A Peaceful Solo Stay At Loch Chiarain Bothy

During a four day ‘tour of Corrour’, I made it my mission to visit every bothy within three hours or so from the station. You are spoilt for choice in this remote area of the Central Highlands. Several bothies such as Meanach, Staoineag and Lairig Leacach are very popular indeed and receive a steady stream of adventurous traffic. Having spent an awesome night at Meanach myself, I can see the appeal of these spots. A stay at Loch Chiarain Bothy though gives the hiker a chance to get off the beaten track even more and you may well end up with the place to yourself just like I did.

The Walk In

There are several options when planning how to reach Loch Chiarain Bothy. Judging by a read of the bothy book, many folk decide to make the hike from Kinlocheven. The map below shows the route and distance involved with that particular route.

**At just under 12km in length and with around 500 metres of elevation gain, this route can be boggy and tough.**

For me, I made the trip from Corrour Train Station. At around eight miles in length and with pretty clear paths throughout, it’s a varied but pretty straight forward walk in. It is still unlikely that you’ll complete the walk without negotiating boggy sections, but at least you won’t be struggling to keep sight of the path.

What To expect On The Route

**Those stats show you what to expect on this route. You might manage it in a little less than the four hours listed here though.**

You might notice that the first part of the route appears to head in the wrong direction and avoids a seemingly quicker route. Having sampled both, I can assure you that this longer diversion allows you to avoid a terribly boggy section. I actually reckon it ends up quicker too, as you aren’t having to compete in regular long jumps just to keep your feet dry. There is nothing worse than ending up with wet feet right at the start of a long hike.

**Corrour Station was made famous in Trainspotting and literally drops you in the middle of nowhere. You can start your hike with some food and drink at Corrour Station House.**

**Although longer, the track to Loch Treig is well surfaced and bog free.**

**You get fine views back towards Corrour Station and the iconic mountains behind. What a backdrop!**

**Loch Treig is your first real highlight of the walk.Known as ‘ The lonely Loch’ solitude is virtually guaranteed.**

**Despite its title, two men have made Loch Treig their home. One chap named Ken lives in a cabin further along the loch. This tent belongs to Davey McDonald, who has lived here since 2007.**

**The views towards the far end of the Loch are just tremendous.**

**That sign post is your signal to leave the main track and head uphill.**

As soon as you pass through that gate, you are hit with some pretty boggy ground. I found things soggy even after a relatively dry spell of weather. Thankfully though, the path is well marked, so it easy to navigate. It is a continuous uphill slog too, so at least you’ll warm up a bit if it is cold out.

**The bog is actually worse than it looks in the photo. My tried an tested waterproof boots certainly came in handy.**

**Just follow these clear pointers and you won’t go wrong. Easy really.**

**Keep the burn on your left and keep heading uphill. The views back towards Loch Treig get better and better as you climb.**

Eventually, you cross the highest point of the hike at around four hundred metres above sea level. From here it is all downhill towards the bothy. A wild remote glen is traversed and several river crossings need to be made, as Loch Chiarain the bothy at its far end come into view. I didn’t see a soul the entire way and there is a good chance you won’t either.

**The views back towards Loch Treig aren’t half bad even in the clag.**

**The path is pretty clear for the entire hike in and passes through this glen near the end.**

**Not a bad view in the glen. Finally Loch Chiarain and its bothy come into view in the distance.**

**There are a few small streams to cross. This one could prove more problematic during times of spate. One to watch for sure.**

A Tour Of The Bothy

I approached the bothy with the usual mix of feelings. It was pure relief to dump the weight from my back and also exciting to finally explore yet another new bothy for me. I was of course nervous though, as I had no idea if anybody was at home and if so, what they’d be like. Despite being a Friday evening, I ended up being lucky enough to have the entire place to myself for my stay. Some might not relish the idea of being totally alone in an isolated and old empty building for the night. For me though that is a slice of heaven right there, especially when you factor in the town of over 80,000 people I live in.

The video above hopefully shows what a cracking bothy Loch Chiarain is. It is comfortable, large enough to provide a roof for a large group of people and also has the bonus of being in a wild and remote location.

My Night At The Bothy

I am not ashamed to admit that I pitched my tried and tested OEX Bobcat tent outside. I planned to sleep in the main room, but know from experience how spooky these places can sometimes become after dark, especially when alone. The darkness outside and silence are both palpable and it was no different on this trip.

**Tent pitched just in case of an emergency.**

Being late October, the darkness had totally enveloped the bothy by just after five and the gloomy conditions just added to its intensity. There was no moonlight or stars to at least provide an outline of the surrounding mountains. Without a torch to help show the way, there was no escape until morning light. Only in the middle of the wild remote Cambrian Mountains of Mid Wales have I experienced a similar level of darkness.

With a distinct lack of things to do outside, there was only one thing I could do and that was get the fire going. I’d carried some wood from Loch Ossian Youth Hostel, where I’d stayed the previous night and it was well the extra weight on the hike in. Some firelighters left by previous residents allowed me to get the fire going.Lighting several of the candles I’d carried in made it feel even more homely and just a little warmer even if in reality the temperature had hardly climbed.

stay at Loch Chiarain Bothy — **After dark is when a bothy comes into its own. This is exactly what the nights would have been like for the folk here decades ago.**

In the end, copious amounts of food and Islay Whiskey helped me summon the strength to sleep in the bothy. My little new sleeping mat inflator worked a charm and I was soon settled down inside my sleeping bag. As quiet as it was, the flickering flames and occasional crackles from the wood allowed me to feel more relaxed and I drifted off in no time. If there were any ghosties lurking in any of the four rooms, then they took pity on me. Nothing went bump in the night and I didn’t wake until the sun was about to rise the following day. It had been a blissful sleep.