Walkhighlands

Has anyone paid a visit to Glenbeg bothy recently - just wondering what state it's in. I know it's not maintained by MBA - not for a long while now and heard a rumour there's a hole in the roof... I'll be taking the tent as always but it's be good to know if it's a disaster zone or not.

Cheers

Where is this Glen Beg Bothy? Last I heard one building had burned down, but the stone building was ok, but that was a while ago.

Was there earlier in the year. Getting dilapidated. Significant hole in roof, evidence of extensive dampness in one room, can’t remember if there was also window damage, front door was sticking. Potentially one or two big storms from the wrong direction away from ruin,

We currently have one of those forecast for this w/e, very hard to predict when a roof will finally go.

Caberfeidh wrote:Where is this Glen Beg Bothy? Last I heard one building had burned down, but the stone building was ok, but that was a while ago.

It is in Gleann Beag and is located about 3 miles (as the crow flies) ENE of Beinn Dearg and the same distance SE of Seana Bhraigh. It is a long way from any road access point, you can get to it following Strath Vaich near Loch Glasnaroch or from Glencalvie lodge at the end of Strachcarron which is in Easter Ross. There looks to be a track leading most of the way to the bothy from either direction implying to me getting to it by bike would be optimal. Looks to be good as a remote alternative base for climbing Seana Bhraigh or Beinn Dearg.

al78 wrote:

Caberfeidh wrote:Where is this Glen Beg Bothy? Last I heard one building had burned down, but the stone building was ok, but that was a while ago.

It is in Gleann Beag and is located about 3 miles (as the crow flies) ENE of Beinn Dearg and the same distance SE of Seana Bhraigh. It is a long way from any road access point, you can get to it following Strath Vaich near Loch Glasnaroch or from Glencalvie lodge at the end of Strachcarron which is in Easter Ross. There looks to be a track leading most of the way to the bothy from either direction implying to me getting to it by bike would be optimal. Looks to be good as a remote alternative base for climbing Seana Bhraigh or Beinn Dearg.

Gotcha, thank you. Way up the back of Altguish Inn then. This one [not my photo]:

Last few Km are intermittently (or mostly) pathless, boggy and defiantly not rideable.

Underfoot from the Bothy to any of the Munro’s is hard going. It is not a Logical Munro bagging launch point. The Bothy is a cold hole in winter, being in a frost hollow. With the roof now partially breached the roof space could hold spindrift, so if you warmed the place up with a fire you could find the ceiling will start dripping, even away from the hole, however it still provides shelter………at present.

I’ve been in several times, but unusually for a Bothy also failed a couple of times. Once grinding to a halt in thigh to waist deep snow in the dark attempting to make after work on a Friday night. Resulting in a bivi, and once caught by a gust of wind on frosted rocks resulting in a twisted nine weight bearing ankle and a long crawl, thankfully on that occasion a bit of snow helped.

It's really a shame it is left to rot. I used it on my way to Cape Wrath in 2016, excellent spot inbetween Beinn Dearg and Seana Bhraigh. Very scenic and equally remote. I encountered lots of stags for a bonus. Back then it was still in an OK condition.

Sad to hear it's going to rack 'n ruin. Stayed there back in January 2012, was a full bothy that night stepping over each other to get outside for a pee.

Thanks for all that - it is a pity it's going the way of all things. I'll re-think.

Thanks again for the heads up.

Scraggygoat wrote:
Underfoot from the Bothy to any of the Munro’s is hard going.

Isn't that what they call character building?

I'll bow to your better knowledge. I just looked at its location on the OS map and it looked like it was possible to climb the nearby munros from it, but OS maps don't usually show the conditions underfoot, and I accept pathless terrain is a lottery as to how hard it will be to progress.

Did Faochagach from there (after Seana Bhraigh). No worse than going up from the Dirrie More. However that was back when munros often came without paths.

It’s perfectly possible to do the Munro’s from the Bothy, but given the long approach, and the lack of paths to get up compared to the good ascending stalkers tracks used for the usual route from Ben Dearg and SB, it’s not a logical baggers approach. Doesn’t mean it’s bad, just effort. Occasionally used for the Corbett which has a good path up it not marked on the map starting a bit further down the glen.

Sadly I didn’t get to stay in the iron lodge in the short time it was open, before it burnt down.

Who knows how long it will last, Glen Licht hut surprisingly survived for two- three or so years with a third of the slates off and a sky light missing before the students fixed it.

We did two Munros: Am Faochagach first then dropped down to the bothy, stayed over night and then Seana Bhraigh on the next day. Cracking route and the bothy is in a totally isolated position.

My friend Iain from Forest Way bunkhouse is going to make some enquiries about the bothy and see if it can be saved. Not very hopeful unless the MBA would take it on again.

Given that this estate has taken back (as they are entitled to do) another Bothy (though several years ago) and converted to differing accommodation, that shortly after they allowed access to the iron lodge it was destroyed by fire, and then rescinded the maintenance agreement with the MBA for Glen Beag, the chances of MBA reinvolvement would appear slim?

Furthermore by re-engaging with the MBA the estate would have to accept that the Bothy would be very widely publicised in a manner quiet different than when it was last cared for by the Mountain Potties Association (how many remember that satirical cover to one newsletter).

Let’s not forget that one internet outdoor wannabe advertised the estates private wildlife hide as a good doss spot…(face palm/bags head against wall).

This is the estate that wants to create an exclusive landscape scale safari park for paying guests and were hoping to enclose the whole area in a fence and designate as a zoo to exclude the land from SOAC.

However to give credit where it is due the lower glen is probably one of the top areas for upland restoration in Scotland after Feshie, Drundreggan, Meggy and debatably ahead of Mar Lodge. It’s well worth seeing the ecological improvement and early stages reforestation, on a spring day it makes your heart sing and something to behold if you knew the glen before. On my last trip I spent an hour or two snoozing in the sun baked lower glen watching little birds flit to and fro, leaping Salmon in the burn and took in the green of spring against the last of higher browns of winter.