Bothy night
Bothy kit list for Scotland
A bothy night is a wild camp with a roof and a stove — same kit, with a few small additions.
Bothies are the Mountain Bothies Association's network of open shelters across the Scottish hills. They're not booked, they're not staffed, and they cost nothing to use. The MBA Bothy Code is short: leave it cleaner than you found it, take your rubbish out, and respect other users.
Kit-wise, a bothy night is a wild camp without the tent. You still need full sleep kit, full cook kit, and full Scottish-weather clothing — bothies are dry and walled but they're not heated, the floor is hard, and you may find yourself sharing with strangers.
Essential9 items
Sleeping bag (3-season)
£100-£400Bothies are unheated and the floor is cold. A 0°C comfort bag covers most-season bothy nights.
Sleeping mat (insulated)
£40-£200Bothy floors are wooden, stone or earthen — and cold. R-value of 3+ minimum.
Stove + gas
£40-£120Most bothies have no kitchen. A few have a fireplace; most don't. Bring a stove regardless.
Cook pot + spork + mug
£20-£40Bothies have no crockery. A mug doubles for tea and food. Titanium is light; aluminium is cheap.
Head torch (good one)
£30-£60Bothies have no electricity. Most of the evening you're in head-torch light. Carry a spare or one with USB charge.
Lighter and matches
£3For the stove and candles, in two separate pockets in two separate bags. One always wets out.
Bin bags
—Everything you carry in, you carry out. Including other people's rubbish, if you can. Bring two.
First aid kit + repair tape
£15-£30Bothies are often 5-15km walk-in from a road. Self-sufficient is the only mode.
Day-walk waterproofs and layers
—You're still walking in to and out from the bothy. See the /kit/day-walk list — every item still applies.
Recommended3 items
Candles
£5 for a packA lit candle changes a bothy from a dark stone room into a warm one. Bring more than you need — the next user will appreciate the leftovers.
Foam sit-mat
£5-£15Bothy floors and benches are cold. A small foam mat doubles for emergency insulation and a yoga-style sit pad.
Earplugs
£1-£5Bothies sleep multiple parties side-by-side. Snorers exist. Earplugs are 50p of social peace.
Nice-to-have1 item
Bothy book offering
—A nip of whisky to share, a few chunks of firewood, a candle for the next visitor, a paperback for the bothy library. The bothy economy runs on small gifts.
Other kit lists
Day walk
The kit you actually need for a day on the Scottish hills — Munro, Corbett, Graham or coast path.
Wild camping
Right-to-roam wild camping is one of Scotland's great gifts — here's the kit to make a night out comfortable.
Winter hillwalking
Winter Munro days need real winter kit — ice axe, crampons, B2 boots, and the skill to use them.
Long-distance hike
For week-long walks like the West Highland Way, Great Glen Way and Cape Wrath Trail.
Family day
For Scottish hill and forest days with kids — small adventures, big snack supplies.
Trail running
Scotland has some of the best running terrain in Europe — and the most demanding weather. Here's the kit.
Midge defence
The Scottish midge — Culicoides impunctatus — turns May to September outings into a tactical problem. This is the kit.