Hi Folks,
I hope you all had a good Easter and enjoyed your Easter Eggs. After Easter, thoughts turn to the May Long Weekend. This year’s May long weekend is from Friday 28th April- Monday 1st May and we will be going to a new area, and the LSCC’s new hut- Ronnan Cottage in Aultbea. The Dundonnell Hills, Torridon and Fisherfield are accessible from here, along with Slioch and the beaches of Gairloch, and beautiful scenery.
The Hut was officially opened on the Easter weekend, so it is pretty much brand new! (indeed, there are a couple of wee jobs still be done apparently). The LSCC’s other 2 huts (Milehouse and Blackrock) are already Club favourites. This is bound to be up to the same high standards of comfort and joy, with all the usual refinements. Here is some information about it.
Location: Ronnan Cottage is situated on Loch Ewe, 7 miles North of Poolewe in Aultbea village on the coast road between the Aultbea Hotel and the village shop. The Aultbea Post Office is attached to the Cottage. OS Grid Ref. NG 873891 (Ronnan Cottage, 7 Aultbea, Ross-shire, IV22 2JA aka Belmont House).
Directions: If coming from the North ie via Braemore Junction and Dundonnell, turn right down into Aultbea and turn right again onto the shore road opposite the Aultbea Hotel. If coming from the South ie via Gairloch and Poolewe turn left down into Aultbea and pass the Hotel on your left hand side. After the Aultbea Hotel there is a small road on the right leading to Forbes Garage then a row of white cottages. Ronnan Cottage is the last of these cottages just before a second small road which leads steeply up to two houses. Park on this road opposite the Post Office door in a small marked out lay-by. Two of these spaces are for Ronnan Cottage. The other spaces are for PO users. One car can also be parked in front of the garage through the large gate to the side of the cottage. Please park sensitively, there is plenty of room near the recycling bins on the road to the garage.
Access: Parking is in the designated parking area opposite the Post Office door. Entrance is either through the side or front gate. It is not appropriate to sleep in a campervan outside the cottage. Anyone wishing to sleep in a van should drive out of the village at night. Camping in the grounds is also not allowed (nearest campsite is Inverewe Gardens Campsite Poolewe. Website: http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/campsites/uk/highlands/achnasheen/inverewegardens?gclid=CPqLrN_atdMCFU2RGwodH8kEmQ )
Accommodation: Ronnan Cottage sleeps 8 in three bedrooms, one downstairs with two beds and two upstairs each with three beds. The beds have mattresses and pillows please bring sleeping bags and pillow cases. The shower room with wash hand basin and WC is also upstairs. Downstairs there is a well equipped kitchen, a dining room and a living room. There is also a store room for food boxes and a second WC.
Facilities: There are electric panel heaters throughout which are operated on an old £1/£2 coin meter system. The shower and all main room sockets are also coin operated. The kitchen facilities and winter storage heaters are included in the night tariff (this is similar to Milehouse). The small back porch has a dehumidifier, bar heater and racks for drying boots and wet outdoor clothes. The garage can be used for rinsing and drying kayaking gear.
The cost of the accommodation is £10 pp/pn and Petrol will be £25. It might be an idea to bring a tea towel too. Please remember to bring old £1 coins as well as £2 coins for the coin meters.
Phone will be on Tuesday 25th April 8pm- 9pm only, to Ian. Prospective members should get in touch via the contact form. Guest spaces subject to availability.
There is no-one in before us this coming week, so if you would like to go up a day or 2 early this is possible, just let me (Karen) know, so I can arrange it and with the custodian, and give you the code for the key safe. There is a group coming in on Monday May 1st, so we have been asked to leave by mid-day. That said, if you want to do something on Monday and leave gear to pick up on the way home, or have a shower before you go home I can arrange this via the custodian- they will send me a contact number for the incoming group. Please let me know beforehand if you think you might want to do this, so I can get the necessary information from the Custodian.
Upcoming Meets: Mid-May Camping Meet 12th– 14th May and The Naismith Hut, Elphin, 9th– 11th June.
So a longer email from me this time, and lots of new information. I hope you’ve got this far! J
See you at Ronnan,
All the best,
Karen,
Your ever cheerful Meets Secretary.
Ancrum Mountaineering Club 