Scottish Bothy Bible: The complete guide to Scotland s bothies and how to reach them

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The bothy is one of just two MBA shelters where the communal area occupies only the attic space; the ground level is simply an empty shell with a cobbled floor. Access is via the replaced and slightly precarious ladder up to a trap door. The room is slightly cramped but there is a big stone fireplace at one end, and with a fire going, it is very cosy. A worn chaise lounge left in the house functions as a table, flanked by a couple of benches. Natural light filters through four clear perspex roof panels, but the winter months can be a little gloomy when the bothy is shaded by the hill and gets no direct sunlight. Key Attractions: The Ben Alder Estate came under new ownership in 2011 and its infrastructure has been greatly improved, including renovation work on the bothy, which now sports a new roof and windows. The building consists of three rooms accessed by a natty little porch. Glencoul bothy is located in one of the most beautiful locations in Scotland; surrounded by mountains and at the head of Loch Glencoul. You just cannot beat the view of Loch Glencoul, which is virtually on this bothy’s doorstep. Engaging travel writing documents the captivating history of each bothy and the adventurers who use them. a bothy is a place of safety in a storm, a place to take shelter and recuperate in the wildest of landscapes. Traditionally open to all, they are a place you may meet others who are also on a journey, similar but perhaps different to yours. A place where you can share in the warmth of a fire, a song or a tale. But you may also find solitude there; space to contemplate where you’ve been and where you’re headed. In each bothy there is usually a book where people can sign their name, tell their story and share their voice. It may include reflections, poems, observations or pictures inspired by their time at or on their way to the bothy.’

The Bothy Book: Introducing Venture Trust’s New Blog

Excellent base for an ascent of Lochnagar (1,150m) and there is an impressive waterfall en route to the summit from the bothy. The bothy is a simple structure of wood and stone with two small windows facing west out to sea and two skylights in the roof. From a tiny entrance, you step down into a cosy but fairly cramped space with a raised platform to the left that can sleep two, a separate bench, and a wee fireplace and grate. The stone roof is supported by a central wooden stake, with a wigwam of beams radiating from it. Key Attractions: The hike to the bothy from Inchnadamph is known as one of the hardest sections on the Cape Wrath Trail, and strong navigation skills are needed. As you inch closer to this bothy the landscape unfolds around you. When you reach the bothy you will be rewarded with grand views of Loch Glencoul and the surrounding mountains. Scottish Bothy Walks is the sequel to the best-selling Scottish Bothy Bible and describes 28 sensational walking adventures to Scotland’s finest bothies. Choosing his favourite bothies as the focal point, Geoff Allan guides the reader on a mix of day walks and multi-day excursions, highlighting the incredible mountains, wildlife, geography and history that you will find along the way.

Respect the restrictions on numbers

So, there it is; nothing that you wouldn’t expect from visitors to your property so ‘Do as you would be done by’ and help to preserve the bothy network. At the other end of your stay, make sure you take any perishables and all your rubbish with you. Have a clean up too. How long can you stay in a bothy? Heavily influenced by the textile designs of William Morris, The Bothy has a look that draws on the British Arts & Crafts movement of the late 19th Century. The wallpapers dance with intricate patterns featuring both avian and botanical imagery whilst the fabric choices were inspired by classic ‘trellis’ pattern designs, a perennial favourite of Morris. Victorian ‘glasshouse’ style flooring allied to distressed woods and eclectic combinations of banquet and ‘tub’ chair seating create a relaxed, lived-in feel, all contributing to a unique dining experience. A bothy is a mountain shelter in Scotland available for anyone to use for free. It will usually consist of one or more bedrooms, with a common area that has seating and a fireplace.

Bothy? - Mountain Bothies Association UK What is a Bothy? - Mountain Bothies Association UK

Please observe any restrictions on use of the bothy, for example, during stag stalking or at lambing time. Please remember, bothies are available for short stays only. The owner’s permission must be obtained if you intend an extended stay. Wood paneling and whitewashed walls greet you inside, and a steep staircase in the centre of an internal wall leads up to a two-room attic lit by skylights. There is also access to a small cloakroom behind the stair. The Book of the Bothy is part guidebook – 26 of the authors favourite routes are covered - and part interesting narrative. It will come as no surprise that most of the 26 bothies covered in this book are in Scotland – 18 in Scotland, 4 in England and 4 in Wales. Travel writer, photographer and outdoor guide based in Edinburgh, Geoff Allan is also the Mountain Bothies Association’s maintenance officer for Dibidil Bothy on Rùm. He has hiked and biked to every well-known Scottish bothy and is the author of The Scottish Bothy Bible. Multi-day possibilities include camping at the old bothy at Culra, or a station-to-station trip from Rannoch to Corrour as described in Classic Walks.Phoebe Smith is responsible for bringing bothies into more mainstream popularity, and her book is a good read. Some folk can carry a load of tins into a bothy but can’t carry out the empties, some bury rubbish, which is harder than removing it. Do your bit for the environment and take all rubbish out. If you can manage to take out one or two bits that others have left, you’ll get an extra star. Leaving spare food in bothies is an issue on which there are diverse opinions. Leaving non-perishable items, such as unopened tins is OK in principal but some people see tins and think that it’s OK to leave less vermin proof items, thus encouraging furry friends to take up residence. When you leave the bothy ensure that the fire is out: bothies have been lost as a result of unattended fires. Make sure that all doors and windows are securely closed. Deer and sheep are adept at opening unsecured doors and closing them once inside. If you are unfortunate enough to find a four-legged bothy resident it may be very angry or smelly, or both. Respect the surroundings The bothy that allows you to see all this and more is a hunting lodge built in 1877. 15 metres from the bothy there's the remains of a farmhouse, which now lies in ruin, but the date carved into one of the extended beams beneath the roof. The building was abandoned 40 years ago and had become a little the worse for wear when an MBA renovation team extensively refurbished both the interior and exterior in 2009.

Bothy - Mountain Bothies Association UK Using a Bothy - Mountain Bothies Association UK

Scotland’s bothies are a loose collection of shepherds’ cottages, estate houses and abandoned crofts that have been saved from ruin and renovated. They form a network of basic shelters located throughout the country’s most remote and uninhabited regions. Freely available for anyone to use as a lunch stop, or to stay in overnight, bothies have been used by mountaineers and stravaigers for well over a hundred years and become integral to Scotland’s outdoor culture. A simple shelter in remote country for the use and benefit of all those who love being in wild and lonely places.” When can I go to a bothy? The bothy is the byre to a ruined house that lies close by, once an outpost of a large sheep farm that operated as part of the Loch Eil Estate from the mid-19th century. The last inhabitants, the Camerons, moved to Strathan during World War II, yet sheep continued to graze in Glen Kingie until the 1990s. Be respectful to everyone in the bothy. Bothies are for everyone to enjoy. Just because you’re there first doesn’t mean you have more rights than late arrivers. Be kind, share the space. The left hand room has a more intimate feel, with a working fireplace and raised platforms along two recently lined walls, sleeping four. The central room is a dedicated dormitory, with a sleeping platform for 3 people. Key Attractions:

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About bothy books…. - Mountain Bothies

The first complete guide to Scottish bothies. Including detailed descriptions of all current Mountain Bothy Association (MBA) bothies and many other lesser-known gems. All kinds of people go bothying these days, so expect to meet a varied group. Be tolerant and considerate of others and their reasons for being there. Maybe bring a small tarp or groundsheet in case you have to sleep on the ground. Do you pay to stay in a bothy? Sensational new photography– of Scotland’s wilderness and its bothies, coupled with engaging travel writing. If you find either, or both, you are in a very upmarket bothy. In fact, you are probably in the wrong place. Any facilities are rare and probably detract from the whole experience. What about the social life?

Ben Alder Cottage

The cottage was built during the mid- 19th century and its name derives from the Gaelic, bhuidhe meaning ‘yellow’ and maol, ‘bald-headed’ or ‘rounded place’. Corryhully Horseshoe peaks Sgùrr nan Coirechan (956m) and Sgùrr Thuilm (963m) loom up above the river to the south across from the bothy; Corbett Carn Mór (829m) is to the West. Bothies come in many shapes and sizes, but the most common configuration is the classic two-roomed cottage referred to by its Scots term, but and ben. The ‘but’ referring to the kitchen and living room, and the ‘ben’ the bedroom. Accommodation is very rudimentary, and in almost all cases there is no gas, electricity, tap, or toilet. You should expect only a wind- and waterproof building that offers somewhere dry to sleep. If you are staying overnight, you will need to carry in all the equipment you would normally take camping, plus candles and, if there is a fireplace, fuel to burn. As a bare minimum, bothies will have a table and a couple of chairs, but many also have sleeping platforms and stoves. Water comes from a nearby stream and, although some bothies have latrines or loos, answering calls of nature will involve a walk and the use of a spade. Perfect for an expedition up the north-facing coires of the Corbetts Aonach Buidhe (899m) to the south, and Ben Dronaig (797m) to the northwest. A table and a couple of chairs complete the scene. The larger right hand room has a fireplace and an ancient iron bunk-bed; it is mainly used for wood sawing and storage. Neither room has any insulation, and the bothy can get pretty cold once the stove has gone out. Upstairs is a large area used for sleeping, and a little wood-panelled room at the east end with a small window. Key Attractions: