Bothys - idyllic getaway?

[Mick721]

I'm in the middle of planning a little weekend away and planned to spend the first night in a bothy. Trying to get a little more information on the bothy on question, I stumbled upon another forum dedicated to bothy enthusiasts (can't remember the forum name). It would seem, reading through some of the threads that these people spend a lot of their time cleaning up after yobbos who have vandalised and left piles of beer cans (and human waste) in the buildings.

How does this compare to other peoples experience the of bothy? Is it worth avoiding altogether or is this a rarer occurrence than I've been led to believe?

 

[Chris o]

Can't speak for any down South m8 but the few I've been to have been pleasant. I would assume that people who disrespect and deficate in them may be lacking in something and hopefully that includes the motivation to get to the more remote ones thus leaving them in there natural state for us normal people.

 

[Mick721]

This one's apparently one of the more remote in northumberland.

 

[Chris o]

Sounds like it should be cool then. Some are basic with just a sleeping area and some I would quit happily live in, maybe.

 

[VanDeRooster]

I'm a member of the Bothy Association and use them on a fairly regular basis during winter. The condition varies from (barely) four walls and a roof to ones with wood stoves, sleeping platforms and a compost toilet.

Generally the less remote the better the chance of vandalism etc.


Sent from my  iPad Mini RD

 

[Limaed]

I've had some great Bothy experiences, certainly some of my fondest hill memories. Up until a few years ago the locations weren't available freely - you had to get some hill mileage in to find them. The MBA : http://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/ now has a location map detailing where they are. This isn't necessarily a bad thing & I believe the decision to do this was taken to raise the MBA's profile and generate some more income.
Some that are easy to access do have problems with overcrowding & unsavoury characters but if you make the effort to reach the remote ones your experience is I think likely to be positive. I tend to use the Bothies mid week & in winter when they truly are a haven from the elements.

 

[Mick721]

Thanks fellas. I've been using the MBA's website for a while now to plan various trips, but never actually managed to get out to a bothy yet. I take it that if I go on a weekend, the chances of having the place to ourselves is fairly slim?

 

[Limaed]

Hard to say. When you look in the guest books there are often visitors every few days, even in the remote bothies. In the Highlands those on walking routes (to a Munro for example) will get me more day traffic. Most folk out in the wilds will be good company, don't forget the hip flask!

 

[Mick721]

Of course not. My hippy comes before sleep system in the packing order list.

 

[flipside]

The ones i have used have been great, a credit to those maintain them or pass through and look after as they go. However the closer to a road the more chance that they will be treated poorly by a minority

 

[demographic]

The ones I've seen have been pretty good. Generally pretty clean and got a roof. What more could a bloke want.

 

[Harvestman]

Here's my favourite bothy. Grwyne fawr, in the Black mountains. No exactly luxurious, but then it is the smallest bothy in the UK. I've been in, but not stayed, but it is fine in there.

 

[Mick721]

That is a stunning little bothy. Is it big enough for a bed?

 

[Harvestman]

It used to have an upper floor that would sleep 4 good friends. That has now been removed, so you sleep at ground level now. That means slightly less room but you get to sleep next to the stove. You could get a camp bed in there for sure.

Have a look here: http://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/bothy-details.asp?bothy_id=99