Scary meeting in a bothy.

I have always enjoyed the Bothies I was very young about aged 11 when I visited my first bothy in Galloway. This was mid 60. I met a few characters and would sit and learn about the hills.it was some classroom. It gave me so much and over my 60 years I have visited so many. On my Big Walks they were used a lot and we even buried food there. We went round with the helicopter collecting rubbish from them.

On my big walks I had a few interesting things happening on them. One was at Luibeilt. We had just completed the Mamores a big day in winter. Add in 4 days food and sleeping gear.We were exhausted and the final drag from the Mamores was wet and extremely hard going.

Some of the early Big Walks.

South of Meanach Bothy on the other side of the river the stands the remains of the old stalkers’ lodge Luibeilt. It hasn’t been possible to stay there for many years and is now little more sadly a ruin.

Winter Walk

When we arrived at a bothy the other two changed and I got stove on with some soup. If possible I would if there was any dry wood get the fire going. Then I would hand over to the other two. The bothy was dark and cold very rough. There were a few candles about and they lit them. There was plenty of dry wood about in a huge pile.

As I was getting sorted Jim was putting a lot of wood on the fire the bothy lit up. We heard a voice a man emerged from the wood. He had a big hunting knife and was carving some bit of wood. For some reason he spoke to me and said he had been alone in bothy.

He was extremely depressed and lived in London. We were exhausted it had been a long day. Terry and Jim went to bed and I had chat for 20 minutes then left him with his knife carving his wood. We had two big days before replenishment of food at Dalwhinnie. I gave him my chocolate and some soup. I hardly slept. It was snowing heavy all night.

The snow really made the walking hard We had an epic getting over the 5 Munro’s arriving at Culra in the dark. Next day was over Beinn Alder and Beinn Bhoil then a day of at Dalwhinnie. We were exhausted and we had a surprise as Jimmy Simpson had a message from Kinloss to stop the walk. The A9 was shut tons of snow had fallen. We decided to carry on but that’s another tale.

A few months later we had visitor the bothy man he was well recovered and thanked us for what we did for him. Strange world the bothies were quite then big changes from these days .

They are a unique part of Scotland and many have helped those in trouble on the hill. A lot are closed now Culra or ruins like Luibelt. A A A few landowners have taken them back and some are now holiday homes. Like Affric White Cottage.

What we have in Scotland is the envy of many there is nothing like sitting by a bothy fire after a long day. I envy you all.

Please if you use the bothies please join the Mountain bothies Association it good to help them.

he Mountain Bothies Associationhttps://www.mountainbothies.org.ukThe Mountain Bothies Association

We are an organisation who maintain simple shelters in remote country for the use & benefit of all who love wild & lonely places.