The experience of alighting from a train in the middle of the Scottish Highlands is unrivalled. As the train tracked through the snowy landscape, I drifted outbounds from Corrour Train Station via Loch Ossian, home to one of the country’s most outstanding accommodations, Loch Ossian Youth Hostel.

With a shooting lodge and Ben Alder Bothy as distant neighbours, Loch Ossian Youth Hostel is privileged with its mighty watery expanse and a series of coveted peaks. With the Bothy in sight for a night’s accommodation, I linked up with two friends, Christian and Olly, for a furious weekend with a shortage of light and abundance of snow, enough to warrant a last-minute skirmish at the hostel’s as departing guests packed up before grabbing the train back to Glasgow.

The hostel itself is made up of two dorm rooms, with the option to book out for exclusive use (beds from £18). Though the eco hostel there are no hot showers, wash rooms are supplied with hot water and towels and available for hire or purchase. Electricity is provided by a wind turbine, composting toilets are used and a reed bed is used to soak away for grey water.

As for hiking routes from Loch Ossian, Loch Ossian / Ben Alder Munro highlights. Equip yourself with Ordnance Survey maps for Loch Rannoch, Ben Alder and Glen Garry and take on routes from the hostel. Explorer Map #385 will show you enough trails to fill a week of hiking or trail running.

Getting to Loch Ossian

The hostel is inaccessible by road, so look to take the train from Glasgow Queen Street to Corrour. The journey is serviced by a direct train, taking you on a 2hr59min tour through some of Scotland’s southern highlands.