The Bliss Of A Bothy

After a strenuous walk, a mountain shelter can offer all you need

- LAUREN FERRIS

SPENDING the night in a Scottish bothy is like She stepping back in time. I offer the chance to stepping back in time. It offers the chance to meet without the distraction of screens. And bothies provide a serene refuge from wind, rain and biting midges - all hallmarks of Scottish summer!

The walk to Allt Scheicheachan bothy begins from Glen Tilt car park, part of the sprawling Atholl Estate, encompassing 58,679 hectares (145,000 acres) of woodland, rivers and moorland. The bothy, the name of which translates to "animal hides", is thought to be an old stalkers' stable originally used for tanning deer skins.

As my partner Jim and I set off with our two dogs, pipe music played in the distance. The path wound gently up through lush forest of Sitka spruce, larch trees and moss. It then opened on to a moorland bustling with black grouse and the song of skylarks. I was grateful for the good track, aware of how much weight coal adds to a rucksack!

The track rose steadily to over 500m (1,640ft), and a herd of red deer eyed us from a ridge across the river.

After a surprisingly tough 10km (6 miles), the path dipped into a fold in the hills for the final descent.