Discover the story of a logbook that records an historic running route around Loch Ossian in the Scottish Highlands. This article appear in the Scots Magazine. You can buy the magazine on a subscription basis.
A logbook in a remote Scottish hostel records a long list of visitors. Yet, this is no ordinary guest book.
The dog-eared black plastic folder holds a catalogue of all the people who have risen to a challenge to run around a nearby loch in less than an hour.
As strange as this might seem, the log kept at Loch Ossian Youth Hostel, in the Highlands wilderness area of Corrour, has been going for more than 40 years – and continues to grow.
The first record of the Run Around Loch Ossian Challenge was made on June 20, 1977, by Tom Rigg, of England, the then manager of the eco-hostel, run by Hostelling Scotland.
His note was neatly written in black pen and reveals that he ran 49 minutes to complete the 7.5-mile circuit of Loch Ossian. His pacing is a very respectable 6.5-minute per mile, especially as he was in his late 40s at the time.
Five days later, the next name is Hans V. Kregten, of Holland, who ran a slightly slower time of 52.5 minutes to claim the title as the first Dutch runner to complete the round-loch challenge.
The first Scot is fifth in the list. On June 27 the same year, Michael Pearson, recorded a time of 56 minutes.
In 1977, a teenage John Stevenson, now 58, of Larbert, remembers his sub-hour run of Loch Ossian. He says: “I was about 16 or 17 and only a few had done it then.
“Tom Rigg ran round with me and opened four locked gates in the deer fences ahead of me.”
And so it continues, with name after name, year after year. Occasionally there are comments such as, “the first American”, “the youngest so far”, “far harder than I imagined and “mother of four aged 46”.
And so it continues, with name after name, year after year. Occasionally there are comments such as, “the first American”, “the youngest so far”, “far harder than I imagined and “mother of four aged 46”.
The rules of the Loch Ossian run
The criteria for joining the list is a complete circuit, clockwise or anti-clockwise, touching the hostel’s front door at the start and finish, in under an hour.
In times past, the hostel manager was required to record your time, although now it is more a question of honesty. Indeed, the logbook has seen several changes of managers.
Tom, who passed away in 2015 aged 85, spent 23 years at Loch Ossian Youth Hostel. He was a keen mountain runner and a plaque on the wall today recalls, “remembered with a smile”. His ashes were scattered at the hostel.
After Tom came Alan Mawson and then Thomas Janzen and his wife, before Jan Robinson took over some eight years ago.
Jan reports that runners do still ask about the logbook. She says: “I have a mix of requests, some from runners who have done the route before and are keen to see the logbook for nostalgia’s sake and others who want to do the circuit for the first time.
“There are also groups, especially those from Scottish hill running clubs, that book in each year and repeat the run every time.”
A Loch Ossian runner
John Hamer, of Glasgow, has run the loch every year since 2008 as part of an annual Westerlands Hill Running Club trip. It took three years before he could record his name in the logbook.
John says: “On my first two attempts I ran just outside the hour. By my third time in 2010 it was a bit of a will-he-won’t-he thing. With a crowd of Westies cheering me on at the hostel I finally did it. I managed it again the following year to less fanfare.
“I still enjoy running this beautiful route each November with the club.”
What is the Loch Ossian running route?
The Loch Ossian route is easy to follow and is described as “flat to undulating”. The north-westerly side of the loch is a little hillier than the opposite bank. The gates have been replaced by cattle grids.
There are plenty of rewards for your running efforts. The views are stunning, especially on a calm day when the surrounding landscape is reflected into the calm waters of the loch.
At the far end of the loch you might also glimpse the unusually modern granite, steel and glass architecture of Corrour estate lodge, which was built in the early 2000s.
Perhaps, if your running steps are quiet enough you will spot some of the abundant wildlife of Corrour, including deer, pine martens and mountain hare, as well as a huge variety of birds.
Curious details: A hostel stag
The hostel is also famous for its friendly stag. One runner, Sandy Borthwick, of Edinburgh, recalls. “I was at Loch Ossian many years ago and there was a red deer stag actually inside the hostel.
“I confess I didn’t manage to beat the one hour loch run that time – actually I tried twice more and I was still just outside the time – however that stag and the amazing landscapes made up for the disappointment. It is such a great place to visit.”
Another runner, Maggie Creber, agrees. A multiple visitor to Corrour, Maggie, of Kirkliston, near Edinburgh, decided to complete a family hiking day with a run around the loch in the summer of 1999.
She says: “My husband Chris and I and our two young boys had walked the Munro next to the hostel, Ben na Lap. While Chris cooked dinner I headed out to do the circuit.
“It was a lovely run and I was reasonably fit so I managed it in 50 minutes. I had a quick dip in the loch afterwards. I love going to Corrour because it always feels like a real adventure.”
Jan, who admits she has never herself attempted a sub-hour run of the loch, is philosophical about the tradition.
She says: “People come to Corrour for all sorts of reasons. Some will hike, mountain bike or swim in the loch. Meanwhile, others simply enjoy the wildlife and the incredible quiet. And, of course, there are runners, too.
“The logbook started by Tom Rigg all those decades ago continues and now appears to be something of a legend in certain circles.”
“The logbook started by Tom Rigg all those decades ago continues and now appears to be something of a legend in certain circles.”
Getting to Loch Ossian
Part of the feat of the Run Around Loch Ossian Challenge is getting there. The nearest public road to Corrour is 15 miles and the only way to reach the area is on foot, bicycle or by train.
Surprisingly, a fairly regular train service drops visitors at Corrour station, the UK’s highest, on the West Highland Line between Glasgow and Fort William.
A signpost close to the station points the way to the hostel.
It’s less than a mile on a wide track to the south-western shore of picturesque Loch Ossian, with the youth hostel perched on the shore.
The setting is spectacular with a backdrop of high, rounded mountains. The hostel is open for bunk-style accommodation year-round.