In Town
On Thursday, the plan was to take it easy, recover, and do some recon. I wanted to scope out some nearby options where I could go wild camping, and also check on the quality of the path to Dibidil, the second bothy on the island.
After sleeping in, I headed out to the Dibidil path first, since it starts directly behind the bunkhouse. With several days of no rain (and the super hot day Wednesday) it was looking dry, which was a good sign: this path includes some big stream crossings that can be pretty dangerous when the streams are “in spate” (flowing high and fast, usually after a lot of rain) so I wanted to be sure to plan my trek for the best conditions.
Next, I headed over to the Coire Dubh (Cory-doob) trail since I’d heard that it led to some good (non-boggy) spots for camping. Even though I was staying at the bunkhouse, I wanted to try one night wild camping and take advantage of Scotland’s Outdoor Access Code, which ensures people can go on most land in the country, that it can’t be roped off or charged for. It’s a really interesting concept that speaks to their commitment to making wild, beautiful places accessible to everyone.
The Coire Dubh trail was steep but short, and even just a little ways up the path there were some great views of Kinloch.
View looking back down at Kinloch Village and Loch Scresort from the Coire Dubh trail
Feeling much better after a good sleep!
With the recon finished, it was time for some writing. I posted up at the picnic tables outside the general store, where I got to talk to some day trippers (during the summers, there is a once a week ferry on Thursdays that drops folks off for three hours — way too little time if you ask me!). I heard some amazing stories though — it’s so lovely being able to chat with people from all over the world. I also had a little friend keep me company as I wrote:
Mostly in it for the bread
