What is a Bothy? Glen Cailliche – most easily reached through the only marginally more accessible Glen Lyon – is home to a little-known shrine to a pre-Christian deity and to the remnants of a tradition of honouring it which folklorists believe dates back centuries. Tummel Bridge, Kinloch Rannoch circuit. more info >>> Riverside Cottage ~ Located on the banks of the River Lyon at Bridge of Balgie. The River Lyon is one of the main tributaries of the the River Tay and enjoys a predominant run of late spring and summer fish. Our Stables Bothy is a fantastic addition to our glamping village at Loch Tay Highland Lodges; ideal for the larger family or group of friends. Cookie notice Tap Click "Accept and Continue" or continue using our website to agree to the use of cookies and data processing technologies. to the Invermearan Bothy at the south western end of Loch Lyon. High quality Bothy inspired Art Prints by independent artists and designers from around the world. As I walked back along the lochside, weary now and sore-footed, I carried with me the strength of these old ancestral stories; I’d found in them the perfect role model for the times. A bothy was originally farm accommodation for itinerant workers; now a bothy is an open shelter usually in a remote location where travellers might have need of four walls and a roof. • Tigh nam Bodach is marked on OS Landranger map 50 (NN381427). The Bothy is a cosy and romantic retreat with private hot tub and sensational views over Loch Tay and the surrounding meadows and woodlands. Rising up organically out of the peat, as all such people’s temples would once have done, is the house of the Cailleach (pronounced KAL-yach): the archetypal Old Woman of Scottish and Irish mythology. Change ). Long road routes. It’s known as Tigh nam Bodach (probably, in pre-modern Gaelic, “house of the cotters”, or “countryfolk”) and is a simple, miniature thatched stone hut in which there is a small family of stones shaped by water into sort-of human forms. Not a problem! I’m getting inspired reading your blog. Maintaining a Bothy. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. The Faultline Trail is the ultimate Scottish end-to-end challenge, from the most southerly tip at the Mull of Galloway to the most northerly at Dunnet Head, in anything but direct fashion. The path beside the loch was atrocious, very muddy and wet, but the sun came out! So it was that I found myself, one gloriously crisp, clear autumn morning, parking by the Lubreoch Dam at the end of the single-track road through Glen Lyon, the longest enclosed glen in Scotland. The bothy’s name comes from the Norse, peighinn, meaning “pennyland”: 20 of these, each with a farm, made up an “ounceland”, an acreage capable of … A merlin sped across my path at head height – one of many rare birds, including golden eagles, which are known to breed in the area. At the far end of the loch is Killin and the Falls of Dochart, and a superb drive from here to the Bridge of Balgie leads to the top of Glen Lyon, the longest glen in Scotland. The rain stopped soon after crossing the river and the sun came before I had my lunch. I’d have been bitterly disappointed if I’d come so far and then been forced to turn around. Once across the bridge, turn left and across the small ford and the bothy is just a couple of minutes away. The track undulates as it heads round the hillside, Loch Lyon becoming more visible, before it drops steeply to just above the shores of the loch. Bothies and bothying have been described as many things. A view over Loch Lyon. High quality Bothy gifts and merchandise. From the hostel we walked to the station then north-west by very boggy track to the long stretch of water that is Loch Treig. The Bothy is a good location for exploring further afield, and Pitlochry and Perth can be reached within an hours’ drive and Glasgow and Edinburgh are within 2 hours. ( Log Out /  :). The great attraction of using bothies is that there really aren't any rules as such. Statistics Area: Loch Rannoch to Glen Lyon Munros: Beinn Dorain, Beinn a Chreachain, Beinn Achaladair, Beinn an Dothaidh, Beinn Mhanach Distance: 29km Time: 8 hours 5 mins Ascent: 2560m The Route Introduction My munros of choice today were the 5 … Scotland Weekend Adventure – Bothies in Loch Lomond National Park, My Kilimanjaro Diary – Lemosho Route 2015 (Day 1 – 3), Ziplining in Costa Rica – 100% Aventura, Monteverde, ICS Raleigh International: 13X Week 1 to 5, From Britain to Brittany – First week in a camper van, Canoeing the Dordogne from Montignac to Trémolat, Cycling Spain’s Green Coast from Santander to Gijon, One night in a vineyard: Quinta da Padrela, The West Highland Way Part II | Days of Adventure. Sleeping up to 8 people, The Bothy Stable conversion is beautifully designed, offering a warm and inviting open plan 'bunkhouse' style accommodation. Beautiful Lyon holiday cottages, choose from hundreds of great cottages and self-catering holiday accommodation in Lyon and the surrounding Loch Lomond and the Trossachs area. Once I had forded the river and walked on a mile or so, I found the shrine down near the fast-flowing Allt Cailliche, to the left of the narrowing path. At the far end of the loch is Killin and the Falls of Dochart, and a superb drive from here to the Bridge of Balgie leads to the top of Glen Lyon, the longest glen in Scotland. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. From the bothy follow the path up to Loch Treig where you join a good estate track (NN320687) which will take you to Loch Ossian and/or Corrour Station, depending on your chosen destination. Lyon, The Falls of Dochart, Kenmore on Loch Tay, The Queen’s View at Loch Tummel, the Pass of Killiecrankie, Schiehallion and Ben Lawers. The Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon National Scenic Area is a national scenic area (NSA) covering the area surrounding Loch Rannoch, Glen Lyon, and the Ben Lawers ranges of mountains in Scotland. No bike? Loch Lyon (Scottish Gaelic, Loch Lìobhann) is a freshwater loch in Glen Lyon, located in Perthshire, Scotland, which feeds the River Lyon, a tributary of the River Tay. Easy riding along Loch Lyon After the speedy downhill to the dam, it was a longish tarmac stretch to Bridge of Balgie, where I made a brief stop at the tea room to top up on cold fizzy drinks and take the edge off the heat. It’s a long enough walk but not especially difficult; the only challenge presents itself when you come to Allt Meran, a plucky little river that has to be crossed before you can carry on west into Glen Cailliche. No other trekkers joined us for the night whilst we cooked up a hearty dinner of … Sharon Blackie and her walking companion in the Highlands. There are two cairns - the first has a stunning view up Glen Lyon flanked by all its ranges, whilst the second - the true summit - has a broken trig point and a view over Loch Rannoch. In a remote Highland glen, inaccessible by car, lies a unique and hidden treasure. The Bothy enjoys all the benefits of being located in the Highlands, while remaining very accessible; Perth is only 37 miles via the A9, and Edinburgh, Glasgow and their airports are within 90 miles. Construction is to be stone and slate and the accommodation is to be arranged over one and a half storeys. There they’d stay until the house was rethatched for the winter, and they’d be moved inside again at Samhuinn eve (31 October, the Gaelic end of harvest festival). More information. Aberfeldy, Kenmore, Fearnan circuit. A walk to a remote pre-Christian shrine leaves our writer reflecting on the power of a mythical Highland woman – and how she is the perfect role model for our times, Last modified on Tue 5 Nov 2019 14.28 GMT. Even on this rare rain-free day, I felt as if I was walking through a waterworld. Peak and mix: adventure activities in Glen Coe, Scotland, Des res … the stone hut of Tigh nam Bodach, near Glen Lyon. The head of Glen Lyon is an intriguing place, with the far end of the loch being only four miles from Bridge of Orchy and the West Highland Railway. The folk tradition here says that the Cailleach and her family were once given shelter in the glen during a period of heavy snow; they liked it, and so stayed a while. ... also the beautiful Loch Tay near Aberfeldy and Glen Lyon which stretches some 34 miles and has some of Perthshire's finest scenery. Around the River Lyon. If you have any questions, please comment here or email me and I’ll be happy to help! I set off on the dirt road along Loch Lyon’s northern shore, heading west on the five-mile hike to the Cailleach’s glen. The loch glistened on my left and waterfalls and tiny streams tumbled down the mountains on my right. Glen Lyon, Glen Lochay, Killin, Loch Tay circuit . Our lunch spot was on the shore before walking west up a beautiful narrow V-valley to a three-room, two-storey bothy at grid reference 296678. Our Hilltop Bothy is set in an exclusive location at 2000 ft. With our locally crafted interiors, bio fuel log burning stove and cosy lighting, our intimate Hilltop Bothy brings a small event to life. En-Suite bathrooms ), you accept that third-party cookies will be set stone and slate and the bothy Located. This will include two reception rooms, six bedrooms ( four with en-suite )..., glen Lochay, Killin, Loch Tay and the surrounding meadows and woodlands small... The Highlands ( Log out / Change ), you accept that third-party cookies will be.. 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