View Full Version : Bothying
fred gordon
06-12-2006, 20:42
Spent last weekend in a Scottish bothy called Craig in the Torridon area. Does anyone else enjoy this sort of wild experience and if so what is your favourite bothy? :)
Spikey DaPikey
06-12-2006, 21:00
How does this work ? Do you just turn up or do ya havta pay etc ?
They sound fun, but i have no idea how it works :o
Dougster
06-12-2006, 21:24
I was up in a few in the Cairngorms last February.
We had an excellent time - they are just open door huts Spikey, first come first served, a brilliant excuse to end the day early.
One piece of advice - take some whisky and a couple of things to burn!
I wrote in the book - 'roaring flames and roaring laughs' and I think that said it all.
How does this work ? Do you just turn up or do ya havta pay etc ?
They sound fun, but i have no idea how it works :o
Hi Spike......Bothy's are great, they are small cottages in remote area's, with a place to sleep and a fire place too, very basic and its first come, first served, though sometimes you have to share with others. They are free to use and you just leave the place as you find it.......
Spikey DaPikey
06-12-2006, 21:33
Cool !!
Cheers guys :You_Rock_
fred gordon
06-12-2006, 22:56
How does this work ? Do you just turn up or do ya havta pay etc ?
They sound fun, but i have no idea how it works :o
Have a look here. Its the Mountain Bothies Assoc. Lots of good pictures of various bothies.
www.mountainbothies.org.uk :)
iv been a member for a few years on and off now and stayed in about 30 or so bothies.the best one is camasunary on sky and my local bothy grwyne fawr
I would just like to add to the comment 'first come first served'
This should read 'there is no such thing as a full bothy'
The areas they are in provide emergency shelter, as well as a free weekend retreat. :)
I'm a member and have been using bothies for over 20 years.
Do check out there web site and forum.
http://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/index.php
And to keep on thread my fav bothy is Sorlies on the Knoydart peninsular, superb location.
(7 - 9 hour walk from road or get a boat)
http://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/cust_images/bothy%20images/Sourlies---Duncan-McCallum.jpg
I'd never heard of bothies before - great website, very interesting
history the MBA seems to have had and they've put their history
very nicely in context.
Fascinating insight into something unknown to me :)
I like the idea of the work parties to repair bothies - although it's a
slightly alien world to me "The work party planned for this weekend
at Corrour has again been cancelled due to helicopter unavailability."
Jo
Scots_Charles_River
01-01-2007, 18:25
Sorlies - anything related to the great poet ?
Nick
sandbender
02-01-2007, 23:09
I had my first real experience of the outdoors aged about 13 when I spent a week at a bothy near Peebles. It was run by the Border Bothies Association, prompted by this thread I looked them up and they are still around.
http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/huts/bordrbty.html
During my teenage years I used several of these bothys as kicking off points for treks around the Scottish Borders.
SowthEfrikan
03-01-2007, 02:14
They even provide spades to dig privvies. :) I'll be looking into these for my next UK trip.
Ah Hammy :eek:
You were'nt supposed to tell the rest of the world about Sourlies, mind its a fair walk in, but really worth the effort.
On your last visit was the "beast" still visiting @ night.
Some of my best memories are sitting in that bothy, eating mussels & pasta, sharing conversation (and a wee dram)with complete strangers, while the weather was howling outside.
My favourite mountain sits behind it too.
N
Well the last time I was there four or five beasts visited through the night and ate all the food that wasn't suspended from the ceiling. :)
The coastal foraging in this area is second to none, the muscles being a delicacy (best to collect the day before eating and place in a bucket of fresh water over night to purge them. Lots of different sea weeds too Mmmmmmm.
Long lines on the beach too.
Any way This is all I can say on the subject, (top secret)
Visit the web site for more info.
dommyracer
03-01-2007, 15:15
Knoydart is a place I really want to go one day, looks wonderful.
fred gordon
03-01-2007, 17:39
Ah Hammy :eek:
You were'nt supposed to tell the rest of the world about Sourlies, mind its a fair walk in, but really worth the effort.
On your last visit was the "beast" still visiting @ night.
Some of my best memories are sitting in that bothy, eating mussels & pasta, sharing conversation (and a wee dram)with complete strangers, while the weather was howling outside.
My favourite mountain sits behind it too.
N
A few years ago a friend of mine ate some mussels here. He was paralised the following day, not from the whisky but with shellfish poisoning! Had to stay in his bunk till it wore off! :confused:
A few years ago a friend of mine ate some mussels here. He was paralised the following day, not from the whisky but with shellfish poisoning! Had to stay in his bunk till it wore off! :confused:
Hence the overnight purge in fresh water to clean them out, gets all the sand out as well. :)
Hi all
I was in Knoydart over the New Year and I though you might be intrested in the Kilchoan Estate Bothy. Its about 2km outside of Inverie on the way to Meall Bhiudie though it would make a good base for both Luinne Bheinn and Beinn Bhiuide, or perhaps as a starter for longer extreme Bothying trips?!?
Although its £6 pp per night its seems very well equiped and looks like coal is thrown in for the price.I dont have the phone no. but im sure it would be easy to get if anyone wants the grid ref let me know. Ta Ed
P.S does anyone know wether the fireplace at Soulies has been sorted out?
Ta Ed :)
P.S does anyone know wether the fireplace at Soulies has been sorted out?
Ta Ed :)
Yes it draws nicely now, :)
Hey ive heard of bothying awhile ago, i was just wondering what happens with Fire wood and the likes is it there already do u have to bring Etc ive looked on the Mba forums couldnt find much info,,
i probs didnnt look hard enough..
You carry wood or coal into the bothy or source it when you are there.(depends on the local fuel situation and the type of stove )
When you join the MBA you get a hand book with the info for each individual bothy.
The etiquette is to leave enough fuel for the next visitors to have enough wood/coal + tinder for a nights fire.
Their life may depend on it.
Some bothies are next to peat bogs so peat is the fuel source, in this case you would cut and stack the same amount of peat you used, for next years bothiers.
The info is on the forum in the individual areas section people often post with this type of question for a specific bothy.
Introduce your selves on the forum and ask all these quesions they will be answered.
Unfortunately we do not give grid references on the forum.
Browse the mountain bothy association site.There is a bothy code and culture, steeped in tradition. A log book is left in the bothy for visitors, there is entries from all over the world. On one visit to a bothy off Mull, which took us 7hrs to drive and an hour to venture 3mile. You carry enough fuel ,food,and clothes for 2-3 days weighing about 70-80lb, so your well bu99ered on arrival.We were in 10 minutes to be visited by 3 Dutch, they last visited it 20years ago.
The Bothies are open to all and welcome.For £15 full price and £7.50 concession ,this gives you an annual membership. This goes to the maintainance,repair of the properties.A copy of bothies locations ,rules and magazine is included.Work parties for volunteers are a great time and very worthwhile. Give it a browse it,s great, you can use all the bushy skills all year round at them and use the same kit.You need a party piece and a bottle .
www.mountainbothies.org.uk/ FIL
Just to bump this thread, the Welsh area of the MBA are recruiting volunteers if your interested please follow this link
http://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3068
Its a great way to get out into the wilds and have a bit of fun.
Bothies are great, although their never seems to be any next to good salmon rivers with no one else for miles.
I like some of the more remote ones, going with a few friends is just great. Every one I've been in has been in reasonable ish condition. The worst that happened to me in a bothy was when a door fell off one and knocked me unconcious, it had only one hinge attached, we removed the door completely and then just lent it on the frame.