Croft House
This was a bothy trip, which was approached by a 12 mile bike ride.
Bothy |
Distance/Ascent18km 249m out/128m return
|
Estimated Time2h 15min out/2h 00min return
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Parking |
11-12 February 2017
A great thing about living in the Highlands is that there is no driving up the M6/M74. The pleasure begins from the moment I leave the house. It is rare that I venture north of Golspie and it really is a beautiful drive northwards through Brora and on to Helmsdale. From there I took the A897 through Kinbrace and Forsinard.
I think it was my first time driving the section of road between Kinbrace and the A836. With the weather being fine, I stopped periodically to take photos.
Click on the controls below to view the three slides.
Slide 1: I think looking south towards Beinn Dhorain from the Strath of Kildonan. This is an 'A' road!
Slide 2: Looking across Loch an Ruathair towards Ben Griam Mor and Ben Griam Beg.
Slide 3: The level crossing at Forsinard.
I think it was my first time driving the section of road between Kinbrace and the A836. With the weather being fine, I stopped periodically to take photos.
Click on the controls below to view the three slides.
Slide 1: I think looking south towards Beinn Dhorain from the Strath of Kildonan. This is an 'A' road!
Slide 2: Looking across Loch an Ruathair towards Ben Griam Mor and Ben Griam Beg.
Slide 3: The level crossing at Forsinard.
Driving west along the A836, I turned left about a km before the Strathy Inn. There was plenty of parking where the public road turned a sharp right and the track to Croft Cottage continued ahead. I did not know about the wind farm and was not expecting such a smooth or large track.
I do not know the estate's view of driving up this but I would not want to walk all the way up this track, so driving up to the lodge at NC 823 561 would half the walking distance to 6 miles (9km). There are no gates, locked or otherwise before the lodge.
I do not know the estate's view of driving up this but I would not want to walk all the way up this track, so driving up to the lodge at NC 823 561 would half the walking distance to 6 miles (9km). There are no gates, locked or otherwise before the lodge.
After about 5km, The wind farm track and the Croft House track diverged. The "Only authorised vehicles beyond this point" sign inferred that you are allowed to drive to here.
The track eventually reached a locked gate but there was a side gate so I did not need to lift my bike over the gate (which is always a struggle). The track became quite soft and sandy beyond this point, as well as being heavily rutted. Eventually, a ford across the a burn was reached. (Boots and gaiters are advised to save having to remove footwear. The ford is seen in the photos taken during the return journey - see below. It is only about another 500m to the bothy.)
On arrival at the bothy, the first thing I did was collect some water and put on my stove. I had decided to take my old Trangia with a gas burner. This was bit of a mistake as it's performance in these cold temperatures was poor, taking a long time to bring the water to the boil. I should have taken my multi-fuel stove. I then set about making the fire. I consumed a tin of vindaloo chicken with savoury rice before spending the evening attending to the fire, reading the bothy book and drinking Highland Park from my hip flask.
Click on the controls below to view the three slides.
Slide 1: In front of the roaring fire - definitely worth the extra effort of carrying in coal!
Slide 2: LTaken the next morning while packing up my kit - my bed for the night.
Slide 3: The right hand room probably has a better fireplace but this room seemed less cluttered. There was a melted green bottle beneath the crate as well as bits of metal, so I cleared the ashes out and bagged them before putting them in my rucksack for the outward journey.
Slide 4: The right hand room (on entry) - The Carlsberg drinkers packed their empties back into the box but did not take the trouble to carry them back out!
Slides 5 and 6: Croft Cottage on a bright winter morning.
Click on the controls below to view the three slides.
Slide 1: In front of the roaring fire - definitely worth the extra effort of carrying in coal!
Slide 2: LTaken the next morning while packing up my kit - my bed for the night.
Slide 3: The right hand room probably has a better fireplace but this room seemed less cluttered. There was a melted green bottle beneath the crate as well as bits of metal, so I cleared the ashes out and bagged them before putting them in my rucksack for the outward journey.
Slide 4: The right hand room (on entry) - The Carlsberg drinkers packed their empties back into the box but did not take the trouble to carry them back out!
Slides 5 and 6: Croft Cottage on a bright winter morning.
I hadn't slept well. I woke up thinking about work! A headache and general sluggishness meant that I did not head off until around 10:45.
Below: looking back across the ford.
Below: looking back across the ford.
Below: Looking west to Ben Loyal and Ben Hope.
With it being such a fine day, I headed out to Strathy Point. The last time I was here was (I think) the summer of 1997. It was probably colder that day with cold northerly winds!
I could clearly see the Orkneys and Dounreay but the photgraphs did not come out very clear and are not included here.
Click on the controls below to view the three slides.
I could clearly see the Orkneys and Dounreay but the photgraphs did not come out very clear and are not included here.
Click on the controls below to view the three slides.
There was one further stop at the Forsinard RSPB reserve.
Click on the controls below to view the three slides.
Slide 1: My wife is still alive and well - I promise!
Slide 2: The view from the observation tower looking towards Ben Griam Mor and Ben Griam Beg. I did these in 2000 after spraining my ankle a week or so earlier. My ankle was heavily strapped up and the frustration of not getting out in the hills resulted in me forcing myself through the pain.
Slide 3: The Forsinard flows.
Click on the controls below to view the three slides.
Slide 1: My wife is still alive and well - I promise!
Slide 2: The view from the observation tower looking towards Ben Griam Mor and Ben Griam Beg. I did these in 2000 after spraining my ankle a week or so earlier. My ankle was heavily strapped up and the frustration of not getting out in the hills resulted in me forcing myself through the pain.
Slide 3: The Forsinard flows.
Footnote
I believe any other route involves crossing pathless terrain though there is a forestry track coming in from the A897 seen bottom right in the satellite image. I don't think this route would be any shorter and I am sure that it is not quicker.
