I know December is a wee while away however I spotted a thread on mountain bothies Scotland fb page which said Duinish has no front door at present. Seems the surround is rotten. There is a gate in place just now to keep animals out. Do we want to consider a possible alternative? I'll keep an eye on the thread.

Been tempted to head up North fir a long time, and this looks like a perfect excuse to do that..
Do we need to be on a fat bike, as my 9zero7 needs some TLC..
Would my Krampus suffice?
Oh, and how the hell do you pack a winter doss bag..
Or does the idea of a quilt & summer doss bag come across as a daft one..
I only ask as I know I can fit both into my kit..

I took my 3 and 1 season quilts to Iceland with me in May, was very versatile and packed about the same as my winter bag.

I'm going to take the Ice Cream Truck, pack my ancient holofil 4 season bag in the front harness and pretend I'm doing the ITI, even though it will be 10 degrees and pishing doon

I'll be on 2.3x26 so I'm hoping global warming's a real thing!

Perthshire

Gets my vote

If a bothy, then Duinish would allow an approach from either north or south,

Definitely approach from the south, and spend ages looking into the heather for small yellow objects.

. I'm led to believe the direct descent to Blair Atholl via Loch Bhac is worthwhile.

Although I used the other way down, I'd suggest that descent wants to be dry to be fun. Especially with loaded bikes.

What’s the approach to Ben Alder Cottage like along Loch Ericht? I’ve walked out from Culra to Dalwhinnie but never right along the loch. It could be an option as it has both long and short approaches and is reachable from trains on both the East and West coasts with a bit of trudging.

AlasdairMc wrote:What’s the approach to Ben Alder Cottage like along Loch Ericht? I’ve walked out from Culra to Dalwhinnie but never right along the loch. It could be an option as it has both long and short approaches and is reachable from trains on both the East and West coasts with a bit of trudging.

In Phoebe Smith's "Book of the Bothy" she describes heading that way. Even accounting for hyperbole I don't think I'd use it. Not many shots on geograph.org.uk either.

Last time I went that way it was pants, but that was 23 years ago!

From Rannoch Station it's down the road to join the HT550 route at Bridge of Gaur. This is fine apart from the last 2Km before the cottage which is a bit of a bog fest.

whitestone wrote:From Rannoch Station it's down the road to join the HT550 route at Bridge of Gaur. This is fine apart from the last 2Km before the cottage which is a bit of a bog fest.

I know that part well, just wondering if there was an easy East Coast approach that didn’t involve riding that amazing Ben Alder singletrack the wrong way. I suspect it’d be pretty poor in the other direction.

I also wonder if the bog trot gets any better in winter through freezing over?

AlasdairMc wrote:

whitestone wrote:From Rannoch Station it's down the road to join the HT550 route at Bridge of Gaur. This is fine apart from the last 2Km before the cottage which is a bit of a bog fest.

I know that part well, just wondering if there was an easy East Coast approach that didn’t involve riding that amazing Ben Alder singletrack the wrong way. I suspect it’d be pretty poor in the other direction.

I also wonder if the bog trot gets any better in winter through freezing over?

It wasn't frozen over last New Year

The Vertebrate guide has that singletrack in the opposite direction before hike-a-bike back over the Bealach Breabag and the singletrack from there down to Culra is meant to be good.

Curla to Ben Alder,singletrack is good in both directions ,good as an out and back
The bawbag is a toughie prefer the out and back pretty much all rideable apart from the steep bit at bealach dubh

The shore path is a scramble you get to within a K of the bothy and are faced with 30 degree screee / slabs. Better to bung a packraft on the bar roll...

What Maddy says - Beallach dubh single track ace in both directions. You could ride out from the bothy over the Ben alder path, the descent of which is supposed to be like the bealach dubh trail, but more. Annoyingly I have yet to do this..... I'd rather do this than the boggy bit in December. Or just do Culra as its still open and the main room doesn't appear to have any exposed asbestos or damaged panneling that I could see.

I scoped another Bothy just north of Dunkeld which I thought would be a good option - the bothy is ace, but the approach is a swamp in places.....

htrider wrote:Or just do Culra as its still open and the main room doesn't appear to have any exposed asbestos or damaged panneling that I could see.

I'd be up for this as I believe asbestos is only dodgy if it's being handled or broken up which causes the release of the dangerous particles, tell me if I'm wrong.

I suppose Culra is guaranteed to be quiet!!

htrider wrote:.

I scoped another Bothy just north of Dunkeld which I thought would be a good option - the bothy is ace, but the approach is a swamp in places.....

Ordie? I've never seen that dry.

ScotRoutes wrote:

htrider wrote:.

I scoped another Bothy just north of Dunkeld which I thought would be a good option - the bothy is ace, but the approach is a swamp in places.....

Ordie? I've never seen that dry.

Thats the one.... Bet it was dry back in May!

In similar mode to the comments on the Northern winter bivvy thread - could someone please translate a simple date and location for this? I keep reading it and I am not sure I follow what or where is meant.

Borderer wrote:In similar mode to the comments on the Northern winter bivvy thread - could someone please translate a simple date and location for this? I keep reading it and I am not sure I follow what or where is meant.

Easy.

It's going to be the 16th/17th because that's the boss's rules. But Ray wants to come along and can't make that weekend it so it might be moved.


Duinish bothy would be perfect, but it currently doesn't have a door (I'm going to go have a look soon).

Culra is perfect - but they've found asbestos in one of the rooms.

Ben Alder cottage is perfect apart from the lochside scramble.

The bothy at Loch Ordie involves navigating a knee-deep bog.


I'm just keeping the 16th/17th free on the basis that we'll come up with a location in time.

Of course, we could actually, you know, bivvy????

Thank you much clearer now

If it’s any use to anyone I went via Tummel Forest starting at the road just before Easter Bohespic, on the forest track, coming out before Edintian, then across to Tomanraid (no track but rideable fully loaded), then across the top and down to Blair Atholl...
Mind you this was a long time ago ! 1997

ScotRoutes wrote:It's going to be the 16th/17th because that's the boss's rules. But Ray wants to come along and can't make that weekend it so it might be moved.

Hi, sorry but no, I do not want to move the date. Moving the date was mentioned by someone but I'd rather leave it as it is, if I can't make it then so be it.

ScotRoutes wrote:Of course, we could actually, you know, bivvy????

We could but traditionally the Scottish bivi has always been in a bothy so we can have a cosy drink and chat by the warmth of a fire. Not to say that can't be changed though.