Bothies
Richards Mountain Pages
Where as with a bunkhouse or a hostel you get managed accomodation with comfy chairs and all mod-cons, with a bothy you get four walls and a roof, plus a fireplace. If you've not stayed in one of these remote huts I suggest you take a peep first, as they are very basic, and not to everyones taste.

They may be little more than a tent, but they do have three huge advantages...

• You can sit round a warm fire
• You can meet other people and tell tales around that fire
• You can dry your clothes over the fire (or burn them if you prefer)
• There is space to move around, until a crowd of late arrivals turn up

And two disadvantages...

• Unfortunately not everyone is as clean as you and I, so you need to collect water from well upstream (or boil it), and you may have to clean up (or burn) someone elses rubbish
• Most bothies have resident mice. If you leave food lying around expect it to get nibbled overnight. The critters are quite brave as well. The best defence seems to be hanging your food from the nails you'll usually find in the ceiling beams. Don't leave food for the next person unless it is mouse proof and won't go off (hint: a bottle of whisky is OK!)

One other point to beware of - these places seem to attract the sort of people that like fires, so don't be surprised to find a roaring fire in the hearth on the hottest day of the year.

Code Of Practice
Bothies are unregulated, though the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA) check them from time to time. Hence it is necessary for those that use these places to keep them in order and provide for the next occupants. In most of these huts you'll find a broom to sweep the floor; a trowel for digging holes away from the building (and the water supply) so you can leave a little fertilizer behind; and a log book and pen to record whatever comes to mind.

If you do try out the trowel please do not use toilet tissue as this gets dug up by animals. I've found that damp sphagnum moss is far softer anyway. If there are any 'bog-roll' manufacturers reading this, perhaps you could make it into a new product that is gentler to your bottom and kinder to the environment!


If you have rubbish, take it home or burn it. Please note that sardine tins do not burn - no matter how hot the fire, so take them home please.

On your way to a bothy, no matter how big your load, try to take some firewood. Chances are that some pyromaniac stayed the night before and burnt it all. Besides its good to leave some drying fuel for the next visitor. Many people bring a candle or two as well. You may find one inscribed with this website address!

Finally, most bothies are locked during the stalking season. The MBA can tell you which remain available.

Getting A Fire Lit

If there is one skill a bothy brings out in people, its lighting a fire. Unfortunately most attempts either die out in minutes, or rage away to burn every available piece of wood. On a visit to Sourlies an entry in the log book told how the previous occupants took four hours to get a fire going, and then smoked the place out. Here are some tips... Start with a scrunched up piece of newspaper, or failing that, a big clump of dried dead grass. Build outwards with fast burning dried grass, dead bracken, pine needles etc; and then small twigs. At this point light the fire, and gradually feed it larger twigs until it can manage a log. The aim is not to get massive flames, but to build up a bed of glowing embers. Once you have a bed of embers, almost anything will burn - even sodden driftwood. Place damp wood nearby to dry out for the next night.

Press the icon above for the sound of a bothy fire

The Bothies
The Mountain Bothies Association (MBA) have a full list of bothies they maintain (there are some private ones around as well). to get the list go to the MBA website and join them. The few pounds you hand over go to the upkeep of these wonderful shelters.

I've stayed at only a few bothies so far, and poked my nose through a few more. Some have been worked on since I've stayed, so I can't give you much of a breakdown of the good and bad places. Note I will not give you the exact locations - you'll have to either join the MBA or pore over a map to find them. The dates are of when I last dropped by, thus giving you an idea of how current the description is.

• A Chuil (2004) - Redecorated in 2003, this bothy on the edge of a pine wood is much improved. The surrounding area is tick infested, so wild camping is not recommended
• Arenig Fawr (2002) - A small and rather cute bothy that can sleep up to three. Handy for an early start on Arenig Fawr
• Camban (2003) - Another good mountain location - take a cushion for the stone chairs around the fireplace
• Corrour (199x?) - A small bothy with a bad reputation. I've heard its been improved since
• Corryhully (2002) - A bothy with electricity. The space inside is huge, and the mouse here is hungry
• Culra (2001) - At the foot of Ben Alder this wooden hut is handy for a number of remote peaks
• Knockdamph (2006) - No fuel bar a few twigs, for several miles, so take some in to keep warm
• Mosedale Cottage (2005) - A large, well kept building, with courtyard in a peaceful part of the Lakes

• Ryvoan (2004) - A busy bothy, as many people stop off here en-route to various Cairngorm peaks. Fallen wood in the Ryvoan Pass can be collected for fuel.
• Shenavall (2005) - Quite a few rooms, but only one has a fireplace. Double glazing upstairs, but its still cold. Firewood can be found along the banks of the river, or amongst the gorse bushes.
• Sourlies (2004) - Superb location, with a supply of fresh mussels and cockles. The fire smokes the room out
• Suileag (2003) - In the depths of Assynt, this bothy has a superb view, but no fuel nearby. You'll need to collect bits of the broken up bridge (1 mile), or dead gorse (2 miles) depending on your route in.

Thats it for now.

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