The cheery sight of its bright, whitewashed exterior has brought relief to many a weary traveller, and there are numerous tales in the log book of dangerous river crossings and arduous tramping over the unforgiving terrain to get here. And once we were down at lower levels and I could stop-with-the-fear-already, the sense of remoteness, beauty and tranquillity won through. I would happily hermitage at either of the Bothies (is that the right use of the word?) for a few weeks. Explore Kinloch and Kinloch Castle. The small community at Kinloch is predominantly inhabited by staff from Nature Scot and their families, but even so it features a shop, a comfortable bunkhouse, and a café.

Kylesku Hotel serves excellent fresh sea food, and organises boat trips to the bothy and waterfall. The interior of Guirdil has been left as an open shell divided by a single wooden partition, while the roof space has a neatly designed sleeping platform for four, accessed by a ladder. The right hand section is the communal space, the main focus a large well-drawing hearth with an impressive stone mantlepiece and a fine set of antlers above. The cottage was built during the mid- 19th century and its name derives from the Gaelic, bhuidhe meaning ‘yellow’ and maol, ‘bald-headed’ or ‘rounded place’. On the upside, the majority of the route is level, although towards Kilmory there are a few long inclines that will almost certainly get the heart pumping.Fishing pots at Guirdil Bothy. Part of Bloodstone Hill over to the right rearing above the bothy. A map of Rum and some info on the MBA and how the bothy came to be made interesting reading. http://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/ Evening on Guirdil beach, great sunset albeit a tad chilly Steve tends the seaweed fire at Guirdil Bothy. And looking pretty stern with all that responsibility too. Rum is also home to over 900 red deer which have been part of the world’s longest-running study into a wild animal population since the early 1950s. The southern half of Rum is home to the monumental Rum Cuillin Ridge – a mountainous series of peaks that culminates with the Askival Corbett at 2,660 feet. Traversing these ridges is a challenge for even advanced hikers but it has to be one of the most enjoyable ways to experience the island. There is a certain mystical quality associated with Maol Bhuidhe, a lonesome homestead which lies in the heart of the remote, roadless territory between Glen Carron and Glen Shiel.

It feels incredible to have your product, that really is a labour of love, recognised by such prestigious awards”, says Kim Cameron, founder of the Gin Bothy and Rum Bothy. “ As a small independent producer a 3 star Great Taste Award can be a game changer as it has such credibility in the food and drink sector, opening retailer listings that we wouldn’t have had before. We were also winners in 2016 for our Gunshot gin so to also have one for our Rum is fantastic. It makes us now the most award-winning Great Taste spirit producer in Scotland, with the majority of our range holding these awards.” The bothy is a simple structure of wood and stone with two small windows facing west out to sea and two skylights in the roof. From a tiny entrance, you step down into a cosy but fairly cramped space with a raised platform to the left that can sleep two, a separate bench, and a wee fireplace and grate. The stone roof is supported by a central wooden stake, with a wigwam of beams radiating from it. Key Attractions:The idea was to head off from Kinloch (where the ferry comes in) and walk across the mountains of Barkeval, Hallival, Askival, Trollaval, Ainshval and Sgurr nan Gillean. The walk from the ferry jetty to Kinloch Castle only takes around ten minutes so I was hoping to have lots of time to explore the interior, but sadly it was closed, though from speaking to a local it’s hoped to open for tours in the near future. Stac Dhòmhnaill Chaim, a fortified promontory 500 yds south of the bothy, was built in the 17th century by local hero and clan chief, Donald Cam Macaulay. The Rum Cuillin provide one of the finest but most demanding hill circuits in all Scotland; an unsurpassed combination of mountain and sea with unforgettable views. The route is extremely arduous; whilst the scrambling is mostly straightforward, careful route finding is essential - the route is also very committing with few escape options. It covers the 5 major summits on Rum, including 2 Corbetts and a Fiona. Terrain Rest assured it is a wonderful balance between brown sugar and complex tasting notes (as a previous review has stated - like cloves, nutmeg, and warmth from saffron) that you might expect from two different styles of rum.

Perfect for an expedition up the north-facing coires of the Corbetts Aonach Buidhe (899m) to the south, and Ben Dronaig (797m) to the northwest. The first place we came across from Dibidil was the abandoned hunting lodge at papadil. Which I now know (see the link on the last post) is name associated with early celtic ecclesiastical settlements.The bothy that allows you to see all this and more is a hunting lodge built in 1877. 15 metres from the bothy there's the remains of a farmhouse, which now lies in ruin, but the date carved into one of the extended beams beneath the roof. The building was abandoned 40 years ago and had become a little the worse for wear when an MBA renovation team extensively refurbished both the interior and exterior in 2009. By the end of the 1920s, rumours about the bothy being haunted were spread by head stalker Finlay MacIntosh and novelist Ian Macpherson in an attempt to frighten away unwelcome visitors. Over the years the anecdotes were embellished, with various accounts of a poltergeist moving furniture and the mysterious heavy tramp of hob-nailed boots outside the bothy. Ghost stories tend to fire the imagination, and many who visit the bothy leave feeling slightly spooked. Don't let that put you off though - this is one of our favourite bothies, or indeed, shelters of any kind, anywhere in Scotland. The route took us essentially south-east to north-west of the island and across a few rivers (burns). There was quite a bit of rough moorland (which I felt at home on) and some steep cliffs that the path shadowed in places. This was to be our first full day on the Isle of Rum, with a traverse of the Cuillins and a stay at Dibidil Bothy that night. Rum ended up beating my expectations by a country mile and I’ve absolutely no hesitation in recommending it to any visitor to Scotland, whether they have a love of wildlife, hill walking, or long cycle rides. Things to Do