Bothies (mountain huts)
A network of free stone cabins where you can sleep off the beaten path in the U.K.
A bothy is a very simple cabin, usually stone, and often in an isolated place—picture it like camping in a stone tent. (Most originally served as accommodation for itinerant farm workers.)
Prepare for you bothy to consosts of a single bare stone room with wooden bunks (some are even bunkless; you sleep on the floor), no bathroom, and no linens provided (though sometimes there's a cold water tap and/or a fireplace or heater).
A few bothies are practually cosy cottages with heat, electricity, running hot water, and bathrooms.
Come prepared as you would for camping—and expect it to be a bit cold (especially as many are in the hills).
The vast majority of bothies are in Scotland and Wales, though there are a dozen or so in Northern England as well.
Most bothies are free, maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association. You cannot reserve one; just find it on the map and show up. There might already be people in it, so you may have to share.
Some of the nicer ones (like those administered by the Landmark Trust) rent for anywhere from £20 to £60 per night, sometimes with a 3-night minimum, and those are bookable.
You might also look into camping barns and bunkhouses—sort of like rural hostels, with a few more facilities (though they do cost).
- Mountainbothies.org.uk - This volunteer organization maintains about 100 free bothies acros Scotland, Wales, and Northern England.
- Nationaltrust.org.uk - Four dozen National Trust locations (under "Holidays") offering cabins, pods, bothies, bunkhouses, tents, yurts, tipis, Berber tents, and motorhome parks across the U.K.
- Walkhighlands.co.uk - Great article on a dozen gorgeous bothies (plus a video).
- Independenthostels.co.uk - Lists nearly all the bunkhouses and camping barns across England (about 200), Scotland (100) and Wales (100).
- Findabunkhouse.com - A bit dodgy on the technical side of the site itself, but this search engine links you to most of the bunkhouses in the UK, including about 200 in England and 100 each in Scotland and Wales.
- Nationaltrust.org.uk - Four dozen National Trust locations (under "Holidays") offering cabins, pods, bothies, bunkhouses, tents, yurts, tipis, Berber tents, and motorhome parks across the U.K.
- Yha.org.uk - camping barns
