The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Braw bothy a magical destination where the sky is the limit
Rebecca Hay discovers a quite magical destination that delivers stunning views and breathtaking scenery in abundance
“Hurrah, bonfire night has come early ,’’ cheered 11-yearold Flossie as we watched fascinated as a shooting star lit up the sky. Not for us a cold November night wrapped up, drinking hot soup to keep warm. Instead, we decided to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night early with a trip to the Dark Skies Park in Galloway.
Our viewing station was a very special place indeed. Perched majestically on top of a hill, with a perfect view of Loch Ken, lies an allsinging, all-dancing eco bothy.
And not an ordinary “shelter’’, as the only footprint you will leave when visiting this one is your own, in the ground.
It’s the brainchild of Richard and Heather Herman, who run Galloway Activity Centre in Parton, just outside Castle Douglas, in southwest Scotland.
The couple are committed to doing their best for the environment, and why not, when you have some of the most scenic landscape in the country around you.
The bothy opened its doors in September, six months late thanks to the pandemic, and the Hermans hope it will be their life-saver, as Covid has hit them hard, but they are gradually fighting back.
Known officially as the Osprey – but to my family, the beehive, not only because of its shape, but the wonderful smell of wax on the wooden floors – the bothy is a wonderful creation.
Built to cater for six, it has three en suite bedrooms, a drying room and an upstairs open-plan lounge and kitchen with all the mod cons of five-star accommodation.
There are a couple of special extras too – a wood-fired Scandinavian hot tub outside to enjoy the stars in comfort, and a boatshed at the edge of the loch, with a couple of two-man kayaks and paddle boards to try out on the calm waters of Loch Ken.
Built on passive principles and completely off-grid, the bothy has its own solar array, mechanical ventilation and heat recovery, and a back-up generator and floor-to-ceiling log-burning stove.
There is a huge mezzanine in the lounge ceiling so you can see the stars indoors, and the room opens up to give a glass-fronted sweeping view of the loch.
During our visit, the moon shone brightly down on to the water, creating a magical effect.
A wooden staircase takes you up to a viewing room, complete with telescope.
For us, the outdoors was the best way to appreciate this special place.
Given official status as a Dark Sky Park in 2009, Galloway is one of only four to gain the honour in the western world and is one of two gold-tier parks in the UK thanks to its breathtaking and rare star-gazing conditions.
Promoted by VisitScotland, it is so special because very few people live in the 300 square metres of forest and hills, so the nights are really black and this gives you a chance to see more than 7,000 stars and planets.
Just up the road near Dalmellington is The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory, which is based within the Galloway and South Ayrshire UNESCO biosphere and is open to the public and amateur astronomers.
Richard and Heather are also committed to protecting the environment and have just been awarded the Dumfries and Galloway Biosphere Certification, which marks their willingness to protect the natural beauty of Loch Ken.
They are also ambassadors for sustainable
tourism and have won a gold award from the Crichton Carbon Centre for their work.
The activity centre which surrounds the bothy, and other types of environmentally friendly accommodation, is based on getting people outdoors to appreciate the natural beauty, and maybe spot a red squirrel or two.
Wet and dry activities are in abundance and proved a big hit with Flossie and her brother Ruaridh, 13, and even their dad and I joined in.
Paddle boarding was our first adventure, and under the watchful eye of affable instructor Arthur, even the oldies managed to stand up after a few wobbles and we were soon enjoying the beauty of our surroundings.
In fact, we had so much fun that the next day we were back on the water and bravely tried out our in-house kayaks.
Back on land and feeling competitive, we tried our hands at archery and laser tag, and while I took the honours with a bullseye, thanks to my trusty bow and arrow, they got their revenge and ran rings rounds us in the forest with our pretend guns.
We had so much fun in this very special part of Scotland, where the sky really is the limit.