A bothy is one of the great bargains of British hillwalking: a stone shelter in the middle of nowhere, unlocked, free to use, with nothing inside but a floor and, if you're lucky, a fireplace. They are also easy to get wrong on a first visit. The wrong route, the wrong kit or the wrong expectations can turn a memorable night into a very long, very cold one. What follows is the planning groundwork — what a bothy actually is, how to pick a sensible first one, what to carry, and how to behave once you're through the door.

What a bothy is, and what it isn't

Most bothies in Scotland are simple, unstaffed buildings kept open for walkers, climbers and cyclists, with many maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association. They are usually free, unlocked and available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no booking system, no warden and no guarantee of a space.

What they are not is a hostel. Expect four walls, a roof, maybe a sleeping platform or a table, and often nothing else. There is rarely running water, almost never a toilet, no electricity, no bedding and no bins — anything you carry in, you carry out. Water usually comes from a nearby burn and should be treated, filtered or boiled. Light and heat come from whatever you bring with you, unless someone has left a few scraps of coal behind.

A few bothies sit on private estates and come with their own conditions, so check the details for the specific building before you commit to a route.

Choosing a route for your first trip

The best first bothy is the one you can reach comfortably, in daylight, before the weather turns. That usually means a walk-in of roughly five to eight kilometres on a track or a clear path, with no river crossings you can't avoid.

Popular places such as Corrour in the Lairig Ghru or Shenavall in the Fisherfield hills are well known for good reason, but they are also busy at weekends and holidays, and the approaches are long. For a first outing, look for something shorter and quieter. A bothy that takes two hours to reach is far more forgiving if you get a late start or the forecast shifts.

Before you settle on a route, ask yourself

• How long is the walk in, and how much daylight will I have left when I arrive?
• Are there any river crossings, and what happens to them after heavy rain?
• Where does the water supply come from, and is it reliable in dry weather?
• Is there a realistic escape route if the weather closes in?
• Is it likely to be busy? Midges and crowds peak in midsummer; midweek outside the holidays is usually calmer.

Read a recent trip report or two rather than relying on an old description. Buildings change, paths erode and bridges disappear.

What to pack

Assume the bothy gives you nothing but shelter from the wind and rain. Everything else is your responsibility, and it's better to carry a little more than you think you need.

• Sleeping system: a three-season bag and a decent mat. Sleeping platforms are hard, and stone floors are colder than they look.
• Cooking kit: stove, fuel, lighter and a small pot. Open fires are not a reliable cooking method and shouldn't be left unattended.
• Lighting: a headtorch, spare batteries and a candle or two. Torches off once people are asleep.
• Water: bottles plus a filter, tablets or a means of boiling.
• Clothing: full waterproofs, warm layers, dry socks for indoors, and a hat for the walk out.
• Practical extras: a trowel and bags for human waste, a rubbish bag, earplugs, a power bank, a paper map and compass, and a small first aid kit.
• Food: something hot and easy. Nobody wants to be negotiating a complicated recipe in a cold room with a headtorch on.

A midge head net weighs almost nothing and can save an evening between May and September.

Bothy etiquette: the unwritten rules

Bothies work because everyone follows the same quiet conventions. Learn them before your first night and you'll be welcome anywhere.

1. Share the space. First come, first served applies, but you may well be asked to shuffle up and make room for late arrivals — and you should be ready to do it. Don't spread your kit across the whole room.
2. Don't reserve places for friends who haven't arrived. A sleeping bag holding a spot in a full bothy causes real resentment.
3. Keep the noise down. People arrive late and leave early. A quiet chat is fine; a party isn't.
4. Burn carefully. Use the stove if there is one, never burn furniture, roof timbers or anything structural, and leave any fuel you find for the next person. Put the fire out properly before you go.
5. Deal with waste properly. Go well away from the bothy and any watercourse, dig a hole, and carry out the toilet paper in a bag. Take every scrap of rubbish with you, including tea bags and fruit peel.
6. Leave it better than you found it. Sweep the floor, latch the door against the wind, and take away a bit of someone else's litter if you can.
7. Respect the surroundings. Park considerately, close every gate you pass through and follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

Staying safe

The main hazards on a bothy trip are ordinary hillwalking hazards, and Scottish weather makes them sharper. Check the mountain forecast before you go, and in winter check the avalanche reports and be honest about your experience: a bothy night in January is a winter expedition, not a beginner's outing.

Tell someone where you're going and when you expect to be back, and leave a note in your car as well. Carry a paper map and compass and know how to use them; phone batteries die quickly in the cold, and signal in glens is patchy at best. River crossings are the hazard most likely to catch people out — after heavy rain, a burn that looked ankle-deep on the way in can be genuinely dangerous on the way out. Be prepared to turn back or wait.

If there is an emergency, call 999 or 112, ask for the police and then for mountain rescue. If you have no signal, note the nearest high ground or landline before you set off. A first aid kit and a whistle are small insurance.

A simple plan for your first night

Pick a bothy five to eight kilometres from a road, with a clear path and no serious river crossings. Go with two or three friends, midweek if you can, in late spring or early autumn. Carry everything you'd need for a cold, wet night outdoors, because that is exactly what you're signing up for. Arrive with at least two hours of daylight to spare, settle in, eat early, and walk out the next morning while the day is still young. Do that once and you'll understand why people keep going back.

Photo: YvonneHuijbens / Pixabay