Spooky bothy

[Sunset tripper]

Having said that it was a great trip overall and the bothy was in great condition.
I don't want to put anyone off going.

[Lightfoot2017]

Spent a few nights on my tod at the bothy on the way up from Glen Tanar to Mount Keen. (I'm sure some folks on here will be able to name it, but my memory escapes me).

As a 17yo that was pretty spooky. No weird noises or anything untoward. Just the very oppressive feeling of being ALONE. I relish those feelings these days when I'm out on the hill.

Funny thing was I woke up each morning to find cattle staring in the windows at me. Got a few lovely pics as I recall.

[Caberfeidh]

Read this and save me repeating myself... viewtopic.php?f=1&t=52883&p=282599&hilit=+sheilings#p282599

[kevsbald]

Every December I do a bothy trip with Graeme D - the only time I've felt 'spooked' was at Burleywhag - nipped out for a pee through the night and the mist/babbling burn made me nip inside tout de suite. Then, there's the guy at Brattleburn who said he could shave with his axe....true story.

[Graeme D]

Every December I do a bothy trip with Graeme D - the only time I've felt 'spooked' was at Burleywhag - nipped out for a pee through the night and the mist/babbling burn made me nip inside tout de suite. Then, there's the guy at Brattleburn who said he could shave with his axe....true story.

I could definitely hear a banjo playing that night in Brattleburn!

[abs70]

Knockdamph - cold, despite a roaring fire, bleak and creepy... the beds upstairs don't help. In fact any bothy with beds.

[FraserHughes]

Knockdamph - cold, despite a roaring fire, bleak and creepy... the beds upstairs don't help. In fact any bothy with beds.

I'm with you on that. There is something tragic about a metal framed bed with no mattress.

I stopped in Laggan Cottage on Arran by myself this summer and that was pretty creepy. The internal fabric of the place is in bad way; bits of the roof are falling in, some of the stairs and upstairs floor boards are missing, the beds are rusted, and the windows have all been boarded up.

There was also a hole in the door so the whole place was full so roosting sparrows, and sparrow droppings. Someone had nailed up a polythene sheet over the door to one of the rooms, presumably to stop them getting in, but all that had done was make it look like a sealed off crime scene!

Still better than being outside with the midges mind

[nick70]

Knockdamph - cold, despite a roaring fire, bleak and creepy... the beds upstairs don't help. In fact any bothy with beds.

I'm with you on that. There is something tragic about a metal framed bed with no mattress.

I stopped in Laggan Cottage on Arran by myself this summer and that was pretty creepy. The internal fabric of the place is in bad way; bits of the roof are falling in, some of the stairs and upstairs floor boards are missing, the beds are rusted, and the windows have all been boarded up.

There was also a hole in the door so the whole place was full so roosting sparrows, and sparrow droppings. Someone had nailed up a polythene sheet over the door to one of the rooms, presumably to stop them getting in, but all that had done was make it look like a sealed off crime scene!

Still better than being outside with the midges mind

Hi Fraser

I was in the same Laggan Cottage on Saturday 22 September just past there. I can't say I found it that spooky. I never noticed an upstairs though, although to be fair I wasn't looking too hard.

I stayed in the room directly as you come in. Also in that room was a wooden double bed frame (no mattress obviously), but judging by the colouration of the wood, it looked like a new (or relatively) new frame. It seemed bizarre to me, how new it seemed, but I didn't look a gift horse in the mouth and with the side cabinets I was able to stow all my gear rather nicely.

I do wonder what is happening with the cottage though. I did see some sign of an 'Arran estate' phone number about and it did look like there was some gear for some renovations.

I wonder if maybe the MBA can get in touch and actually make it into a bothy before it does actaully become derelict and condemned.

[FraserHughes]

Maybe creepy was the wrong word, I still slept well, but it seemed a sad place. It had the feel of somewhere that had been abandoned quickly, and was now unloved and slowly become derelict.

It sounds like someone has been doing it up a bit though. When I was there the room straight in front was was full of rubbish, broken furniture etc, and swallows! I didn't investigate too much in there as I didn't want to disturb their roost but there definately wasn't a bed...

The stairs are in corner of the room on the right.

It might be a bit accessable for the MBA but it is a fantastic location, I saw an otter and some dolphins on the walk in along the coast, so I do hope the estate are doing something with it. I don't like to see these old buildings falling into disrepair, seems somehow disrepectful the memory of the people who once worked so hard to make a living and a home there. (However, I'm aware that is a rather over-setimental view!)

[Paranormal Producer]

Anyone out there had spooky bothy experience and want to tell me all about it?
I'm a BBC producer making a paranormal series and I'm looking for ghostly Highland happenings. Particularly those from bothies - Ben Alder is a fav. This series is about making sense of our paranormal interactions and experiences - not judging or debunking but exploring.
Email me at Sarah(dot)patten(dot)ext(at)bbc(dot)co(dot)uk.

Thanks!

[Scraggygoat]

I was in Ben Alder once, and another party was telling the McCooks story, of which Ive already heard many permutation’s. Just after he finished, in that moment of silence before someone speaks there was a whoosh and loud thump outside.

Upon investigating unbeknown to us it had been snowing heavily and there had been a big slide off the roof.

In Bearnais one night there was a metallic banging outside a short distance from the Bothy in the small hours. Pee soup fog so we couldn’t see what it was not accurately identifying direction and we couldn’t be bothered to investigate further. No evidence in the morning. But there is the old metal fence line and it was at the end of the rut so there are possibilities.

That was a good trip, arrived, set up before the rain and wrote in the Bothy book I was awaiting the Bearnais Bothy Babes to arrive with coal, whisky and a four course meal, all to be carried to me over several munros.

Another party arrived, having walked in on the flat, read my entry and laughed. I just smiled back. It got dark and they commented that my dreams were over. To which I replied the babes weren’t scared of the dark, and maybe they fancied the Corbett as well. More time past and more mick was taken.

Then the Bothy babes arrived; you should have seen the look on their faces. And yes they had decided to add the Corbett.

[AyrshireAlps]

@WalkWithWallace will tell a spooky tale of how he was locked in a bothy by an eerie stranger, and one of his party was so scared they nearly soiled themselves

[Caberfeidh]

@WalkWithWallace will tell a spooky tale of how he was locked in a bothy by an eerie stranger, and one of his party was so scared they nearly soiled themselves

Did this "Eerie Stranger" have a beard, wear a Sou'wester, smell strongly of Captain Morgan's Dark Spiced Rum and refer frequently to the subject of cannibalism as a means of sustenance?
** asking for a friend

[AyrshireAlps]

No, he actually seemed awrite

[dave munn]

Spent many’s a night in Staoineag and only once felt a little at ease, though most times was with company. Was spooked one night by a stag rustling about outside. In early 80s had a fantastic few days based at Ben Alder in excellent spring conditions. Despite the bothy being quite busy, there was a distinct sense of unease, possibly down to the stories and my youthfulness at the time. Shenavall all has never made me feel like that.