This blog post captures the beauty of the remote Highlands, the joy of female friendships and the highlights of time spent at a very special youth hostel. These are my fond memories, plus all the essential need-to-knows, about Loch Ossian Youth Hostel and Corrour Station.
Written as part of a paid campaign with Hostelling Scotland
As the train slowly pulls away from the lonely station, leaving you on the platform, it carries with it an invisible cargo of whatever stress, anxiety and overstimulation you arrived with.
The platform acts as a portal into a world of wild scenery, divine isolation and instant recalibration to a slower pace
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Welcome to Corrour Station, the highest and most remote railway station in the UK.
1,339ft above sea level, to be precise.
Here on the Corrour Estate, there is no public road access and phone reception sits somewhere on the spectrum between scarce and non-existent. Beyond the last passing train of the day, the station falls silent and any bid for civilisation comes at a distance of 20 miles: on foot or by bike.
Being temporarily stranded here triggers a feeling of complete relief.
Across the train tracks, a small sign points towards a wide gravel path which winds downwards for 1 mile to Loch Ossian Youth Hostel: the base for our adventure. Eager to get there, but not enough so to forfeit a refreshment, we paused for an obligatory, celebratory beer.
Corrour Station House weaves an element of luxury and convenience into an otherwise rustic experience in the remote Highlands. Staffed by the friendliest of folk, and serving a surprisingly high quality of food for a location with a completely captive market, Corrour Station House naturally became our ‘local’ for the duration.
I adopted a daily diet of local venison in various forms: burger, casserole, and Lorne sausage. Their Full Scottish breakfast rivals that of any/the many I’ve had elsewhere in Scotland, and I’ve been dreaming of the pecan blondies ever since.
Treading the trail with our backpacks and big smiles, Loch Ossian soon came into view, perfectly framed by mountains.
Almost camouflaged by a cluster of trees, a wee green building emerged into the inviting scene up ahead: a true Highland oasis and home for the next three nights.
We swiftly deposited our bags in the female dorm, changed into our swimwear, and made our way down the delightfully convenient series of steps to access Loch Ossian for a cooling dip in its depths; the most idyllic initiation to our time at this special place.
Once upon a time, when the hostel was off-grid and without hot showers, the loch was essentially a giant bath for hostellers in need of a wee wash. I adopted this exact approach, and only used the hot water indoors for my hands and face.
Warmed by a cup of tea, while our wet bikinis and towels were cast up like flags on the pulley above the wood-burner in the wooden-clad lounge, I knew we would be very happy here.
Jan, the hostel heroine and manager of 12 years, is a softly spoken, free-spirited soul. Don’t be fooled by her easy-breezy demeanour and calming presence, however. Jan is solely responsible for the smooth running, maintenance and guest experience at this unique eco-hostel: important responsibilities which she undertakes with kindness and grace.
It may be called Loch Ossian Youth Hostel but is most certainly not exclusive to the younger generation: far from it, in fact. Thanks to the series of Munros and walking/cycling trails right on the doorstep, the hostel has been welcoming outdoor enthusiasts, Munro baggers, and those in search of scenic escapism for decades: many return later again later in life to recreate those memories.
Our favourite roommates were a trio of legendary ladies – Pam, Rhonda, and Maureen – who had walked in excess of 10 miles that day, and rewarded their efforts with miniatures of whisky. We spoke about travel, posed for selfies outside and laughed like giddy teenagers at school camp. One of the ladies was 83 years old.
The hostelling experience transcends generations and brings people together. Age is irrelevant when you share a love for travel and the outdoors.
On a day too dreich to justify a Munro climb with no promise of visibility at the top, we opted for a leisurely loop of the loch we had been gazing over and swimming in daily since we arrived.
The 7.5 mile circuit has become a legendary running route from Loch Ossian Youth Hostel, since former hostel manager, Tom Rigg, completed it in 49 minutes in 1977 and recorded it in the log book. The log book can still be found in the lounge to this day and is filled with handwritten entries from hostellers representing countries all over the world.
I had no intention of running anywhere: instead we walked, talked, admired the vibrant rhododendrons near Corrour House, and enjoyed our packed lunch from Corrour Station House under the shelter of trees by the banks of the loch.
Cheese and ham sandwiches are one of life’s greatest simple pleasures.
Rannoch Station sits just one stop away on the West Highland Line; approximately 11 minutes on the train or 4 hours on foot. We set off from Loch Ossian Youth Hostel, and marched along the straightforward trail between mountains and moorland, on our quest for remote refreshments. We got there just in time for lunch.
Rannoch Station Tearoom is such a heavenly place to be, I could’ve kissed the platform when we arrived after our long walk in the beating sun. A selection of cold drinks and perfectly executed toasties were swiftly ordered.
Seeking further refreshment, we wandered down to Loch Laidon’s golden beach for a wee paddle and sprawl on the sand. Afterwards, we had one final important mission to complete before catching the train back to Corrour: in came in the shape of Jenny’s incredible cakes back at the tearoom.
In my opinion, you will not find better sponge cakes anywhere.
This was not my first visit to Rannoch Station. My beautiful, thoughtful friend Marianne was worried my past memories might trigger some sadness that day, so she hatched a plan to bring me joy and create new, happy memories.
As we sat waiting on our lunch, she presented me with her phone, which held a series of videos featuring my best friends. I was overwhelmed by their secret efforts and the messages of love and support they poured into each recording. A very public display of emotion ensued.
Gratitude flowed like the happy tears from my eyes; a feeling I carried throughout the trip.
Gratitude for the wonderful, thoughtful people in my life.
Gratitude for Scotland’s beauty and the opportunities I’ve been given to experience and share it.
Gratitude that places like Loch Ossian Youth Hostel exist
LOCH OSSIAN YOUTH HOSTEL: NEED-TO-KNOWS
- Corrour Station sits on the West Highland Line between Glasgow and Fort William/Mallaig: the best priced fares go on sale 12 weeks in advance. Sign up for a Ticket Alert on TheTrainLine.com.
- Loch Ossian Youth Hostel is actually open year-round: from November to March it is open from Wednesday to Sunday only, but can be booked for exclusive use outwith these days.
- There is a female-only dorm which sleeps 8 (4 bunk beds) and a male-only dorm which sleeps 12 (6 bunk beds).
- There is a bathroom with a hot shower and sinks attached to each dorm: the composting toilets are outside in a separate building.
- There is no WiFi at the hostel and phone signal is very limited (I think this is a huge positive!). There is a WiFi network which you can pick up a short walk away or at Corrour Station House.
- Bring everything you need with you – food to self-cater, alcohol, tea, coffee, milk etc. There is a cupboard with free leftover food which is worth checking out but I wouldn’t rely on it having what you need.
- There are no waste disposal facilities at the hostel – pack your own bags for rubbish and recycling, then take them up to the bins at Corrour Station House.
- There is a wood-burning stove in the lounge area with an overhead pulley and shoe racks for drying your clothes.
- Corrour Station is where the iconic, “it’s shite being Scottish…”, scene from Trainspotting was filmed. Posing for a photo on the wee wooden bridge across the railway tracks is a must for any fan of this Scottish cult classic!
