List of Mountain Bothies Association bothies


are remote, rural cottages that have outlived their original purposes but now are kept unlocked for people to take shelter or stay overnight without charge. They are located mostly in Scotland, with a small number in England and Wales, and have extremely basic facilities - with no electricity, gas, or piped water. The Mountain Bothies Association, established in 1965, is a charity that maintains bothies.

Background

Bothies

are primitive shelters found primarily in Scotland but also in remote parts of Wales and northern England. Highland Scotland has a low density of population by European standards – indeed, in a few remote areas the population has declined over the last 200 years due to emigration following the Highland Clearances and the Highland Potato Famine, together with migration to the cities because of industrialisation. In consequence, ruinous, but and ben cottages are often to be found abandoned in remote areas. Also, bothies were built for deer stalking, quarrying, cattle droving and shepherding but these have also fallen out of use.
The owners of these abandoned properties sometimes allow them be used freely by backpackers, climbers and the like – they are simply kept unlocked. There is no charge for use but neither are there any facilities – they have no electricity or piped water supply.

Mountain Bothies Association

The Mountain Bothies Association was established in 1965, becoming a Scottish charity in 1975, to take on the basic care and maintenance of some of these shelters, with the cooperation of the owners who sometimes help financially. The first bothy to be restored was [|Tunskeen]. The organisation has over ninety bothies, mostly in Scotland but with a few in England and Wales all of which may be stayed in without any charges at all. Very rarely is there vehicular access and in some cases, even those located on the mainland are more directly accessible by boat.
The MBA aims to keep its properties windproof and waterproof so someone checks them a few times a year. At minimum there will be a table and a few chairs, and many bothies have a fireplace or stove although plenty do not. Fuel needs to be carried in – a blazing fire is known as "bothy TV". MBA bothies sometimes have an outside toilet but when this is not the case a toilet spade is provided. Raised platforms or bunks have been installed for sleeping – sometimes the floor, particularly an attic floor, is also suitable.
Visitors are expected to bring food and bedding with them. Sometimes there are books, cooking equipment and so forth left by previous visitors. A bothy book is an important aspect of bothying culture. There is no system for reserving places or checking availability so, if the need arises, more people may squeeze in even if it means that some other people may decide to sleep outside in their tents. Visitors are only expected to stay for a short period – for a night or two – before moving on. Large groups – six or more – and commercial groups are not allowed.

Deer stalking in Scotland

In the Scottish Highlands many bothies are situated on deer stalking estates and so in the stalking season the land owner may restrict access or the bothy may be closed completely. Red deer stag hunting is from 1 July to 20 October and this is the time of the greatest likelihood of restrictions. However, hind culling starts 21 October and can extend into February. Elsewhere, in sheep country, the shepherds themselves may need to use a bothy at lambing time and they take priority over visitors. Estates often ask visitors to telephone in advance to enquire about restrictions. Warning notices will be displayed and a website maintains up-to-date access arrangements throughout Scotland.

List of MBA bothies

This sortable list includes all the Mountain Bothies Association bothies as listed on their website. Traditionally these locations were not published but a change of policy in 2009 led to the locations being made openly available. In 2017 Geoff Allan published The Scottish Bothy Bible, detailing all MBA bothies in Scotland as well as many other non-MBA bothies. Publication of this and other guides in recent years has led to controversy over the publicity of bothies and the 'bothy experience'. Some believe increased publicity in respect of bothies is detrimental to their long term sustainability. It has also been suggested that there should be a subcategory of bothies that are not publicised and are known only to MBA members, or alternatively, for no new bothies to be published beyond the MBA membership.
MBA region
Name
District		Grid ref
Lat/long
Sleeps
Elevation
Estate		PhotoNotes
Northern HighlandsAchnanclach
Sutherland
many)
Syre		MBA SBB, 43.
Northern HighlandsCoiremor, Magoo's Bothy
Ross-shire
many)
Corriemulzie		MBA SBB, 45.
Northern HighlandsCroft House, Lochstrathy
Sutherland
many)
Strathy South		MBA SBB, 61.
Northern HighlandsGlencoul
Sutherland
4)
Reay Forest		MBA SBB, 59.
Northern HighlandsSchoolhouse, Duag Bridge
Sutherland
5)
Corriemulzie		Busy.
MBA SBB, 63; also.
Northern HighlandsStrabeg
Sutherland
many)
Eriboll		Near Sandwood Bay.
MBA 15; SBB, 69.
Northern HighlandsStrathchailleach
Sutherland
2)
Keoldale		Near Sandwood Bay.
MBA SBB, 71; also.
Northern HighlandsSuileag
Sutherland
8)
Glencanisp		MBA SBB, 85.
North West Highlands and IslandsCamasunary
Camasunary		MBA SBB, 95; also.
North West Highlands and IslandsEasan Dorcha
Coulin		Ex-coastguard station, hence excellent views.
MBA SBB, 293; also.
North West Highlands and IslandsMaol Bhuidhe
Wester Ross
many in attic)
Killilan		MBA SBB, 97.
North West Highlands and IslandsOllisdal
Skye
small)
Glendale		Interior photo.
MBA SBB, 287.
North West Highlands and IslandsTaigh Thormoid Dhuibh
Raasay		Island of Raasay, [|interior photos].
MBA SBB, 291.
North West Highlands and IslandsUags
Applecross
1+ attic)
Applecross		MBA SBB, 105.
North West Highlands and IslandsUisinis
Outer Hebrides
4)
South Uist		Busy but rarely full.
MBA SBB, 111.
Western HighlandsDibidil
Rùm
6)
Scottish Natural Heritage		Island of Rùm.
MBA SBB, 275.
Western HighlandsGleann Dubh-lighe
Lochaber
2+)
Fassfern		Island of Rùm.
MBA SBB, 281.
Western HighlandsInvermallie
Lochaber
4+ large attic)
Locheil		MBA SBB, 101.
Southwest Highlands and IslandsAbyssinia
Loch Lomond
8)
Strone		Island of Islay.
MBA SBB, 269.
Southwest Highlands and IslandsCadderlie
North Argyll
4)
Loch Etive		MBA SBB, 211.
Southwest Highlands and IslandsCruib
Jura
5)
Ruantallaine		Island of Jura.
MBA SBB, 279.
Southwest Highlands and IslandsLeacraithnaich
Ardgour
4)
Ardtornish		MBA SBB, 225.
Southwest Highlands and IslandsRowchoish
Loch Lomond
12)
East Lomond Forest		West Highland Way.
MBA SBB, 227.
Southwest Highlands and IslandsTaigh Seumas a' Ghlinne, Glen Duror
Lochaber
4)
Lorne Forest		Isle of Mull.
MBA SBB, 295.
Central HighlandsBen Alder Cottage
Rannoch
4)
Ben Alder		Permanently closed.
MBA SBB, 144.
Central HighlandsGlenbuck
Monadhliath
many)
Aberchalder		Busy.
MBA SBB, 151; also.
Central HighlandsLoch Chiarain
Lochaber
1+ large attic)
Killiechonate and Mamores		MBA SBB, 153.
Central HighlandsLuib Chonnal
Monadhliath
0+ attic)
Braeroy		MBA SBB, 155.
Central HighlandsMeanach
Lochaber
3)
Killiechonate and Mamores		Interior photo. Not at all busy.
MBA SBB, 167.
Eastern HighlandsCallater Stable
Mounth
8)
Invercauld		MBA SBB, 171.
Eastern HighlandsCharr
Mounth
3)
Glendye		MBA SBB, 185.
Eastern HighlandsCorrour
Cairngorms
4)
Mar Lodge 		File:Two walkers outside Corrour Bothy, Cairngorms
Inchrory		File:Faindouran Lodge bothy
Abernethy (RSPB

Maps

The locations of all the bothies listed in this article are available for mapping purposes.

Gallery of interior photographs

Citations

Works cited

  • Note: the page numbers used here are those in the print version of the book. The online preview with the same ISBN and publication date has a different layout and pagination.
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