If there isn't an available mountaineering hut close to your planned activities, there are many hotels, B&Bs and hostels as possible alternatives.
Many are Associate Members of Mountaineering Scotland, who help support our work, so it's worth checking out our Associate Member listing to see if there are any which suit your needs. There are also a large number of accommodation providers - ranging from hostels to hotels - who offer discounts to Mountaineering Scotland members, so look through our discount providers too.
Mountain Bothies are unlocked shelters in the mountains of Scotland and England, which are open to bona-fide walkers and mountaineers free of charge, for short periods. They offer basic (sometimes very basic) but generally weatherproof accommodation in some of the more remote parts of the highlands. They often have no furniture, nor heating, although users have space to use their own cooking equipment. There are seldom toilets (although some have septic tank or composting toilets installed in outhouses) and all users should be self-sufficient.
They are owned by the landowner and many are cared for by the Mountain Bothies Association. This voluntary group of outdoor people arrange work parties to repair and keep the bothies in habitable condition. There is no booking system and the locations of MBA bothies are available on the internet.
Users should not stay for long periods (a few days is acceptable) and large groups should not use them as this could jeopardise emergency use of the bothy by individual walkers. The MBA has issued a Bothy Code.
More information can be obtained from the Mountain Bothies Association.
© 2024 Mountaineering Scotland
ClimbScotland is a registered trademark of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland Limited
Mountaineering Scotland is a registered trademark of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland Limited
