James Carron

Bothies, Huts & Howffs in the Hills James Carron

Bothies are basic shelters in remote corners of the countryside, a home from home in the hills for walkers, backpackers, mountain bikers and others who love spending time in the great outdoors. Scotland has a long tradition of 'bothying' and, while the better known ones are easily found, one of the great pleasures of exploring the nation's mountains and glens is stumbling upon one for the first time - and finding the door open. This guide takes some of the guesswork out of the equation, listing unlocked habitable shelters, ranging from comfortable, well-equipped bothies suitable for overnight stays to simple wooden huts and howffs offering protection from the elements, a place to break for lunch or a bolthole in an emergency. Covering the Cairngorms National Park, the fully illustrated guide details the location of each bothy, hut or howff by grid reference, offers advice on how to reach it and outlines what to expect upon arrival. It includes popular bothies like Corrour and Ryvoan alongside less well known refuges such as Coyles Cottage and the Garrocher Hut with its antiquated wooden privy! Chapters cover Lost Bothies, Royal Bothies and the famous Secret Howff.