{"id":14953,"date":"2022-03-14T13:05:42","date_gmt":"2022-03-14T12:05:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=109403"},"modified":"2022-03-14T13:31:25","modified_gmt":"2022-03-14T12:31:25","slug":"british-bothy-guide-best-bothies-to-stay-in-what-to-bring-and-bothy-code","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/british-bothy-guide-best-bothies-to-stay-in-what-to-bring-and-bothy-code\/","title":{"rendered":"British bothy guide: best bothies to stay in, what to bring and bothy code"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Phoebe Smith\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 14 March 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Stone walls; bare floorboards; woodburning stove; a couple of chairs and a table. This scene may sound basic \u2013 almost unappealing \u2013 but for lovers of wild, remote places, nothing instills a sense of comfort and safety quite like a bothy. And these\u00a0mountain refuges left open for weary walkers can be found up and down the UK.<\/p>\n

But what exactly are bothies? What are they like to stay in? And what do you need to bring if you plan to spend a night in one? Our beginners\u2019 guide takes a closer look at these mountain shelters before revealing a few of our favourites.<\/p>\n

\""Remote\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Wanscale Bothy sits above Buttermere valley in the Lake District National Park\/Credit: Stephen Knowles Photography, Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

What is a bothy?<\/h2>\n

Bothies are simple structures found in remote locations left open for\u00a0weary walkers. They have no wardens to check you in, no booking system, no electricity and no running water.<\/p>\n

Rudimentary they may be, but after a hard day\u2019s walking, a bothy is a welcome sight to a weary wayfarer. With a roof and a fire or stove to warm up with, they offer more protection than tents, allowing you to enjoy longer spells in remote landscapes.<\/p>\n

What should I bring to a bothy?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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In case the bothy is full, or you can\u2019t find it in the darkness, snow or mist, you need to pack as if you\u2019re camping<\/a>, including a warm sleeping bag and mat, and a stove for treating water and making hot drinks.<\/p>\n

Also crucial are fuel for the fire<\/a>, matches and toilet roll, plus a dedicated bag for carrying rubbish out with you.<\/p>\n

What is it like staying in a bothy?<\/h2>\n
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Staying in a bothy feels like a proper adventure. Solitude, for example, is never guaranteed. You may find yourself sharing whisky with German tourists one night, crashing a stag party another, or even bedding down top-to-tail with a group of climbers you\u2019ve met an hour before.<\/p>\n

Aside from meeting like-minded people and spending cosy nights in front of a fire, it\u2019s the buildings themselves that people often love.<\/p>\n

\""Remote\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Corrour Bothy at Devil\u2019s Point in the wild Cairngorms\/Credit: Nature Picture Library, Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

History of bothies<\/h2>\n

British bothies are different from the mountain huts found elsewhere in the world, because they were never built specifically for walkers. They were originally homesteads on remote estates, built for gamekeepers, farmers, shepherds, quarrymen and so on.<\/p>\n

In the first half of the 20th century, the large estates reorganised their workforce more centrally, transport improved, and many of these remote buildings were no longer needed. Hundreds were abandoned and left to ruin. Later, after the Second World War, walking boomed in popularity, and many hikers made use of the empty buildings to spend a night in the hills \u2013 with or without permission.<\/p>\n

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In 1965, a group of friends led by Bernard and Betty Heath restored a remote building in Dumfries and Galloway. That working party marks the founding of the Mountain Bothies Association<\/a> (MBA), funded by donation and run by volunteers. Half a century later, the MBA still works closely with landowners \u2013 who own the buildings and lease them to the group \u2013 to \u201cpreserve and restore open shelters for the use and enjoyment of all those who love wild and lonely places\u201d. In 2015, the organisation received The Queen\u2019s Award for Voluntary Service, an award given to volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work in their communities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The bothies in its care range in size, location and former use. There\u2019s the tiny former water pumping house on Grwyne Fawr reservoir in the Brecon Beacons<\/a>; the near-hidden Lake District<\/a> hut of Warnscale Head, made from leftover slate mining spoil, with a wonderful view down to Buttermere<\/a>; and one of the most remote bothies in Scotland, Ben Alder Cottage, which demands a tough walk to reach it and is steeped in tales of the former residents said to haunt it. That\u2019s just a tiny selection of the MBA\u2019s 101 shelters, mainly across Scotland but with a scattering around northern England and a handful in Wales.<\/p>\n

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There are also bothies looked after by other groups \u2013 it\u2019s a thrill to stumble across one you didn\u2019t know existed.<\/p>\n

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