Mangersta Bothy Secret Bothy on Isle of Lewis

You might have seen this iconic stone secret bothy on Instagram, but did you know that it's actually a very special bothy on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides with a special history? 

You might have wondered how to find the Mangersta Bothy, what it looks like and what you can actually see and take pictures of.  And well, although I am a bit of a lazy blogger (as it's taken me nine months to write this post), I will try to share our visit to Mangersta Bothy (or Eagle's Nest as it's known) and too many photos!

A little bit of history on the bothy - it was built by the parents of Linda Norgrove who dedicated her life to helping women and children in Afghanistan, who run the bothy and encourage donations to the Linda Norgrove Foundation if you decide to stay there. 

Due to the specialness of this bothy, please do treat it with respect and if you wish to stay in it you can find out more here. 

So, how to find the secret stone Mangersta Bothy... well in the spirit of bothy tradition, I won't be telling you every single detail.  

But I will say, we were able to find it pretty easily and we didn't have these hints below.  

Mangersta is a tiny village on Lewis and when you get there, there are some interesting art pieces which let you know you're on the right tracks.  Then when you're *pointed* in the right direction (hint), head out through the fields and towards the cliffs! 

It's a pretty short walk - maybe 15 minutes in total, across a couple of fields and then when you hit the cliffs you'll be able to see the bothy.  It's an easy walk but I would caution that it's exposed and there are no safety precautions - so not dog/kiddie safe in my opinion. 

But... isn't it special?  We had a look inside and enjoyed the rustic look.  It's got a basic bed platform and a wee log burner if you do decide to stay - definitely fun but basic!  

The views from the cliff were something special, so we hung out for a while and took some photos before heading back!