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Oban Bothy and back

Oban Bothy and back


Postby guido2706 » Mon Jan 20, 2020 2:23 pm

Hi everyone,

I am new in this forum and hope to get some help from experienced bothy hikers here. :)

My wife and I (we are from Germany) plan to hike beginning of April from Strathan to Glen Pean bothy and the following day from Glen Pean bothy to Oban bothy.
As we want to leave our car in Strathan, can you recommend us how to get back there? Do we have to hike all the way back or is there any alternative? Is it probably possible to be picked up by boat and then take a bus / taxi from there? Or what would be the closest occasion to get back into public? :)
Any other completely different idea or hint would be also welcome.

Thanks in advance!

Guido
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Re: Oban Bothy and back

Postby Essan » Mon Jan 20, 2020 8:41 pm

You could walk back via Gleann an Lochain Eanaiche and A'Chuil bothy. It involves a bit of a scramble up the rocky headland of Sron a Chroin to the ruins of Kinlochmorar. There is then an old stalker's path most of the way up the glen (or used to be - it's over 30 years since I did this!) but it disappears past the lochan. The route is obvious though. I'm not sure how easy it is these days to get through the forestry when you reach Glen Dessarry but eventually you come across a good forestry track that takes you past A'Chuil and then back to Strathan.

Alternatively you could climb back over the Corbett Carn Mor?

There are no other viable routes back to Strathan - unless you walk out via Meoble to Lochailort, then get the train to Glenfinnan and and then cross back to Strathan via Corryhully and the Streap pass - which would take a couple of days. Depends on how long you have.

Strathan to Oban can be done in a day - make sure you keep to the south side of Lochan Leum an t-Sagairt (there is a path, though not always easy to find)
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Re: Oban Bothy and back

Postby Mal Grey » Mon Jan 20, 2020 9:08 pm

Hi. As above really.

There is no simple way back out from Oban bothy other than under your own steam*. You're also starting at the end of a tiny little road that takes a good hour to drive down so can't get back there on public transport.

The loop mentioned by Essan back round to A'Chuil is probably the "simplest" option but beware; you are in the roughest, wildest and most remote part of the Highlands so it will be tough going.

Glen Pean to Oban will also take longer than you might think!

[*Saying that, if you contacted the relevant estates, it not impossible that you could arrange a boat along Loch Morar, but it will cost you, and there is no public ferry or similar.
In theory you could walk out to Tarbet on Loch Nevis, where there is a ferry service to Mallaig and the railway. It would be tough walking again to get there, ferry timings are fairly irregular, and the train only a few times a day. Then, of course, you'd need to get back from say Glenfinnan station to Strathan, unless you went all the way back to Fort William and hired a taxi to take you to Strathan!]

Saying all that, don't be put off; the joy of all this is the wonderful wild country, I'd just work out a few days circuit, take it slowly and enjoy the atmosphere.
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Re: Oban Bothy and back

Postby malky_c » Mon Jan 20, 2020 10:23 pm

It certainly was possible to get a boat if you call the right estate, but it isn't cheap! See this report for details:
http://www.scottishhills.com/html/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=15575

Probably worth noting this was 7 years ago, so things may have changed.
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Re: Oban Bothy and back

Postby guido2706 » Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:26 pm

Thanks much for the very soon and detailed replies!
I think we will follow the initial plan to get over Glen Pean bothy to Oban bothy in 2 days and get the same way back in one day (as we clearly know the route then).
In case it‘s too hard we could still decide to stay one more night in Glen Pean on the way back.

Probably I‘ll also try to call the boatsman. 70 Pounds sounds okay (thanks for the link, pretty nice pictures).

Cheers,
Guido
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