Originally an Adventure and Wildlife Photographer from Scotland, I'm now something of a Bothy Man. I'll be posting videos of adventures, tutorial videos, and my miscellaneous jaunts as I explore Scotland and (maybe) beyond.
Usually I am happy with my tent and I’ve not had the courage to stay in a bothy. It can be a little intimidating for a novice , however, I might attempt a stay here. Thanks for sharing and appreciate the info 👍
I’ve just started visiting bothy as a gentle way to get back into the hills and I have found your vlogs well made, well narrated, well informed and most importantly enjoyable. Thanks for taking the time to share
Going back to our wee conversation in another video about Ben A'an having the best climb to view ratio, what Bothy would you say has the best walk-in to view location? Eg for a walk in the evening before with a view to sunrise photography the next day?
From the ones I know, Strabeg would be the answer but it's a Stac Pollaidh kind of answer as it is so far north. I'd then maybe go for Craig Bothy in Torridon - mainly because of the views back down the path to Lower Diabaig are absolutely gorgeous and I did some sunset shots from the car there once and always remember it fondly. There will be plenty closer by too, these are just the ones that spring to mind and I do tend to go to the slightly further away ones.
Probably the best climb to view ratio in Scotland. As a landscape photographer, it's the perfect fallback location. Relatively close, climbable even when bigger hills are snowbound, and a stunning view.
Absolutely spot on. I love it for an introduction to climbing and to those who are looking to start enjoying the landscapes a bit more too. The summit views are incredible and so are the little nooks in the path on the way up. Atmospheric and what a view. (When I climbed Ben Venue recently I was a little stunned by just how small Ben A'an looks from the summit though!)
Thanks, Ursula! I spotted it while scouting with the drone. Was about to send it back to me and as I rotated it was just there. All said and done, I wouldn't mind being on a lilo in the sunshine either.
It's a nice wee swim and it's sheltered from the worst of the gusts down the Loch too. There's a wee tearoom at Inveruglas (closes at 4pm) which is a fine way to warm up afterwards. Hope you enjoy it!
It's not bad place to be snowed in (Especially if you have coal with you). I think I'll be heading back there in Winter on the off-chance I get lucky and get some snow again!
Hi, thanks for the superb film. I tend to camp outside the bothies (for my peace and for others!), so it would be helpful if you could mention if there are flat camping spots near the building. All the best with your films.
Hullo! Thanks for the feedback - I've had the odd question about camping spaces recently so will definitely be including it in videos moving forwards (and kind of touch on it in my next one). Thanks again!
I do think most people would think sliders are a luxury space item and they are so awkward in shape and don't really fit a rucky, but I would make room for them somehow in any 3 seasons, its like giving your feet a present after all the hard work they've done!
Yup. Plus, popping them on to go to the toilet is far better than sleepily putting the boots back on. I tend to strap them to the outside of my pack as they're unlikely to suffer serious damage regardless of what they're subjected to!
Thanks, man. Should have the planning one out in the next week or two as well. Aiming to get a hill or two in, then a bothy, then maybe a couple of camping ones.
Hi, thanks for such an informative video! Can I ask, would it be possible to take a bike to Gorton (I think there are a couple of river crossings?) and is there some decent flat ground around the bothy to pitch a tent in case it is fully occupied? Thanks again!
Hullo! Ah, glad/hoping you found it useful. To the bike I'd say yes. The track is pretty well made the whole way and the river crossing is only an issue if there's been very heavy rain. There is one boggy stretch immediately after the river which might be a little bit cumbersome with a bike, but the track looks like it'd be great for it. There's some flat ground to the side of the bothy (the left side as you approach it) which looked like it could happily take a few tents.
Thank you, sir. It's a good wee spot and very peaceful. I reckon I'll go back and explore a bit more when time allows too. Hope you get out to it soon.
Thank you! It was a nice trip. somewhere I've driven past without much thought before too. Good to be making them again and glad (and thankful) you enjoyed.
Nice video, but I've got to say that dead wood around bothies shouldn't be collected and burned either. It's an important component of the natural environment - bring fuel in with you.
Thanks. This is something I'm learning as I go along so thank you for the feedback. I'll add this into the video description and see if I can add a wee bit in the video itself to point that out as well. Thanks again!
Thanks! Got the Vlog to go with it to go up soon as well as the planning one I mentioned before. (Also, the encouragement is much appreciated, so thank you!)
Another brilliant video, good sir. The article on your website is beautifully written, as well, and man... those photos are just stellar! I'll have to poke around your site more to check out your other adventures. It's a shame that your stay in Abyssinia was tainted by the misuse of irresponsible bothy-goers. I loved your reflections on bothy-culture and the pros and cons of "gatekeeping," if you will. I've thought a lot about this sort of thing when it comes to punk rock culture or horror film culture. There's something profound to be said of a movement or a lifestyle that begins in obscurity, only to then find itself suddenly popular and in the limelight. Once the cultural floodgates open up, the masses come in droves, and as you basically stated in the video... there's a lot of good AND bad that can come from that. Can't wait to see your next video, Tony. Keep up the amazing work. Cheers! PS: Since the bothy is rumored to be haunted, did you sense anything off kilter? Anything freaky? LOL.
Thank you very much! It's a strange one, because one group can make a big mess. There's an inevitability about things going a bit more "mainstream" and I guess it's about working to maintain and evolve the culture rather than entrench it. Nothing too freaky. There was some scratching through the night, the door lock really needs jammed closed as I found out when it blew open and my mind raced through supernatural possibilities before calmly assuming (hoping) I was being daft.
Absolutely. It's an easy temptation to burn what's left of the fuel. Arriving in the cold and dark to find some kind soul has left some is always revives the faith in humanity. I remember at Shenavall someone had left proper coal and after a long walk in it was a sight for sore eyes and a treat for cold feet.
What you are saying about people respecting the natural environment and leaving no trace is not just an issue for bothies. Its also a big issue on the motorhome community where again some abuse the principle of leave no trace or stop in inappropriate places. You also see people leaving a mess after wild camping, you are doing a great job in capturing the joys of wild places and bothy life
It's an odd scenario as it only takes one or two folk to make a big mess and that in turn seems to grant license to others to do the same. I have no experience with the campervan world, but I was a little shocked at some of the litter on the west highland way when I walked it. I guess it's about encouraging folk to do the right thing as well as having conversations about what the right things are. Thank you very much. They're beautiful places and amazing experiences that are fun to share.
Maybe someone who knows all about it could make a little booklet of advice and how tos to leave for those who just don’t know but would want to behave properly if they did. Or an ebooklet with one of those codes you can scan with your phone or something.
This is a pretty good idea, especially in the ones that have signal to allow for it. A lot of the notice boards have really good information on them and there are a lot of pointers which often go unheeded. On the whole most folk tend to leave little to no trace, this one was just in the aftermath of a few bad visitors and got me a little down which comes across in the video a bit more than I intended. It was still a lovely time and I felt better for taking away some of the rubbish so there's that at least.
I think your videos are a credit to bothies sir, it's not like you are advertising non MBA bothies. I imagine Abysinnia suffers due to its accessibility by car, I don't drive so it is pretty hard for me to get to.
Thank you very much. Abyssinia is an odd one. It's not in the Bothy book but it is the bothy where I've seen the greatest evidence of misuse, which wasn't what I was expecting. It's a nice one and very well cared for. I spoke with Peter and Victor (the MOs) and they have a lot of passion about the bothy and its story too. I reckon I'll go for one of the island ones next as I've yet to explore much beyond Rùm.
My friend and I spent 3 nights on Rum, the weather was good so we walked west and spent the first night in "Guirdil" where we met a lovely English Women who was travelling alone. She made us very welcome making us tea, as we changed out of our wet gear, we had a lovely night with Beer and Malt Whisky that allowed Caroline had a great sleep. Tthe following day we still had good dry weather for the first 4 hours and the the rain came. We made our way back to "Kinloch" where we made lunch in the village hall. We decided to push an other 7 miles to "Dibidil" as we had another 2 days before the ferry on to "Muck" and then to "Eigg". We reached "Dibidil" Knackered but proud that we had walked 15 miles over exremely rough terrainto our destination. The following day Caroline appeared at at "Dibidil" with a bottle of the malt "Ardmore" which she bought in the shop in Kinloch. An incredible trip. Going into our 60's now we have slept in 76 bothies. MBA and NON MBA, all over Scotland and the North of England.😄
This sounds like a great time. Everyone I met on Rum was lovely too. That's a fair amount of bothies! I'm only at the start of my tours of them. Are there any you'd recommend in particular? And any seasons you'd recommend them in?
Hullo! The majority have their own saws (often a bit blunt/rusted), and I've only been in one with its own hatchet. I tend to take a small hatchet that I got for about £14 in Homebase (Spear and Jackson Razorsharp) and it more than suits my needs. I've got a small folding saw I got for about the same price as well. If I had to pick only one to take with me it'd be the hatchet and I'd rely on it and the rusty saws or even just it to process some wood for the fire.
Always best to carry your own saw/axe to bothies as it's not a given that there will be one. The MBA website gives the locations of our bothies and general info including fuel availability. A lot of bothies don't have a nearby fuel source and, therefore, carrying coal and kindling is the order of the day. Abyssinia falls into this category as, whilst there is Forrestry nearby, finding dead standing timber amongst it is not guaranteed. It's also a very short walk in. Hope this helps.
What an absolutely STUNNING video! You are massively talented, bro. The footage you captured here is awe-inspiring. I especially love the way you get those rad over-the-shoulder drone shots as you walk. Very cinematic. The Scottish Tourism Board needs to hire you, man. No joke! Can't wait for the next vid. Cheers. PS: I was the commenter on your previous video who suggested you visit Abyssinia, so imagine my surprise seeing THIS VIDEO on my RU-vid homepage! You actually did it! Wow. Again... splendid work.
Thanks for the recommendation as I wouldn't have chosen this one had you not mentioned it. There's a video which is a bit more in depth on the bothy experience itself to come as well. Ha, thank you. I could certainly do with the work should they hire me. I'll keep my fingers crossed on that one.
It's so much more accurate. The amount of times where satnav only gets you into vaguely the right area is frustrating. Best to rule out the wriggle room, especially if folk walk in in the dark.
