coire fionnaraich bothy

our day started off surprisingly pleasant with the weather as the sun was shining & it was warm out, despite the forecast saying otherwise.

little had just got a new pair of hiking boots so this made the perfect walk to test them out with.  the path is well established the whole way with a mix of terrain to go over with few stream crossings that i had to lift her over for.  she said she enjoyed the section with rock steps the most.  thankfully the new boots were waterproof, because not long after we set off the rain clouds made an appearance & started spitting at us frequently.

about 3/4 of the way to the bothy there is a bridge to cross the river.  it's a sturdy bridge however there is a few slats missing in the middle giving you a very open view to the passing water below, which i can imagine feels a tad touch & go in high spate!  cooper our pup, despite being a spaniel, isn't a fan of water so these missing slats were enough for him to refuse to cross.  good thing he had his harness on as he had to be carried across like a suitcase lol

not long after you cross the bridge is when the bothy first comes into view from the path.  it looks absolutely minuscule in the glen surrounded by the mountains towering over it & the perfect place to shelter from the downpours.

we were glad to finally reach the bothy to get out of the rain that had started coming down fast.  little decided she wanted carried the last 15 minutes of the way, to which i was somewhat glad at.  less time walking at toddler pace means less time getting wet!

inside the bothy there is two common rooms downstairs & and an upstairs with 3 rooms.  i never noticed the upstairs the first time i passed by, so that was a fun surprise.  lots of seating areas & a good sturdy table with previous logbooks on it too.  soggy pup was glad to have some shelter & a quick carrot break to restore his energy.

we didn't stay overly long inside the bothy due to the coldness inside.  not bringing in firewood with us meant it was just as chilly, if not chillier, inside than out because we were wet.  i gave my spare jacket & jumper to little to keep her warm while she had her lunch so i was starting to feel the cold too.  the rain also did not ease up at all over lunch so sooner or later we would have to embrace it again!

to say we got soaked through when we left the bothy would be putting it absolutely mildly.  at some point on the return back, we stopped avoiding in the streams that were forming & just walked straight through them.  littles hiking boots are waterproof but one of the puddles went over the top & flooded her feet.  to save any unnecessary uncomfort while walking back, i just carried her the rest of the way on my shoulders.  a good leg work out to say the least lol.

holding her feet meant the water was running straight down her legs & into the my jacket, her gloves had slipped off enough for the water to make way into those, my feet were waterlogged & the dog was resembling a drowned rat.  it sounds miserable, but we honestly had such a blast.  she was laughing & smiling the whole way back due to how ridiculous we both looked, which made me so happy.  there was nothing we could do once we were wet, so why avoid it any further!

i of course did not take any change of clothes for me as i forgot, so the hour drive home felt a whole lot longer while i shivered & tried to warm up.  little was happy as with her fresh clothes & spare socks.  depsite the cold room for lunch, the soaking clothes & the rain, little enjoyed herself.  she has asked for another outing like it, so i'll take it as a win.