Moine House is a ruined house on the vast expanse of boggy moorland between the Kyle of Tongue and Loch Hope, which serves as both a useful reference point and focal point in an otherwise bare landscape. Sitting as it does, with mountains behind it (either Ben Loyal or Ben Hope depending on your relative position), is has become a well-photographed point on the NC500 and is particularly aesthetically pleasing during the winter months with low sun, moody skies and snow on the mountains. On a grey, drizzly day, it is a bleak reminder of the arduous journey that travellers had to make to traverse this expanse of moorland and which kept the east and west settlements pretty much separate from each other, except for determined preachers and tradesmen.
The bog is very wet up here and most of it is a floating bog and, as such, is very difficult to cross by foot. Before the road was built, it would take all day to trudge across the bog and it was a fatiguing and miserable walk too. However, it wasn't until 1830 that the road was built, which is hardly surprising as it only served a sparse community and it was a tricky terrain to construct a road through. At the same time, Moine House was built, as a refuge for weary travellers and those caught in bad weather and were in need of shelter.
It is possible to park here and to take the short footpath into the house, which, often to the surprise of visitors, has artwork painted on its internal walls.
Notes for visitors with limited mobility:
It is possible to park near to the house and there is a hard surface path up to it.