Scottish Bothies

Sitting above remote Loch Ossian and accessible from Corrour Station — Britain's most remote railway station — A' Chuil is the train-accessible bothy. 6 km / 1.5 h walk-in. Sleeps 6, good, MBA-maintained.

Strathan, head of Loch Arkaig

One of Scotland's most northerly bothies, in central Sutherland just east of Loch Loyal near Altnaharra. The walk-in is unusually easy — a little over a kilometre of near-flat, often boggy ground from the A836. Beinn Stumanadh rises to the south, with the Ben Loyal massif to the north.

A836 layby by Loch Loyal, near Altnaharra

A bothy in Glen Tilt south of Blair Atholl. Shorter than the walk to Tarf Hotel and useful as a first-night stop on the Minigaig pass route. A handy first-night stop in Glen Tilt for those starting late, or a quieter alternative to the better-known Tarf Hotel.

Old Bridge of Tilt, Blair Atholl

A bothy deep in the Galloway Forest Park — the darkest place in Scotland and an International Dark Sky Park. The walk-in through commercial forestry opens into wild moorland. Sleeps 4; 8 km / 2.0 h approach, good condition, kept open by Forestry and Land Scotland.

Clatteringshaws Loch car park on the A712

A large estate bothy in Barrisdale Bay on the north shore of Loch Hourn. The main basecamp for Ladhar Bheinn — Scotland's most remote mainland Munro. 8-place bothy, 10 km / 3.0 h walk-in; good, estate-maintained.

Kinloch Hourn road end

A well-maintained bothy in Strath Carron between Achnashellach and Torridon. A key staging post for through-routes and a base for the surrounding Munros. 6-place bothy, 6 km / 1.5 h walk-in; good, MBA-maintained.

Craig on the A890

Ben Alder Cottage sits on the south shore of Loch Ericht beneath Ben Alder, deep in the central Highlands. Reputedly where Bonnie Prince Charlie hid after Culloden. One of the most historically significant bothies in Scotland.

Dalwhinnie or Corrour Station

A large, well-appointed former hunting lodge in the hills between Loch Carron and Glen Elchaig. One of the most comfortable bothies in Scotland. The Black Water and Loch Calavie below are scenic and the surrounding remote Munros draw a steady trickle of dedicated baggers each year.

Attadale on the A890

Bob Scott's is the replacement bothy built in 2007 after the original was destroyed by fire in 2003 — a generously-sized timber building close to Derry Lodge in the heart of the Cairngorms. The classic starting point for the Lairig Ghru and the Cairngorm 4000s.

Linn of Dee car park

Brattleburn sits in a clearing in Greskine Forest in the Lowther foothills west of Beattock — one of the three MBA bothies that directly serve the Southern Upland Way, along with White Laggan and Over Phawhope. It was renovated in 1984, the year the Way opened, and has been catching its walkers ever since. For years it was famous for housing a piano; sadly, the piano has gone.

Earshaig, off the old A701 west of Beattock — parking at Cloffinburn Cottage is strictly private

A small bothy in the Lowther Hills, midway between the Daer Reservoir and the Lowther Hills summit ridge. One of the most accessible MBA bothies from the central belt of Scotland.

Daer Reservoir or Boghall

A small bothy on the north shore of Loch Etive, set within deciduous woodland — an unusual setting for a Scottish bothy and one of the most peaceful. Best reached by walking along the loch shore.

Glasdrum Wood / Bonawe

An easy-access bothy in Glen Callater near Braemar. One of the shortest walk-ins in the Cairngorms and a natural base for Tolmount, Tom Buidhe and the surrounding Munros. 3 km / 40 min walk-in. Sleeps 6, good, MBA-maintained.

Auchallater on the A93 south of Braemar

Camasunary sits on a remote beach between Elgol and the Black Cuillin on Skye. The views across Loch Scavaig to the Cuillin Ridge are among the most dramatic in Scotland.

Elgol road end car park

Camban sits in Glen Affric on the Affric Kintail Way, between Alltbeithe youth hostel and the west coast. A natural overnight stop on one of Scotland's finest through-routes. MBA-maintained bothy in fair condition, sleeps 4. Walk-in is 12 km / 3.5 h.

Morvich near Shiel Bridge

Deep in the Fisherfield wilderness at the foot of Fionn Loch. The traditional basecamp for the Fisherfield Six — the remotest set of Munros in Scotland. Sleeps 6; 10 km / 3.0 h approach, good condition, an estate-maintained barn (Letterewe).

Poolewe village

Charr is the most easterly bothy in the MBA network, sitting in grouse-moor country in upper Glen Dye where the Water of Dye meets the Water of Charr, with the Brocky Burn tumbling past the door. The site was once a small settlement — the archaeological record shows field enclosures and two longhouses — and the walk in passes ruin after ruin of the glen's farming past. One thing to know before anything else: there is no fire.

Rough lay-by on the B974 above the ruined Spital Cottage, about a mile south of Bridge of Dye

A compact Torridon bothy at the foot of Maol Chean-dearg, accessible via a short walk from the A890. An excellent base for Torridon hills or a through-route to Annat. 3 km / 45 min walk-in. Sleeps 4, good, MBA-maintained.

Coulags bridge on the A890

Corrour sits in the heart of the Cairngorms, at the foot of the Devils Point and close to the Lairig Ghru pass. One of the most iconic bothies in Scotland and a natural base for exploring the southern Cairngorms plateau.

Linn of Dee car park

A large former youth hostel on the remote north shore of Loch Torridon, on the coastal path between Lower Diabaig and Redpoint. It ran as an SYHA hostel from 1935 until 2003 and was adopted by the MBA in 2006. This is a coastal bothy, not a mountain one.

Lower Diabaig road end, Loch Torridon

A former estate lodge on the north shore of Loch Tarbert, the sea loch that nearly cuts Jura in two. Cruib opened as a bothy in May 2012 after a major MBA renovation — it was the 79th building in the association's care and Jura's second, after Glengarrisdale. Three rooms, one kept locked for estate use, two for visitors, in as lonely a stretch of coast as the southern Hebrides offer.

Small lay-by just beyond Tarbert hamlet on the A846

Culra was the main basecamp bothy for the Ben Alder Munros — but right now there is no bothy here. It closed in March 2014 after asbestos was found in the building fabric, stood locked for over a decade, and was demolished in October 2025. The MBA and Ben Alder Estate are building a replacement on the site, with construction due during 2026.

Dalwhinnie (A9 layby at Loch Pattack track)

Dibidil sits on the south coast of Rum, beneath the dramatic Rum Cuillin ridge. Access requires a CalMac ferry from Mallaig to this wild, volcanic island. 6-place bothy, 10 km / 3.5 h walk-in; good, MBA-maintained.

Kinloch Castle (ferry from Mallaig)

A small, basic bothy on the south coast of Knoydart, reachable from Inverie village. The simplest overnight option in one of Scotland's last great wilderness areas. Sleeps 4; 4 km / 1.0 h approach, basic, MBA-maintained.

Rowardennan (West Highland Way) / Inversnaid

A former shepherd's cottage at the head of Dryfe Water, where the Rue Gill comes in — a grassy, tree-ringed island of green in the middle of the Eskdalemuir Forest plantations. It was near-ruinous and unsafe until a two-year MBA volunteer project substantially rebuilt it inside and out, finishing in 2013; it joined the MBA list in January 2014. Three rooms, two fires and a composting toilet make it the most comfortable of the southern bothies — and the remotest-feeling.

Boreland village, north of Lockerbie — the established approach runs ~9km up Dryfesdale

A remote coastal bothy on the north shore of Loch Nevis. One of the most difficult bothies to reach in Scotland — a full day's walk from the nearest road.

Dalnaspidal, off the A9 (Loch Garry)

Known as 'The Teahouse', a tiny wooden hut by the Easan Dorcha falls (the name means 'dark waterfalls') in the Coulin Forest near Achnashellach. Reached on the Coire Lair circuit, it has no fireplace and suits a sheltered brew stop or lunch far better than an overnight.

A890 layby at Achnashellach

A former shepherd's cottage on the shore of Loch Eilt, between Glenfinnan and Lochailort. It sits only a few hundred metres from the A830, but access is awkward — both the loch and the West Highland railway are in the way. A rough bothy since the 1960s, renovated by the MBA in 1977 and 1988.

A830 layby near Lochailort (Loch Eilt)

A remote bothy in the eastern Cairngorms beside the River Avon, formerly an estate lodge. Long walk-in from either side — Tomintoul or Glenmore — makes this one of the more committing Cairngorm bothies.

Tomintoul or Glenmore

Be clear about what this is: an emergency refuge, not a bothy. A single small windowless room — an insulated timber core buried in a shell of granite boulders — at 688m where the Lairig an Laoigh crosses the River Avon, hours from any road. It was built in June 1970 by Fleet Air Arm ratings, rebuilt by MBA volunteers with Glenmore Lodge and RAF help in 2011, and is on record as having saved lives on multiple occasions. It is not intended for planned overnight stays.

Glenmore (Allt Mor car park) or Linn of Dee — both are full-day approaches

Gameshope is the highest bothy in southern Scotland at over 400m, a former byre in a steep-sided glen above Talla Reservoir. The cottage beside it — now a ruin — was built by stonemason John Dickson in the early 19th century, and the Anderson family shepherded here until 1919. Since 2013 the glen has belonged to the Borders Forest Trust, which removed the sheep and has planted over 220,000 native trees; the MBA renovated the byre in memory of Andrew Jensen, opening it in late 2018. Covenanters met in this glen — Peden's Pulpit, up the burn, is named for the preacher Alexander Peden.

Roadside space near Talla Linnfoots, at the east end of Talla Reservoir before the Talla Linn hill road

A tiny one-room emergency shelter at the head of the Garbh Choire of Braeriach — one of the highest open shelters in Britain. Built into the corrie wall, intended as an emergency refuge rather than an overnight base.

Linn of Dee car park

A converted stable on the Balmoral estate, maintained by the estate and open as a bothy. The shortest walk-in of any bothy in the Cairngorms and a base for Lochnagar.

Keiloch car park near Balmoral

A substantial Victorian shooting lodge at the head of Loch Muick that operates as an open shelter — once Queen Victoria's retreat after Prince Albert's death. The open bothy in the lodge's outbuilding passed to MBA care in 2019, by agreement with Balmoral Estate.

Spittal of Glenmuick

A well-maintained bothy in a quiet Sunart glen, tucked away from the popular Lochaber routes. Ancient oak woodland, a river pool for swimming, and genuine peace. 6-place bothy, 4 km / 1.0 h walk-in; good, MBA-maintained.

Craigag car park, A830 near Glenfinnan

A small bothy near Kylesku in northwest Sutherland. Access from the road is relatively straightforward for this remote region. A modest single-storey bothy near the head of a small sea-loch arm; the Quinag ridges dominate the western skyline.

A894 near Unapool

A small open bothy in Strath Cuileannach on the Croick Estate, in remote hill country north of Alladale on a variant of the Cape Wrath Trail. Formerly an MBA bothy, it is now kept open by the estate.

Croick / Amat, Strathcarron (Ardgay)

Glencoul sits at the head of Loch Glencoul in Assynt, near Eas a' Chual Aluinn — Britain's highest waterfall at 200m. One of the most scenically placed bothies in the northwest Highlands.

End of track at Loch na Gainmhich on the A894

A white-walled bothy above a sheltered bay on Jura's far north-west coast, looking out to Scarba, the Garvellachs and Mull. Glengarrisdale carries the darkest story in the bothy network: in 1647 the Campbells of Craignish surprised and killed the Maclaines here, and a skull said to be from the massacre — examined by the geologist Archibald Geikie, who noted claymore cuts — lay in a cave on the shore for three centuries before vanishing in the 1970s. The cave is still marked "Maclean's Skull Cave" on OS maps. The last permanent resident, Kate Johnson, left in the 1940s.

Road's End north of Ardlussa (NR 669 927) — limited verge parking

Glenpean sits at the head of Glen Pean between Loch Arkaig and the Knoydart wilderness. A staging post on the way to Sourlies or a base for the Glen Pean Munros.

Strathan at the head of Loch Arkaig

A stone cottage with a corrugated roof on Rannoch Moor, beside the lonely West Highland railway near the south end of Loch Laidon. It is about 14km north-east of Achallader Farm, a rough track most of the way with the final mile trackless across the moor. Lived in until the 1950s.

Achallader Farm, Bridge of Orchy

A former shepherd's cottage up the Meggat Water in the Eskdalemuir Forest — the earliest entry for it in the parish records dates to 1826. The MBA adopted and renovated it in 2011, stripping away later add-ons and outhouses and reopening it that December. Three rooms off a long corridor make it one of the roomier bothies in the south, and the forest road network around it has made it a favourite with mountain bikers.

Jamestown car park in the Meggat glen (off the B709 between Langholm and Eskdalemuir) — do not drive beyond it

Guirdil sits at the back of a wild bay on Rum's roadless north-west coast, under the steep profile of Bloodstone Hill. This was a crofting township before the clearances — a 1764-65 census recorded five families, twenty-two people, and their lazy beds still ribbon the slopes around the bothy. The MBA rebuilt the shepherd's cottage from near-ruin in 1982 in memory of Tom and Margaret Brown, early members who died within weeks of each other. Wild goats graze the beach and red deer come down at night to eat kelp.

No road access — CalMac ferry from Mallaig to Kinloch (Rum), then on foot

Perched high in Coire Etchachan at 830m, the Hutchison Memorial Hut is the highest bothy in the Cairngorms and a base for the Ben Macdui plateau. Built as a memorial to a climber killed on the mountain.

Linn of Dee car park

A well-maintained bothy on the banks of the River Mallie near Loch Arkaig. Ancient woodland, a river for swimming, and a short walk-in make this ideal for families and beginners.

Mile Dorcha car park near Clunes on Loch Arkaig road

Britain's most northwesterly bothy, sitting in a sandy bay near Cape Wrath lighthouse. Reaching it requires a ferry crossing and minibus ride before the final walk — or a multi-day trek on the Cape Wrath Trail.

Cape Wrath lighthouse (ferry + minibus required)

A former cattle byre in a grassy side glen of the Lowther Hills above the postcard village of Durisdeer. The story is in the name and the water: the cottage at Blackhill Moss was inhabited until the Kettleton Burn became Thornhill's water supply — sewage being a problem, the water board built a new cottage by the byre and moved the family. MBA volunteers renovated the byre in 1984 and a later refurbishment added a new roof and stove. It is one of the shortest bothy walk-ins in Scotland.

Durisdeer village, off the A702 above Thornhill

The converted stable of a former shepherd's cottage in lonely Glen Kingie, north of Loch Arkaig, renovated by the MBA in 1969. It is roughly 6 hard kilometres from Strathan over rough ground, and reaching the surrounding hills usually means crossing the River Kingie, which can be impassable in spate.

Strathan, head of Loch Arkaig

A well-maintained bothy in the Assynt wilderness near Kylesku Bridge. Surrounded by some of the most distinctive mountains in Scotland — Quinag, Sail Gharbh and the Assynt peaks. Sleeps 6; 5 km / 1.3 h approach, good, MBA-maintained.

A838 at Loch na Gainmhich near Kylesku

Sits in the Lairig Leacach pass between the Grey Corries and the Easains, on the approach from Spean Bridge. An excellent base for a two-day Grey Corries circuit. 6 km / 1.5 h walk-in. Sleeps 6, good, MBA-maintained.

Spean Bridge or Corriechoille

A 19th-century house above Loch Tearnait in Morvern, on the Ardtornish Estate, maintained by the MBA since 1983. It is about 4km inland from Loch Aline on a good path, with no electricity, running water or toilet. Beinn Mheadhoin (739m) is the nearest hill.

Ardtornish / Loch Aline, Morvern

A well-maintained bothy beside remote Loch Chiarain between the Grey Corries and the Ben Alder range. The approach is straightforward on good tracks. The bothy sits at the loch outflow with views east to the Easains and west to the Mamores; one of the quieter Lochaber bothies.

A86 at Moy Bridge near Tulloch

A remote bothy in the hills between Braemore Junction and Dundonnell. Access to An Teallach from the south side. The bothy provides the southern approach to An Teallach and accesses the Fannaichs from the rear; rarely visited despite a manageable approach.

A835 at Braemore Junction

A small bothy at the head of Glen Roy, in the shadow of the parallel roads — the ancient shorelines of an ice-dammed lake that are one of Scotland's most remarkable geological features.

Glen Roy road end

One of the most remote bothies in Scotland, sitting in the trackless wilderness between Glen Elchaig and Glen Carron. The walk-in is a full day regardless of approach. 18 km / 6.0 h walk-in. Sleeps 4, fair, MBA-maintained.

Attadale or Iron Lodge (Glen Elchaig)

Meanach sits in the Lairig Leacach pass between Stob Ban and the Grey Corries. An excellent base for the Grey Corries ridge or as a stop on a Lairig traverse.

A82 layby near Altnafeadh

A remote MBA bothy at the east end of Loch Morar, Britain's deepest freshwater loch, reached by a long walk along the trackless north shore or by boat. A two-floor building with sleeping platforms, deep in the Rough Bounds between Morar and Knoydart.

Bracorina, road end east of Morar (then shore path or boat)

The most remote bothy on Skye — in Glen Ollisdal on the Duirinish coast, 600m inland from some of the finest cliff scenery on the island, near Macleod's Maidens sea stacks and inside the Duirinish Wild Land Area. It is also one of the most actively maintained: a new roof went on in September 2021, and a 2025 renovation converted the old byre end into a second snug with a new Dowling stove. Note: this is a working sheep farm, shepherds have priority in the bothy, and dogs are not allowed.

Orbost road end near Dunvegan (via the B884)

A Borders bothy in the Ettrick valley, on the Southern Upland Way. Rolling hill country with a gentle character entirely different from the Highlands. 5 km / 1.3 h walk-in. Sleeps 4, good, MBA-maintained.

Ettrick valley road near Potburn

A beautifully restored coastal bothy on the Ardnish Peninsula, overlooking the Sound of Arisaig. Sandy beaches, sea views and a short walk-in make this one of the most popular bothies in Scotland.

Polnish / A830 near Lochailort

A remote bothy between Loch More and Loch Stack in Sutherland, surrounded by some of the wildest and emptiest hill country in Britain. Foinaven and Arkle rise nearby. Sleeps 4; 8 km / 2.5 h approach, fair, MBA-maintained.

Glen Hurich forestry track, north-east of Strontian

Rowchoish is the West Highland Way's first bothy — a former byre of Rowchoish cottage, hidden in mossy oak and pine woodland on the east shore of Loch Lomond north of Rowardennan. The cottage was occupied until the late 1930s; in 1759 nine families lived in this now-empty stretch of shore. It was renovated in 1965 in memory of William Ferris, a stalwart of the Scottish outdoor movement, and has been in MBA care since 1977.

Rowardennan car park (paid) at the end of the east Loch Lomond road

Set in Glen Feshie amidst ancient Caledonian pine forest, Ruigh Aiteachain is a beautifully located bothy in one of the Cairngorms' most important ecological landscapes. MBA-maintained bothy in good condition, sleeps 8. Walk-in is 7 km / 1.8 h.

Auchlean near Feshiebridge

The newest bothy in the Cairngorms — Ruighe Ealasaid ("Elisabeth's shieling", long known as the Red House for its rusting corrugated-iron roof) opened to walkers over the winter of 2022-23 after a two-year MBA renovation. The building itself is far older: a cruck-frame house from the late 1700s or early 1800s, most probably built for a shepherd, lived in by an estate family until around 1900. It stands on the Geldie Burn on NTS Mar Lodge Estate, perfectly placed for the Braemar–Blair Atholl through-route and the remote Tarf Munros.

Linn of Dee car park (NTS, paid), west of Braemar

A short, easy walk from Glenmore Lodge through ancient Caledonian pine forest. Ryvoan is the perfect first bothy — accessible enough for beginners but atmospheric enough to hook you. 3 km / 45 min walk-in. Sleeps 6, good, MBA-maintained.

Glenmore Lodge car park

A former schoolhouse at Duag Bridge in Strath Mulzie, taken on as an MBA project in 2008, deep in the empty country south-east of Oykel Bridge. A remote base for the long approach to Seana Bhraigh, one of Scotland's most isolated Munros.

Oykel Bridge, A837 (Strath Mulzie track)

Shenavall sits at the head of Strath na Sealga in the Fisherfield wilderness, with An Teallach towering directly behind. Widely considered the most dramatically located bothy in Scotland. MBA-maintained bothy in good condition, sleeps 10. Walk-in is 10 km / 3.0 h.

Corrie Hallie on the A832

A high-level bothy between Glen Clova and Glen Esk in the Angus Glens. The approach crosses the historic Mounth pass used by cattle drovers for centuries. 10 km / 2.5 h walk-in. Sleeps 4, fair, MBA-maintained.

Glen Clova road end

Sourlies sits on the shore of Loch Nevis in the Knoydart peninsula, one of the most remote spots on the British mainland. The approach is a full day's walk through trackless wilderness.

Strathan at the head of Loch Arkaig

Another train-access bothy near Corrour Station, sitting above Loch Treig in the shadow of the Grey Corries. Less well-known than A' Chuil but equally rewarding. 8-place bothy, 5 km / 1.3 h walk-in; good, MBA-maintained.

Corrour Station (train only)

A remote bothy near the north coast between Rhiconich and Durness. Cape Wrath Trail walkers know this as a key staging post. Sits in classic Sutherland moorland between two sea lochs; the bothy is small but reliable shelter on a notoriously exposed stretch of the Cape Wrath Trail.

Rhiconich on the A838

A remote bothy on the Cape Wrath Trail between Sandwood Bay and the cape itself. Famous as the long-term home of James McRory-Smith, the hermit who lived here for 32 years.

Lone (on the road to Kinlochbervie)

A small bothy above Kylerhea on eastern Skye, close to the old cattle droving route across the Kyle. The otter-watching hide at Kylerhea is a short walk away. Sleeps 4; 3 km / 40 min approach, fair, MBA-maintained.

Kylerhea ferry slip

A well-maintained bothy near Inchnadamph in Assynt. The approach is straightforward and the setting beneath Canisp and Suilven is magnificent. The bothy gives the best basecamp for Suilven; a good track, clean interior and an iconic mountain on the doorstep.

A837 at Inchnadamph

'Black Norman's House', set among ruined crofts at the far north end of Raasay near Arnish and Torran, looking across the Sound of Raasay to Skye. One open room with a fireplace and a sleeping platform, first restored by the MBA in 1995. A remote, hard-to-find spot.

Arnish, end of Calum's Road, north Raasay

A well-known bothy deep in Glen Tilt, named with tongue-in-cheek grandeur. The walk-in through Glen Tilt is one of the great Scottish glen walks — 14km of river, pine and mountain.

Old Bridge of Tilt, Blair Atholl

A coastal bothy on the north shore of Ardnamurchan, overlooking the Sound of Mull to Tobermory. Built as a wartime naval lookout, now a well-maintained MBA bothy with panoramic sea views.

Shulista / Duntulm, north Trotternish (A855)

A remote bothy on the south coast of Mull overlooking the Ross of Mull and the Treshnish Isles. The walk-in crosses wild, empty moorland with sea views throughout. 10 km / 3.0 h walk-in. Sleeps 4, fair, MBA-maintained.

Dhiseig on the B8035 south Mull

A well-maintained bothy in the heart of the Galloway Forest, near the Merrick and the Range of the Awful Hand. Accessible from Glentrool or Clatteringshaws. Sleeps 6; 10 km / 2.5 h approach, good, MBA-maintained.

Glentrool village car park

Uags sits at shore level on the roadless south coast of the Applecross peninsula, the last standing building of a tiny former crofting township — the Gaelic name, Na h-Uamhagan, means "the little caves". Restored from a ruin by the MBA and Applecross Estate, it now has a reputation as one of the homeliest bothies on the west coast, with its own stony beach and views across to the Crowlin Islands, Skye and the Cuillin.

Toscaig pier (NG 710 378) — park at the pier itself, not at Upper Toscaig

The only bothy in the Outer Hebrides under MBA care, tucked above Bagh Uisinis on South Uist's wild, roadless east coast — a coast most visitors to the island never see. Canmore's archaeologists describe the area as "now remote and difficult of access", which is the recruitment poster. The bothy was renovated in memory of Donald Stuart; the Ushenish lighthouse, built in 1858 and automated in 1970, stands on the headland 3km away. Sea eagles and grey seals are regulars.

Road end at Loch Sgioport (Lochskipport), north-east South Uist

A small white-painted MBA bothy beside Loch Dee in the heart of the Galloway Forest Park, one of the most accessible bothies in southern Scotland. Sits within the UK's first Dark Sky Park.

Glentrool visitor centre