Milehouse, Glen Feshie

26-28 November 1999

Present: Helen & Peter I

It was very windy on the Saturday so we decided to walk around Loch an Eilein and on from the far end through the forest to an MBA bothy whose name I can't remember. As we were walking to the bothy we could see a large boulder on the ridge of Creag Dhubh, the northern end of the ridge on the western side of Gleann Einich. As the map showed a path up Coire Follais towards this rock I persuaded Helen that we should go up and have a look, and then come down the other side back into Rothiemurchus forest. The path may have been on the map but the vegetation had other ideas so it was a bit of a struggle, until we got onto the open hill where it became a different sort of struggle; one against the wind. Helen skipped the final bit to the boulder and went straight down Coire Buide on the other side of the ridge, but still got blown over by the wind. The boulder, marked on the map as Clach Mhic Cailein, or the Argyle Stone, didn't seem nearly as big when I got close to it. The views were good with the whole hillside covered with streaming spindrift whipped up by the wind, all lit up by a low angled sun. On the way back down another path proved elusive and we eventually got back to the car in the Loch an Eilein car park just as it was getting dark.

On the Sunday we just came home.

Milehouse itself has changed out of all recognition since the last time I was there (I don't know if the club has been there since it was upgraded). An extension has been built on at the back which probably more than doubles the total size. There is a fine bedroom with two sleeping platforms, loos, showers (I'm pretty sure there were showers), and lots of space inside the new door for kit. The old part of the building is now mostly a kitchen/dining/sitting area, with a small members' bedroom. The kitchen bit isn't well designed in my opinion and you would struggle to get 12 folk sat down to eat at once, but it is a fine place nonetheless.

Peter I