The mark of a good bothy.

We stopped by one of the few beaches on Loch Long and enjoyed an excellent luncheon in this sheltered spot.

We could not stay long  as we were not even halfway to Lochgoilhead...

...but we could not resist a further stop at Mark Ferry cottage. Before the mountain road (which we used to leave a shuttle car) was built into Lochgoilhead, a ferry crossed to here on the Ardgartan peninsula, between Loch Long and Loch Goil. The ferry left from Portincaple on the other side of Loch Long.

The cottage is now maintained by the Mountain Bothy Association and as you can see from the roof, they are doing a great job.

What a great bothy, everything was neat and organised.

It is very well equipped with an excellent fireplace...

and a separate bedroom.  Clearly it is not near enough a road end to attract the neds (Non Educatit Delinqwints) it has been very well looked after.

In the woods behind the bothy, there was no sign of trees having been hacked down for firewood. The grass was still frosted and unsullied by human faeces which surround many of the bothies that attract the neds.

Despite its remote location on the west side of Loch Long, at one time, Mark Ferry cottage was once home to Scotland's oldest man.

A photo above the bothy fireplace commemorates his residence in the cottage. James Grieve is shown here in 1905, seated on the right of the photo. He was 105 at the time and lived till he was 110. The "old man" standing next to him was actually his son who was often mistaken for him. At the time this photo was taken the son was probably about 80 so it was an easy mistake to make!