Planning a Bothy Trip in Remote Scotland

What a Bothy Really Is

A bothy is a simple, unlocked shelter in a wild place. It might be a stone cottage at the end of a long glen, a timber hut beside a river, or a former shepherd’s dwelling on a high moor. There is no warden, no booking system, and no guarantee of a bed. You will usually find four walls, a roof, a sleeping platform, perhaps a table and chairs, and sometimes a fireplace. There may be no water, no toilet, and no bins. Some bothies are within an hour’s walk of a road; others demand a full day of rough walking. They are maintained by volunteers, often through donations, and they exist because people treat them well. Your trip begins with understanding that you are a guest in someone else’s refuge.

Research Before You Leave Home

Good bothy trips are built on boring preparation. Start with a current topographic map and a compass, not just a phone. Note the grid reference, the nearest parking, and at least one escape route. Check the latest access notes from the maintaining volunteer group, because closures, storm damage, or seasonal restrictions can change everything. Look at a mountain weather forecast for wind, rain, and temperature at height. A glen can be calm while a col is ferocious.

• Print or write down your route and leave a copy with someone reliable.
• Check river levels and crossings; a burn that is easy in the morning can be impassable after rain.
• Plan for midges from late spring to early autumn, and for snow and ice in winter.
• Decide how many nights you will stay and carry food for one extra day.
• Tell someone your expected return time and stick to it, or update them if you change plans.

If the weather turns, be willing to turn back. A bothy is not worth a dangerous crossing.

Access, Parking and the Walk In

Scotland’s access rights are generous, but they come with responsibilities. Park considerately at the start of the track. Never block a gate, a passing place, a turning circle, or a private drive. On single-track roads, use passing places to let locals past, and do not park in them. Keep dogs under close control, especially around livestock, and pick up after them.

Walk in quietly and avoid damaging soft ground. Stay on the track where erosion is obvious. During the stalking season, usually late summer to autumn, estates may ask walkers to avoid certain routes at certain times. Look for notices and follow any reasonable advice. This is not about giving up your rights; it is about sharing the hills with the people who live and work there.

Fuel, Light and Cooking

Never assume there will be fuel, and never rely on a fire. Take a stove and enough fuel for every hot meal and drink. Gas canisters can be sluggish in cold weather, so keep them off the cold floor and warm them inside your jacket before use. Meths and paraffin stoves work well but need care and ventilation.

• Take all fuel out with you, including empty canisters. They are not rubbish for the next person.
• If a bothy has a fireplace, keep fires small. Do not burn green wood, plastic, foil, or treated timber.
• Use a headtorch and spare batteries. Candles are a common cause of bothy fires.
• Cook in a ventilated area and never use a stove inside a closed sleeping compartment.
• Boil or filter drinking water from streams. Even clear water can carry bugs.

Good light and a reliable stove turn a cold evening into a comfortable one.

Shared Space Etiquette

A bothy is a shared space, not a private hotel. Greet everyone when you arrive. Ask where people plan to sleep before you unroll your mat. If the platform is full, squeeze in politely or use the floor. Keep noise low after dark, and do not play music out loud unless everyone agrees. Remember that sound travels in a stone building.

• Keep your kit tidy and close to your sleeping space.
• Leave the table clear for cooking and eating.
• If someone arrives wet, cold, or late, make room. That is the bothy code.
• Use a torch, not the main light, when others are sleeping.
• Sweep the floor and wipe surfaces before you leave.

Small kindnesses make a night in a remote shelter memorable for the right reasons.

Leave No Trace, Give Back

Bothies stay open because visitors leave them better than they found them. Pack out all rubbish, including tea bags, apple cores, and stray bits of tape. Do not bury food waste; animals will dig it up. For human waste, walk at least 30 metres from water and buildings, dig a small hole, and bury it. Carry out toilet paper in a bag.

• Leave dead wood for wildlife and soil. Do not strip a bothy of its furniture or fittings.
• Report damage or missing equipment to the volunteer group that looks after the place.
• Donate if you can, or join a work party. Even a few hours of clearing or painting helps.
• Close doors and shutters to keep out weather and animals, but leave ventilation open.
• Take a photo of the bothy as you leave. If it looks worse than when you arrived, fix it.

Remote Scotland offers shelter that money cannot buy. With careful planning, modest fuel, and respect for shared spaces, you will be welcomed back, and so will the next walker.