286. Peanmeanach Beach

The beautiful Ardnish peninsula was once home to a thriving group of settlements and the remote beach of Peanmeanach was at the heart of the action. The building which is now a popular bothy on the beach began life as the home of the local headmistress (the school itself was just around the bay) and then a post office, before being vacated in the 1940s. Today, the entire peninsula is abandoned and only sad, crumbling reminders of those days remain, apart, of course, from the bothy itself. But first, I have to get here. It’s a long and arduous two hour walk through woodland and hilltops, but it’s well maintained and always interesting. Not for the first time though, I take a wrong turning and end up way off track, losing almost an hour to find my way back to the main path. So by the time I reach the beach I am in need of a rest. A lady from the estate is cleaning out the bothy and offers to show me around in exchange for filling some water canisters from the nearby burn, which I am happy to do. She even throws in an Iron Bru. She tells me the bothy is fully booked all summer, which is testament to its reputation as one of the most sought after bothy escapes in Scotland. It’s no wonder, it sleeps six, is well furnished, has a wood burning stove and a front garden to die for. Three youngsters camping on the beach are undertaking a beach clean, under the instructions of the bothy manager, who tells me any visitors will be press ganged into helping out with chores. She visits once a week by kayak to tidy up. For me, I have a look around both bothy and beach, and begin the long walk back to the car. From here, it’s back east to Inverness Airport under the strong sun that has shone constantly for the whole three days. A perfect Spring escape comes to an end.