to know about the area you’ll be exploring I suppose.**

**This gate marks the start. You can’t miss it.**

**The views that greet you right from the off. Gameshope Burn and its many cascades will join you for the entire route.**

**Those views are incredible along the way as you look deeper into the glen.**

I feel very lucky to have enjoyed the walk on such a sunny winter’s day. It was bitterly cold, but there was hardly a breath of wind and the low sun only managed to warm the upper slopes of the mountains either side of me. I doubt the glen bottom sees much direct sunlight at all during most of winter and snow is a regular occurrence, especially when considering that the bothy sits above the 400 metre contour line.

If you decide to visit in the warmer months, then I can almost guarantee you’ll want to take a dip in the burn along the way. There are many deeper pools available and the water is crystal clear. When I visited though, it was icy cold and made me loose any feelings in my feet within a minute.

**This building sits very close to the bothy and even offers a stove inside. Sadly it was locked when I visited and I suspect it is only used by estate workers.**

**Even with the clear track, sections were covered in sheet ice and my micro spikes came in very handy when exploring in winter. Well worth packing.**

The River Crossing

The only issue when you visit Gameshope Bothy is the river crossing. If it has been relatively dry, then it isn’t a problem at all. The clear crossing point has an easy bottom to negotiate and a walking pole will steady you well. In times of spate though I have read that it is a totally different story and can be downright dangerous.

I can well imagine that many folk have stayed at the bothy and it was rained solidly overnight just to make it extremely challenging getting back across again. It might be well worth checking the forecast before you visit.

Exploring The Bothy

With the burn forded it is a very short walk to reach the bothy door. You are more than likely to do what I did ( after my feet thawed out ) and just gaze around at the views in all directions. The mountain slopes surrounding Gameshope all exceed 650 metres with several exceeding 700 metres. They rival the heights of famous fells in England like Whernside and Kinder Scout, yet most of these are little-known. That just makes them all the more appealing in my opinion.

Gameshope Bothy is a small affair. Even with its size though, I was pleasantly surprised with its interior. Firstly, I couldn’t help but notice how clean and well looked after it was. There was also plenty of sleeping space in the form of bunks, which stretch along the lengths of two of the walls. The video below gives you the full guided tour and shows you what you can expect.

There is no mistaking where you are with the bothy name above the door. The thermometer is a nice touch too just to remind you of the cold you are likely to have to endure for the remainder of your stay.

As mentioned in the above video, the lack of a stove is the only thing that lets the place down. If it had one like most others, then it really would be a cracking place to stay. I can’t help but think though that Gameshope would be an awful lot more busy if fire making facilities were included too. It’s a sacrifice that might be worth it just to get this brilliant wee spot all to yourself. I am not sure I’d want to spend a long cold night here in winter though. Mid Spring would be a lot more comfortable.

Hiking Possibilities

As I was getting ready to leave the bothy and return to my car, a father and son duo from Durham turned up to camp. We got chatting and I found out about the spectacular day they’d enjoyed out in the nearby hills. They showed me photos and it really made me want to come back at some point to try and complete some of it myself. It looked wonderful and planning to visit Gameshope Bothy would prove to be a great base to accomplish this too. Certainly something to consider. Click here for details about an excellent circular hike you could complete, which incorporates Gameshope Bothy along the way.