Rowchoise bothy

9 August 2013

Participants - Neil and Ben
Where - Rowchoise bothy

There was a fair old breeze blowing and the hill tops were covered in clag when we set out from the car park at Rowardennan on the east side of Loch Lomond.....

Despite the condition, the hordes were already starting the climb up Ben Lomond; for us today though it was a leisurely walk along the loch side to have a look at the MBA maintained bothy at Rowchoish. There is a well surfaced FC track apart from the final few hundred yards down to the bothy and it being the middle of summer, there were quite a few groups doing the West Highland Way. They wouldn't see a great deal on this section of the Way as it is heavily wooded, there was only the occasional glimpse of the hills across the loch. This is looking to the Luss hills from early on in the walk....

Although the National Park are taking action against anti-social behaviour on the east side of the loch including restrictions on wild camping, there is still too much of this.....

However, the area was remarkably litter free given the number of folk using this stretch. I suppose that it's about 4 miles to the bothy. I was pleased to find it in good condition. Here are a few pictures of the outside.....

 

and of the inside. It is pretty basic, no wooden floors and sleeping bunks here, just the essential shelter from the elements with a fireplace and with plenty of fallen timber nearby for the fire. Ben had a good look round, before I did a bit of tidying up.....

I always find Rowchoise a bit of a gloomy place. There is a drawing on the wall showing the old cottage and byre as they were in 1929....

It must have been a fine place to live at that time with a number of other families living round about and with uninterrupted access to the loch side and the magnificent views across the water to the Arrochar Alps. A former MBA  Maintenance Officer, Jim McKenna, has put a note on the wall recording that as late as 1759, there were 9 families living in the vicinity with at least three more settlements between them and Inversnaid, a few miles further up the loch. The bothy was the byre of Rowchoish cottage which was occupied until the late thirties. It is the only building left standing. Nature has taken its course, aided by the FC. Trees are all around, and thick vegetation, giving the whole place an air of neglect (apart from the bothy, of course!).

After leaving the bothy, I had a look around for the remains of some of the other houses. Bits of Rowchoise cottage still stand.....

and not far away were what remains of another cottage, now with trees growing in the middle of what was probably the main room of someone's accommodation.....

 All a bit sad, but at least the record of this settlement remains through the restored building that today serves as the bothy. The Association is always looking for new members to assist with its work, either by attending work parties or by contributing to the purchase of materials through subscriptions and donations. You can join the MBA at http://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/joinus.asp