Scottish bothies are simple, unlocked mountain shelters maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA). They are free to use, first-come-first-served, and scattered across the most remote parts of the Scottish Highlands and Islands. For van lifers, they offer a way to extend trips into areas that are too far for a day hike but accessible from a parked van.
This guide covers how to use bothies alongside a campervan, where to find them, the etiquette rules, and how to plan multi-day hiking trips with your van as a base.
What Is a Bothy?
A bothy is a basic shelter — usually a stone cottage, farmhouse, or estate building — that has been restored and maintained for public use. They have no electricity, no running water, no toilet, and no booking system. What they offer: four walls, a roof, a fireplace or stove, sleeping platforms, and shelter from Scottish weather that can turn lethal in minutes.
The Mountain Bothies Association maintains approximately 100 bothies across Scotland, northern England, and Wales. The vast majority are in Scotland, concentrated in the Highlands, Cairngorms, and the islands.
Typical bothy facilities:
- Sleeping platform (a raised wooden bench, take your own mat)
- Fireplace or wood-burning stove (fuel is not supplied)
- Basic furniture (table, bench)
- Bucket toilet (some bothies have a spade and a designated area)
- Water source nearby (stream or spring — treat before drinking)
Why Use a Bothy with a Van?
The classic van life trip involves driving to a location, parking, and sleeping in the van. Bothies extend this in two ways:
Multi-day hikes: Park the van at a trailhead, hike for 2–4 days staying in bothies, return to the van. This lets you access remote areas that cannot be reached in a day trip while having the comfort of your van to return to.
Bad weather escape: A bothy in the area you are exploring is a backup if the weather turns severe and you need shelter during a hike. Knowing a bothy is within an hour's walk gives confidence to push further.
Social evenings: Bothies are social spaces in the evening. Hikers, climbers, and other outdoor enthusiasts gather around the fire. For solo van lifers who may go days without conversation, this is valuable.
Where to Find Bothies Accessible from Van Parking
The Cairngorms
Glas-allt Shiel — A stone cottage on the shore of Loch Etchachan. Accessible from the Cairngorm Mountain car park (6 miles, 3–4 hours). The walk crosses the summit plateau — only attempt in good weather. The van parks at 650m; the bothy is at 700m.
Ryvoan Bothy — Located in the Rothiemurchus Forest near Aviemore. Accessible from the Glenmore car park (2.5 miles, 1 hour, easy terrain). Excellent first bothy for beginners. The car park is large and safe for overnight van parking.
Geldie Lodge — Remote stone cottage in the upper Dee Valley. Accessible from the Linn of Dee car park near Braemar (7 miles, 3–4 hours). The track is walkable in dry conditions but challenging in wet weather.
The West Highlands
Camban Bothy — In Glen Affric, one of Scotland's most beautiful glens. Accessible from the car park at the end of the Glen Affric road (4 miles, 2 hours). The drive to the car park is on a narrow, single-track estate road — take it slow.
Glennfuilt Bothy — Near the Bridge of Orchy. Accessible from the A82 car park (2 miles, 1 hour). Useful stop on the West Highland Way. The van park at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel car park is a popular overnight spot.
The Barn Bothy (Cluanie) — Near Loch Cluanie on the A87. Accessible from the Cluanie Inn car park (1.5 miles, 45 minutes). The closest bothy to a van parking spot in the West Highlands.
The Northwest
Craig — In Glen Torridon. Accessible from the Torridon village car park (3 miles, 2 hours). Torridon is one of Scotland's most dramatic landscapes. The van parks at the Torridon Centre car park, which allows overnight stays.
Shenavall Bothy — In the Fisherfield Forest, one of the remotest areas in the UK. Accessible from Corrie Hallie car park (6 miles, 3–4 hours). The approach crosses a river that can be dangerous in spate — do not attempt in heavy rain.
Bothy Etiquette
The bothy system relies entirely on users respecting the rules. The MBA makes this clear: bothies are maintained by volunteers. If users abuse them, the volunteers stop, and the bothies close.
The Golden Rules
- Leave the bothy cleaner than you found it. Sweep the floor, remove your ash from the fireplace, take all rubbish with you.
- Take out what you take in. There are no bins. Everything you carry in — food packaging, fuel canisters, worn-out boot laces — goes back out with you.
- Do not cut growing wood for firewood. Use dead wood found on the ground. Some bothies have a wood pile maintained by volunteers — contribute a split log if you have one.
- Do not leave food. Left food attracts mice, rats, and deer. Pack it out. If you have surplus, offer it to other bothy users before leaving.
- Limit your stay to 2 nights. Bothies are for travellers, not long-term residents.
- Make room for others. If the bothy fills up, share the space. The fireplace and sleeping platform are communal.
- Do not lock the door. Bothies are always unlocked. The door is secured with a simple latch or string — anyone can enter.
- Use the bucket toilet properly. If there is a designated toilet area, use it. If not, dig a hole at least 50m from any water source and 30m from the bothy.
What Not to Do
- Do not drive to the bothy. They are reached on foot. Respect the remote character.
- Do not leave gas bottles, fuel cans, or bulky equipment. Take everything.
- Do not have a party. Bothies are in remote areas and noise carries across valleys.
- Do not cut the bothy furniture for firewood — this happens more often than it should.
- Do not move in. People have tried to live in bothies. The MBA and local landowners evict them.
What to Pack for a Bothy Trip
In addition to standard hiking gear, a bothy overnight requires:
- Sleeping mat (the sleeping platform is hard plywood)
- Sleeping bag rated to at least -5°C (bothies are cold — no insulation, no heating after the fire dies)
- Head torch (no lighting of any kind in the bothy)
- Firelighting kit (lighter, dry tinder, firelighter blocks — the MBA asks you not to cut peat or turf)
- Small saw or folding saw for processing dead wood
- Water treatment (tablets or filter — the stream nearest the bothy may have livestock upstream)
- Hand sanitiser and toilet paper
- Rubbish bag for all waste
- Spare socks and dry base layer (the walk in will sweat you, and you will cool down fast in the bothy)
Combining Bothy and Van: Sample Itinerary
Example: 4 days in the Cairngorms
Day 1: Drive to Aviemore. Stock up at the Co-op. Drive to the Glenmore car park (free, overnight parking allowed). Evening walk around Loch Morlich. Sleep in the van.
Day 2: Early start. Walk from Glenmore to Ryvoan Bothy (2.5 miles, 1 hour). Drop your sleeping bag and food. Continue walking to the summit of Bynack More (10.5km round trip from the bothy). Return to the bothy for the night.
Day 3: Walk from Ryvoan to the Rothiemurchus Forest floor, return to the van at Glenmore. Drive to the Cairngorm Mountain car park. Short afternoon walk on the plateau. Sleep in the van.
Day 4: Drive to Linn of Dee car park. Walk to Geldie Lodge (7 miles, 3 hours, strenuous). Spend the night at the bothy. Return to the car park the next morning.
This itinerary covers both van living and bothy experiences, accessing areas that are too remote from a single van base.
Risks and Safety
- Bothies are not staffed or monitored. No one checks on you. If you have an accident, you are reliant on your own emergency plan and the chance that other walkers pass through.
- The walk to most bothies crosses water. In spate conditions, burns can become impassable within an hour of heavy rain.
- Bothy fires smoke. The chimney draw in some bothies is poor. Ventilate before sleeping — carbon monoxide from a smouldering fire has killed bothy users.
- Mice and rats are common. Store food in sealed containers hung from the roof beams. Do not leave food in your rucksack overnight.
- Phone signal is absent at almost all bothies. The bothy is a refuge, not a communication hub.
Joining the Mountain Bothies Association
The MBA is a charity that maintains the bothies. Membership is £22 per year (£15 for under-26s). Members receive a bothy guidebook with locations, access notes, and condition reports. The guidebook is essential for bothy users.
Non-members can still use bothies. Membership supports the maintenance work. Most regular bothy users join.
