OUR STORY
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This place is an old Highland township - cleared of people and turned into a sheep farm during the infamous Highland Clearances in the late 18th and early 19th century. By the mid 19th century, due to its difficult access, it was unable to maintain its independence even as a sheep farm and became part of the neighbours' (first Monachyle Mhor and then Muirlaggan) farms. It was abandoned for permanent residence in 1906 when the last shepherd and his family left.
During the late 1960s the hill was sold for forestry. By the early 80s we had resettled and recovered Monachyle Tuarach itself and sheep were back - in corridors among and above the trees- run by my husband, Basque, Juan. This enabled us to earn a living here.
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By 1990 I was running a Gaelic animation studio. Unfortunately this folded by 2010 due to changes in government cultural policy, Helped by a multi-talented Hungarian joiner and builder, our animators' facilities was complemented by tourist cabins and our Hostel was born.
This venture has been highly successful, since it started. Though remote, this place is extremely beautiful, next to water and surrounded by mountains - here you have the Scottish Highlands in miniature! We are only two hours drive from the urban centres and airports of Edinburgh and Glasgow. The area is also now part of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park which has a conservation and tourist agenda.
