Wondering what a bothy is? Or what you should know before you plan to stay in a bothy? I love spending time outdoors and hiking on my trips, and this year I’ve had some truly spectacular experiences staying in bothies around Britain. This bothy guide will hopefully answer your questions about bothies and get you prepared for your first bothy stay!

What is a bothy?

You might be wondering, what is a bothy? A bothy is a basic shelter, that is available to anyone who needs it and is free to use. While each bothy layout will vary based on its size and structure, there are typically raised sleeping platforms, a stove for a fire, and sometimes a table and some kind of seating. Bothies aren’t typical accommodation – they’re meant to be used as a shelter, so they’re basic. It’s a step up from camping, as you’re sheltered indoors and (hopefully) warm, but it’s not the same as a hostel or a B&B.

You’ll be lucky if there’s a squat toilet – unless you’re headed to Burnmouth at Rackwick Bay on Orkney, which has a real flush toilet! Expect to go outdoors the same way you would if you were camping. You’ll want to come prepared!

Where can you find bothies?

You can find bothies in remote, mountainous regions in Scotland, Northern England, and Wales. There are also bothies in Ulster, too! One of the best resources about bothies is the Scottish Bothy Bible guidebook.

Who owns bothies?

The majority of bothies are under the care of the Mountain Bothy Association (MBA), which is an amazing organization that does so much work to care for these places and keep them open for people to use when needed. While typically the bothy is owned by the MBA, bothies are usually on land owned by someone else – so it’s important to respect the area and the estates’/landowners’ rights when you stay in a bothy.

What to bring to a bothy?

Even if you’re planning on staying in a bothy, you should be prepared to camp (more on this below!). You’ll also need to bring your own equipment for sleeping and eating. Here are the most important things to bring with you for your stay:

• Sleeping bag (I also always bring my sleeping mat with me)
• Tent
• Camping stove
• Drinking water (if needed)
• Whatever food you need
• A lighter (small candles are also nice as bothies get quite dark!)
• Toilet paper
• Whisky 🙂

Make sure you read my full outdoor gear guide for hiking and camping in the UK!

What is the Bothy Code?

The Bothy Code is a set of very basic rules regarding the use of bothies. The MBA website lists the following as part of the Bothy Code: respect the bothy, respect other users, respect the surroundings, respect the agreement with the estate, respect the restriction on numbers. If you’re visiting a bothy in Scotland, read up on the Scottish Outdoor Access Code for an idea on how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly.

Based on my experiences staying in bothies, here’s what you should expect when you stay in a bothy. These expand on the bothy code above, so you know the guidelines for appropriate bothy use and what to do when you visit bothies!

“A bothy is never full.”

I first heard this at the bothy in Glen Feshie, where people piled in throughout the evening. A bothy is a shelter and it is always open to anyone who needs it. This underpins the communal experience you can discover in bothies – expect to share the space with others who might also want to use the bothy. Be prepared to make room for others, and get cozy.

Always bring a tent and be prepared to camp.

While a bothy is never full, there may be times when there is literally no physical space in the bothy for another person. This is particularly true of small bothies that can only sleep 3-4 people at a maximum. I’ve heard stories of backpacks being thrown outside to make room for another person to shelter inside. But bothies will have a physical limit, so bring a tent in case it’s full. You don’t want to arrive after a long hike in miserable weather only to discover there’s “no room at the inn” and need to keep going to find shelter.

Be considerate to other guests and respect the space.

If you’re sharing the bothy with others, be respectful. Don’t be loud and noisy if others are trying to sleep. Don’t take up more space with your belongings than necessary if the bothy is full. If someone needs to change clothes, be respectful and give them privacy. This is really basic common courtesy, but sometimes needs to be said.

Pack out everything you bring in.

And I mean EVERYTHING – including toilet paper if there is no squat toilet on site. Don’t leave food, and especially DO NOT leave perishable food items – these attract vermin, and can cause major damage to the bothy. You may think you’re being helpful to others, but most likely you’re not. If it can’t be burned, you will need to carry it back out.

I thought this sign in a bothy in the Cairngorms was pretty funny!

Leave no trace of your visit – besides an entry in the bothy book (if there is one).

In general, no one should be able to tell you were at the bothy – please don’t graffiti or vandalize the bothy. The only way anyone should be able to tell you were there is if you wrote an entry in the bothy book. Many bothies have a simple book where you can leave a note about your stay with your name. I love reading these and seeing who stayed before me! But it’s very important to leave no trace.

There are a few items that are helpful to leave.

The best things to bring to a bothy and leave behind is a lighter (or lighters), small candles, fire starters, and an extra roll of toilet paper. None of these will cause any issues and future bothy users will certainly find them useful.

If you light a fire, try to gather kindling to replace what you used.

Bothies typically have a stove, which make for a very cozy experience – especially if you’re swapping stories and sharing a dram around the fire. If you are using kindling/firewood, try to find some to replace what you used for the next visitors. One bothy I stayed at had a stash of logs out back and several saws, so I chopped some firewood to replace what I’d used. I often think of it this way: how depressing would if be if you’d hiked all day in horrible stormy wet conditions to reach shelter, only to have to stand outside in the rain some more to chop firewood?

ALWAYS make sure the fire is out.

Make sure any fire is completely extinguished before you leave the bothy premises.

Give the bothy a quick clean and sweep it before you leave.

Tidy up before you head out – you should want to leave the space a bit nicer than how you found it. This takes very minimal effort, but really makes a difference.

Bothies aren’t for large groups to use.

As per the MBA Bothy Code, groups of 6 or more should not use bothies for overcrowding reasons – be prepared to camp if you’re in a big group. Bothies also aren’t for extended stays. Stay maybe a couple of nights (2-3), max. I’ve only ever had 1-night stays in bothies – I’ve always moved on the next morning.

There might be restrictions on the use of a particular bothy.

This could be seasonal, such as during stag stalking or lambing time. Respect these agreements – while the MBA allows anyone to use bothies, bothies are typically on land owned by someone else. So while you may be allowed to use the bothy, you don’t own the bothy or the land its on.

Bothies are amazing, and it is a privilege to be able to use them.

They are a fantastic network of shelters in remote areas, and help keep people safe, warm, and dry all over Britain. Take care of them so we can all continue using them. Bothies are sometimes closed due to vandalism or bad behavior like excessive partying. Bothies are a privilege, not a right. Please do your part and respect the bothy so we can use them in the future!

Bothies I’ve Stayed In

I’ve only stayed in a few bothies, compared to how many exist around the UK. But they’ve all been really great experiences!

Isle of Skye: Camasunary Bay

I stayed at Camasunary Bay on my trip to the Isle of Skye. It’s about a 1.5-hour walk from where you can park, and such a peaceful location right on the bay. I loved watching the colors of the sky change at sunset here. The bothy is pretty big, with one room for cooking/eating and one room with wooden platforms (two levels, like bunk beds) for sleeping. Read my blog post about the Camasunary Bay bothy here!

The Cairngorms: Glen Feshie (Ruigh Aiteachain), Glas Allt Shiel, Gelder Shiel

My trip to the Cairngorms was what really got me hooked on bothies. I stayed in three bothies on my trip. By far the nicest was Glen Feshie, which is really more of a bunkhouse than a bothy it’s so nice! Glas Allt Shiel, on Loch Muick, and Gelder Shiel, on the Balmoral Estate, were cozy places and felt remote. At Gelder Shiel, I had the whole place to myself!

Orkney: Burnmouth (Rackwick Bay)

Staying at this bothy has been a dream of mine for years – as soon as I found out it existed and saw a picture of it, I knew I had to stay here! Located on Hoy, one of the Orkney islands, the bothy at Rackwick Bay is spectacular. Rackwick Bay is a secluded and quiet part of the island, and the bothy is a short walk away from the sandy beach. Rackwick Bay bothy is fairly large, they had two camp beds inside for visitors to use which was so thoughtful. Best of all, they had a flush toilet – an absolute luxury when staying in a bothy!!! There was also a sink with running water (not drinkable). I had the best night here.

Dream Bothies I Want to Stay In

There are so many bothies around the UK that I’d love to stay in. The hardest part is finding the time to get there! Here are a few of the bothies on my British bothy bucket list.

Outer Hebrides: Mangersta

This bothy is built into the cliffs on the Isle of Lewis, with a window that looks right out onto the sea. Talk about dreamy!!

Cape Wrath: Kearvaig Bothy

If you make it all the way to Cape Wrath, you can’t miss a night at the Kearvaig Bothy. Cape Wrath is one of the most remote places in the entirety of the UK, accessible only by the 11-mile walk past Sandwood Bay, or by a ferry/minibus daytrip combo from Durness. Keep in mind Cape Wrath is Ministry of Defence land, so check for MOD firings/closures beforehand.

Lake District: Warnscale Head

This is probably one of the most popular bothies in the country, if only for that perfect view out the window over Buttermere. This is one place to definitely arrive early and secure your spot if you’re spending the night – especially on a weekend. I’m dying to sleep here one night!

Isle of Skye: The Lookout

This one is on the northern tip of the Isle of Skye, at Rubha Hunish. It’s just a small hut in the middle of nowhere, overlooking the sea – but the views are out of this world. I can only imagine how quiet and peaceful it must be here!

Cairngorms: Corrour

Corrour bothy is approximately halfway along the Lairig Ghru, a 19-mile mountain pass in the Cairngorms. It’s remote, and the location underneath the Devil’s Point peak and along the River Dee is incredibly scenic. I definitely want to hike the Lairig Ghru, so hopefully I can get here one day!

North Pennines: Greg’s Hut

I have actually visited this bothy before, but not spent the night! In the North Pennines, Greg’s Hut bothy is close to the summit of Cross Fell – the highest mountain in England outside the Lake District. It’s got two separate rooms, one for cooking/eating and one for sleeping. Hopefully I can stay here someday!

Northwest Highlands: Shenavall Bothy

If you’re planning on hiking the Fisherfield 6, you’ll want to stay here. It’s also called the Fisherfield 5, as Beinn a’ Chlaidheimh got downgraded from Munro status after it was remeasured in 2011 and discovered to be slightly too short to quality as a Munro. This group of Munros in the Northwest Scottish Highlands is really remote, and to do them all at once will require an overnight stay (if not two overnights). You’ll certainly feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere with a stay here – I want to go!

Bothies are an incredible system of basic shelters around Britain, offering safety and a dry space to hikers in remote areas around the country. If you’ve enjoyed this post and want to learn more about bothies, I recommend buying the Scottish Bothy Bible. This guidebook is all about bothies and will give so much inspiration for a bothy adventure! I’ve loved my experiences in bothies, and I hope this guide will help you plan your own bothy adventure, too.

Have you ever stayed in a bothy before? Or would you stay in a bothy?

You might also like my posts:

Staying in the Camasunary Bay Bothy on the Isle of Skye

Cairngorms National Park Travel Guide: What to See and Do

The Complete Orkney Guide: An 8-Day Itinerary for the Orkney Islands

Hoy, Orkney: Visiting the Old Man of Hoy and Rackwick Bay

My Outdoor Gear Guide for Hiking and Camping in the UK

All of my hiking and camping posts!