ABANDONED Scottish 1700's Cottage - Lost in WILD Lands

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:10]All right, folks. Welcome to this exciting video where you once again join me in the beautiful landscape of Scotland. Look at this view to start the video. We'll start here at Glen Lethnot.

[00:00:22]And I'm actually going to punch you a hill track here that I've only ever walked out one time before.

[00:00:27]And it's basically a fun little Sunday night walk for me after I throw the camera on and take YouTube along with me. And I basically need to punch up through this road here. And it should take me out onto the wild hill where there is actually an old abandoned cottage and stuff like that. So, yeah, let's get into the action, folks.

[00:00:48]So, I just walked through this this like little historical-looking farm near where I parked. I've kind of come up the hill on the path. It's still climbing. And I just love the landscape.

[00:00:59]Because this is a Sunday night, there shouldn't actually be much gamekeeper action out here.

[00:01:07]Look at this little waterfall flowing down over the mossy green land into this little pool here.

[00:01:13]That's what I love with a little walk like this. It's just like loads of little individual scenes, cool little nuggets of the landscape and then wee historical wonders hidden within it.

[00:01:25]And Glen Lethnot's got quite a lot of old crofts and remains of ruins.

[00:01:30]So, just picture it, folks. In the 1700s, there would have actually been a small building here related to this farm croft here of Reid Shield.

[00:01:40]And you can just imagine rolling along here on a horse and cart or whatever back in the day. That would have been the main mode of transport back at that time.

[00:01:48]And you can think there would have actually been in buildings over here to the left. And then another building down at the bottom.

[00:01:54]And then in main little house here, the cottage of Red Shield was actually along in the right-hand side.

[00:02:01]Look at this, the old wall line which used to be the surrounding wall around the little cottage here.

[00:02:08]And sometimes these cottages would have had a garden growing all sorts. Maybe even some of this was actually a little enclosure related to the original farm.

[00:02:18]And there's been the little windows.

[00:02:19]This is the actual cottage here which would have been the little house.

[00:02:24]Abandoned by the 1800s. So, just think probably thriving in the 1700s and before that.

[00:02:30]And I love to see that, the old window.

[00:02:32]Think who may have been inside there looking out.

[00:02:37]Wow.

[00:02:38]I've seen a lot of gamekeeper's traps in this glen. I think they catch rodents and certain creatures. So, they could actually protect the hill birds cuz I think certain animals go around and obviously would would steal the eggs or even attack the birds. So, I think that must be why they've got some of those traps.

[00:02:56]It's almost like a mammal trap.

[00:02:58]Look at this, the old door. It's cool to see the shape of it. And at one time there would have been two lintel stones above the door, but the stones just crumble and fall each year.

[00:03:09]Another detail, you can see the other original front window here.

[00:03:14]So, much details of a place like this have gone. It's cool just to throw on video.

[00:03:19]Sometimes with with a location like this different times of year, it could just look so different.

[00:03:25]Another interesting detail, folks. This is an area in this glen where you find so many adders. So, I'm being super careful on the ground today as well. I actually saw an adder on the road on the way up here. It had been run over. It was flattened.

[00:03:41]But look at this, the stones just all kinds of little places here.

[00:03:45]The old internal walls of what would have been the house. And it looks like there's an old cupboard in the corner.

[00:03:51]And then there's a small wall between this house here and then the old shed.

[00:03:59]And there's so many hill birds making their call.

[00:04:03]Some of the birds of Scotland has got such an unusual call and as I'm making my way along the path, I just hear so much of that.

[00:04:10]It's so much fun.

[00:04:12]There's always so much to be seen in Scotland and each week I like going to a different place.

[00:04:16]And the last couple of videos I was actually down at the coast so it's cool come up into the high glen for this adventure.

[00:04:22]And just document a place like this and have a bit of fun for an evening walk.

[00:04:27]Look at this folks, this is actually called the black slug.

[00:04:31]And this is typical in Scotland. You get loads of them and they're all that jet black color. And tonight I've seen loads of them.

[00:04:39]There's always just so many in the lands.

[00:04:41]But that's the type of slug you get in Scotland where they're jet black. Get in the comments what color the slugs are around where you are if you ever see them. Are they just pure black like that or what is the deal?

[00:04:53]Look at the old remains of the house wall.

[00:04:55]Some I'm Some I'm is like as I'm looking around I just think try and aim the camera where I'm looking because sometimes I'm like this speaking and then thinking well that looks amazing.

[00:05:04]And then the viewers can't even see the direction I'm looking.

[00:05:07]So I'm always just trying to think of that. Get the best shot.

[00:05:12]And yeah, apparently there was another building or a wee enclosure down there.

[00:05:16]And then there was a wee building over there for sure and there's quite a lot of the stones of that left. But on this mission I'm actually going to punch on further cuz as soon as I go further up this path here, this is an area of Scotland I've never explored before. So even though it's cool to see this and make it to Red Shield Cottage and this little croft on the hill which is almost lost to nature and time. I'm also wanting to go on a total madness out here folks.

[00:05:44]Just see what's over this hill in the next valley.

[00:05:49]Look at this. You can see the sheep here looking down at me as I pass, and I always come with respect to the animals.

[00:05:56]Like the livestock and stuff when I'm exploring. I always give them time just to walk out of the way and keep calm cuz sometimes at this time of year they're actually lambing.

[00:06:05]See the old remains there of the stones?

[00:06:06]That would have been another little building, farm related. And then you can actually see an old enclosure. And there's a clear difference. That would have always been a dry stone construction. Whereas a lot of these other buildings would have actually originally had limestone mortar. But it actually washes out so quickly with the wild Scottish weather.

[00:06:26]That's why it looks like the houses and stuff are dry stone as well, but it's not the case.

[00:06:30]But you can actually tell the buildings that would have had roofs because the stone finish is just completely different compared to the original dry stone surrounds. That's why I like going to these sites and seeing what was a building and what wasn't.

[00:06:44]And sometimes it is quite obvious to tell. Other times it's cool just to see what's there and throw on camera. No way.

[00:06:53]How am I going to get across this, folks?

[00:06:56]Look at that. Look at the size of that big slug right there.

[00:06:59]It's away to get a drink.

[00:07:01]It's heading down towards the water. I think I could get wet feet here if I put a foot wrong.

[00:07:07]This is going to be a slippery stone right here, folks.

[00:07:10]I'm going over to this gravelly kind of looking bit.

[00:07:15]Yeah, so I've made it.

[00:07:17]So I need to make it back.

[00:07:19]See a section like that, folks, if you cross, you need to remember exactly where you put your feet. So on the way back, you can make it across it.

[00:07:28]Another interesting detail. I wonder why there's an old wall down here at the side of that.

[00:07:33]I wonder if at a certain time they've been doing something with the water.

[00:07:38]Maybe the fresh source of water for Red Shield that we walked through into late's video.

[00:07:45]So, you can see in the distance the valley I've walked up. You can see up behind Red Shield is like another valley leads all the way up into there.

[00:07:53]And then we've got this valley here, which I'm going to follow all the way around.

[00:07:58]So, it's an incredible place Scotland how you can get between the hills, these valleys. And within there is where you often get the historical dugouts.

[00:08:06]Sometimes it can be up on the hills, sometimes down in the hollows.

[00:08:10]But it's so interesting that because of the nature of that land with the valleys, it can be hard to see the history until you're right on top of it and then you're like, "Whoa, okay."

[00:08:19]There's so much to be seen.

[00:08:22]So, I've made it to the pretty much the highest point on this path and it's actually dipping down into this hollow.

[00:08:28]And I can see it just continuing on into these hills, into this glen.

[00:08:33]There's an old line kind of leading up the hill. I'm not sure if that's an old track or something from back in the day.

[00:08:40]It's amazing to see these hills stretching up into the fog. And through the air I can actually feel a bit of a drizzly wind.

[00:08:48]But I'm just thinking I'm going to punch on a little bit further along this path.

[00:08:52]And then we'll just see what we're going to do, folks. This area here I have never been to in my life. And I was always just wondering like what the landscape looked like and stuff and it's cool just to see it.

[00:09:02]Such incredible deep gorges down in the middle of here. And then these high grassy and heather hills leading up to the highest level.

[00:09:11]And I can see the sheep grazing at all levels of these hills all the way up to the highest heights up there in the fog.

[00:09:17]It's just such a beautiful wild scene.

[00:09:20]And that's what I like on my channel.

[00:09:21]We've got all the way from the coast, the rawest of cliffs or seaside scenes, all the way up to here. The most remote glens.

[00:09:31]And little tracks like this that lead their way through. This is the closest thing to a main road.

[00:09:37]And even with Glen left at where I parked at the car park, that's basically as far as you can go in your vehicle.

[00:09:44]And then you have to turn around and go back down the same road you came up.

[00:09:49]Look at this, folks. At this point in the Glen, we've got this valley continuing up this way, and then we've got another valley leading off that way.

[00:09:56]And it looks like the track here cuts on up to the right.

[00:09:59]So, I'm thinking I'm just going to keep on punching up here, but that's only if I can get across this stream.

[00:10:05]Because it looks like there is actually a waterway to deal with once again on this adventure. It would be so much fun if I could keep on going further up here.

[00:10:15]Wow, there's a proper little waterfall and stuff. I'm just going to keep it rolling.

[00:10:20]I didn't even see this waterway when I clicked record on this clip.

[00:10:24]What is going on in this land here, folks?

[00:10:27]I don't even want to fall into the ferocious water.

[00:10:31]But also, I do want to go and see what I'm wanting to see.

[00:10:35]So, it's a fine balance here, folks. I should have had on the wellies.

[00:10:39]I've literally got the wellies in the car.

[00:10:42]I'm still dealing with this river crossing crossing, folks. Look at this.

[00:10:45]It's like a deep pool.

[00:10:47]I'm just thinking I'm going to step from here to there and then over.

[00:10:52]But I'm just hoping obviously that the rocks don't move.

[00:10:56]That was a risky maneuver, folks, and I'll need to make it back over there on the way back. These three stones, it's like stepping stones with a high risk.

[00:11:04]Cuz those are deep pools.

[00:11:07]I would survive, but obviously I would be absolutely soaked so far from the car.

[00:11:12]Woah, there's proper wet little bits here.

[00:11:15]Oh my goodness gracious me, folks. Look at the foot.

[00:11:18]Oh.

[00:11:21]No way.

[00:11:22]My foot just went fully after crossing safely the burn.

[00:11:27]I walked through the boggy section.

[00:11:29]I should have maybe cut down the edge there.

[00:11:32]But that's what we're all about on these adventures, folks, isn't it?

[00:11:35]Crossing wild lands to see the coolest things.

[00:11:40]So, my next goal on tonight's mission is basically to get a view into this valley leading on that way.

[00:11:49]So, that track that I was on that I thought was actually coming up the hill and going this way, it actually loops around.

[00:11:55]And that was the track that I thought I could see leading up the far hill.

[00:11:59]It looks like it's a proper peat bog up at the the farthest ridge of that hill.

[00:12:04]And I'm thinking I'll just go up this.

[00:12:05]It looks like a little quad track up the side of the hill here.

[00:12:09]So, I'm just going to go up and have a wee look over the ridge.

[00:12:12]I'm still wanting to have a look into this next valley.

[00:12:16]Well, what a scene on tonight's video.

[00:12:19]And then also, I need to make it safely back out here.

[00:12:23]It's so foggy down at the lower glen.

[00:12:25]I've come farther than the farthest hill that we could even see.

[00:12:29]And that's what I love with this channel, folks. I'm just going to feel saying in the different landscapes, looking for the coolest things to see.

[00:12:37]And just you can see like from day to day the character of Scotland can change so much.

[00:12:42]If you saw this on a sunny day compared to a foggy day, it would look like a different place.

[00:12:48]But also in Scotland, you could just go a few miles to a different glen, and things just look so different. It's like being in a different country.

[00:12:57]Yes, folks, this little path has actually given me a view up at this far valley.

[00:13:03]And it was cool to have a point or a goal like this.

[00:13:07]Just a little farther point to reach.

[00:13:09]Years ago, when I walked to the Red Shell, it might have even been last year. It felt like so much farther.

[00:13:15]But, I think with this year's like exploring season, we're so much like fitter. We're able to push a little bit farther. And it's amazing just like the landscapes to be seen. All these little valleys connected, big massive hills between and then the next valley most commonly carved by the water flowing down the bottom.

[00:13:35]Originally carved by the glaciers when there was snow and ice over these lands.

[00:13:41]This is just so cool.

[00:13:43]The valley I came up is actually that massive valley behind. You can see the fog between me and the hill on the other side.

[00:13:50]Now I've kind of turned to the right to come into this one.

[00:13:54]It's been so much fun on tonight's video just to throw the camera on, take the viewers along on this adventure with me.

[00:14:00]And it's not over yet cuz I need to safely navigate those waterways on the way back.

[00:14:06]I'm pretty much just going to this edge here to get a decent look. I've not even seen any otters or snakes yet tonight but I've been keeping an eye down for sure.

[00:14:16]Wow, I'm always just wanting to push a little bit further like tonight's video because I'm always wanting to see if there's any wee historical buildings or ruins in places like this.

[00:14:26]With a valley like this, it's vast and massive but there's no actually even a road in this valley. There's no even an easy way to get in here apart from a path like this.

[00:14:36]It's the closest thing to a main road in a land like this.

[00:14:40]That's so cool having places like this that you can go to. It's so desolate and remote.

[00:14:48]And also it's so peaceful. You just have to wonder if it was ever settled with little houses or buildings.

[00:14:54]But so many years have passed. All that stuff's just been deleted. Sometimes the grass and the heather and stuff can cover over any old remains of walls.

[00:15:06]With areas like this folks, you just have to think who may have walked here over the years. Maybe the folks that actually stayed at Red Shield, a little settlement was sold down at the other side of this hill.

[00:15:18]I can actually see the track there. I think that's where the shepherd or the game keepers must go up with their quad.

[00:15:24]And that's probably the only sort of people that'll be in this glen.

[00:15:27]The gamekeepers and the shepherds. Apart from that, it's just desolate and wild.

[00:15:32]So much plants, creatures, and animals.

[00:15:34]All sorts of things going on. Just every square inch, if you just took it and looked close enough, there would be something running about, kicking about, growing. There's probably like 10 plants within a small area of the floor or the ground.

[00:15:50]And that's what I love about these places as well. Sometimes in Scotland, or probably anywhere in the world, once you just look a little bit closer down at your feet, it's amazing what crazy little things you see.

[00:16:02]And then you realize how amazing the world actually is with all that sort of stuff.

[00:16:09]There is quite a drizzle in the air now as these clouds kind of move in.

[00:16:13]And look here, this is evidence here of the gamekeeping that goes on.

[00:16:17]They've been out here shooting. And that happens most days of the week you would get potential of shooting and stuff out in these areas. But on a Sunday, it's probably the day of the week that you're less likely to get that. And today's a Sunday.

[00:16:31]Check it out, folks. Look at the size of this slug compared to my foot.

[00:16:35]It shows how absolutely massive they are.

[00:16:38]They've got those little black tentacle things that come out the front. And when that came up to the rock, the tentacle hit the rock, and it's like the slug got a fright.

[00:16:47]It must have sensed that that was in front of it.

[00:16:50]They're crazy weird creatures. They look like some alien species.

[00:16:56]And it is amazing on planet Earth the variation of things that you see, the different ways they're going around feeding, looking for their tea. It's like me when I go into the supermarket looking for a gammon steak.

[00:17:08]That's like a slug looking for a little mossy area or whatever so it can eat its tea.

[00:17:15]Look at this. I was wanting to come down to this spot in the land. We're basically at the foot of this other incredible valley with these high hills and crazy foggy peaks.

[00:17:25]And I was just wanting to come and look at this. From a a distance at the top of the hill, I could actually see amazing waterfalls and stuff, but I think they're probably further up.

[00:17:35]Wow. This little waterway just kind of meanders and makes its way through the land.

[00:17:41]The water's just crystal clear in a place like this.

[00:17:45]I just love to see it. Every week I love going places I've never been and the things I've seen this week on the channel, it's things that we've never seen before once again, especially with this video.

[00:17:55]I had no idea what the landscape was like once you passed Red Shiel. And then I thought I'll just have a wee look over the corner.

[00:18:03]And then my exploring spirit would end up punching on so much further cuz I thought I wanted to come up here and actually see into that far valley. And then when I realized that the path went this way, I thought that'll be impossible.

[00:18:15]But we actually managed it. We found a sheep track and that was the only thing taking us over that hill.

[00:18:22]And now we've made it down to this. It's like a little flowing stream.

[00:18:26]The furthest point from the car on tonight's adventure.

[00:18:31]And I just love adventures where sometimes I'm so far from my car.

[00:18:35]I actually just like jog a certain portion and then I walk a certain portion. That actually eats up quite a distance.

[00:18:43]Check it out, folks. That slug there is actually eating a leaf.

[00:18:49]Or it's going over the leaf anyway, for sure.

[00:18:53]I think with this damp environment tonight and this drizzle, that's why we've got all these crazy slugs roaming about in the land. Look at this as well. This is an incredible little waterfall here.

[00:19:05]This is the kind of scene of Scotland that I just love.

[00:19:09]Look at that. The mossy rocks and the water flowing from the high ground.

[00:19:14]And just think what little brown trout or whatever must be in here leaping, as they say in Scotland, folks.

[00:19:22]So many scenes with a video like this, folks. It's like you could have that as a painting on your house wall. The wind socks going over the front of the lens, folks. I'll just sort that out.

[00:19:31]But yeah, imagine having a scene like that. You could have that as a painting, a photograph on your house wall.

[00:19:37]And there's so many places like that. I enjoy a lot of mashing, setting myself a goal, trying to get over to a bit of land to see a view like into these glens, into these lands that we've never been before.

[00:19:49]And then, yeah, now that second part of this mission is safely navigate out of here. I'm going to throw a new battery into the camera.

[00:19:57]And then we'll get it rolling, folks.

[00:19:59]I'll probably update you once we get down to this little water crossing, cuz I think that's not far down this path.

[00:20:06]So, I've made it back to the area where I got the wet foot.

[00:20:09]And I basically need to make my way back over here. I've made it past that kind of boggy section.

[00:20:15]If only I had I had put a foot in a slightly different place on the way through there.

[00:20:19]My right foot would have still been dry.

[00:20:21]Now I need to make my way onto these stones.

[00:20:24]I need to go from here to here. Over there, that's an extreme path.

[00:20:30]Also, I need to hope that the stones don't slip.

[00:20:36]Yes, I made it, folks. I made it. I was kind of worried about that the whole time I was up beyond that area, I was just thinking, "Oh my goodness, I need to make it over that."

[00:20:46]Cuz sometimes it's hit or miss. See, another thing, folks, the height of these burns can fluctuate in height so much.

[00:20:53]Sometimes if it was raining and you walked up a glen, the height of the burn could actually be higher by the time you come back down.

[00:21:00]And it might not even be as easy to cross.

[00:21:04]Oh, it's getting even more foggy in these lands behind me.

[00:21:08]I think the storm's moving in from the far valley that I documented.

[00:21:15]You may be thinking it's a smart move to actually have on the waterproof coat tonight, but that was actually by pure accident. When I pulled up in the car, I was going to throw on my other jacket and then I looked and it wasn't even there and this was the only one that I had on the back seat, so I thought I'll just chuck this on and then by pure luck, this is actually a waterproof coat and it's turned out that it's super rainy.

[00:21:38]But I was lucky to see so much history on tonight's walk and have such a decent walk without getting super soaked to this stage cuz we're fine we're in like the final stages walking back down the track.

[00:21:49]So we've been super lucky really with the weather this week.

[00:21:53]All my videos you've probably seen on the channel, they were all recorded this one day. I was actually out on the wildest of coasts this morning and then this afternoon I'm up in this kind of crazy glen before sunset. There's so much drizzle, folks. As soon as I wipe the lens, more rain literally lands on the lens straight away. Look, I've made it to the next water crossing.

[00:22:16]This is the Red Shiel water crossing right here.

[00:22:20]And we've made it back to the ruins of the little settlement here on the hill.

[00:22:24]What a crazy adventure that's been, folks.

[00:22:28]Check it out. I never actually documented this wall on the way in, but look at the cool old stonework. The arch of stones and then the little opening at the bottom.

[00:22:37]And then the cool thing further along here, we've got a different type of opening.

[00:22:42]Check it out. Little arch of stones.

[00:22:45]And that's in the original construction of this old wall.

[00:22:49]And then the third opening here is at the corner.

[00:22:52]And look, it's a square little arch and that would have most likely been an animal enclosure. So potentially those holes that you can see going under the wall were there for cleaning out the animal enclosure.

[00:23:04]Maybe they could flush all the debris out those holes and the way down into the ditch.

[00:23:09]So, check it out, folks. I'm almost back down as far as the walls of the first farm that we walked up through. And you can see the hills in the farthest distance through the fog. And that's the hills that we walked all the way to in tonight's adventure.

[00:23:23]Documenting Red Shield on the way past.

[00:23:26]And all the other little wonders along the way. The nature, the wildlife, the landscape, and the history, folks.

[00:23:33]That's what we're all about. And this was just a cool wee Sunday night walk for me. I thought I'll throw the camera on and we'll have a wee adventure along the way.

[00:23:41]Look at this rare wall here, folks, with the smaller stones at the bottom and then the bigger ones at the top.

[00:23:47]And then look at the size of this gate post.

[00:23:49]It's like an ancient standing stone.

[00:23:51]Look at this white quartz seam through it. Well, I really dropped the camera there, folks. But yeah, look at these ancient walls. You would think they would fall and topple.

[00:24:00]But you can see the shape of them. It's actually super strong.

[00:24:03]And they just lead all over these lands.

[00:24:06]There's another track leading on up into that field. And in Scotland, there's just so many little corners. Each little place is like a wee photograph.

[00:24:14]And I like in the different glens to see the different construction of the dry stone dikes.

[00:24:19]And it is super unusual to see the smaller stones at the bottom with the bigger stones at the top like that.

[00:24:26]And look, now I'm coming over the crest into the final valley down to where I'm actually parked. And it's been such a fun adventure to share this little corner of Scotland tonight. We've seen a bit of land that we had never documented on the channel. And then we saw a bit of history along the way.

[00:24:41]But yeah, I'll probably just end this one here, folks, cuz we're almost back down to the car.

[00:24:46]But thanks very much for watching. And I'll be back soon with the next one, wherever I end up going.

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