Friday, July 10, 2015

Mangurstadh Bothy - The Hobbit House

Tucked away atop the remote, and wild cliffs of Mangurstadh, you will find an amazing stone structure: The Mangurstadh bothy. From the photos below you'll understand why some people have referred to it as a 'Hobbit House'.

It was built by the parents of Linda Norgrove, who was taken hostage in Afghanistan in September of 2010, and died during a rescue attempt a month later. Her parents created the Linda Norgorve Foundation to carry on Linda's work in Afghanistan.

Mangurstadh lies five kilometers southwest of Uig beach. To get to the bothy you drive a half kilometer north from the road junction in Mangurstadh, and then walk a half-kilometer west to the cliffs. The bothy is small, with a platform that might just fit two people, a bench, and a small wood/peat burning fireplace. 

I was looking forward to spending the night there, and seeing the blink of the Flannan Isles light, which lies 30 kilometers offshore. But when I was in the area there were two fellows in extended residence. It would be a bit tight, so I decided to try again next year.

If you want to spend the night in the bothy, the Norgroves, who live in Mangurstadh, ask that you let them know ahead of time (contact details are posted in the bothy). Here are a few photos of the spectacular Mangurstadh bothy.

Mangurstadh Cliffs
Bothy seen from above - Eilean Molach in the distance
The Bothy - 1
The Bothy - 2
The bothy - 3
The fireplace
Sleeping platform, window, and bench

No comments:

Post a Comment