SIX BREATHTAKING BOTHIES

Cosy up on your next multi-day hike with an overnighter in one of Britain’s free mountain shelters. Sian Lewis visits half a dozen of the best.

PENRHOS ISAF BOTHY, ERYRI (SNOWDONIA), WALES

Penrhos is a charming stone farmhouse straight out of a fairytale, hidden in thick forest amongst the crumbling, moss-strewn remains of an old smallholding. Located in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, this roomy, two-storied shelter was first built in 1880 and is now equipped with a wood-burning stove and a fuel store; it even has an outhouse with an earth toilet – a luxury by bothy standards! Be warned, however: mice like to share this cosy cottage as much as hikers, so wrap food up carefully.

Penrhos Isaf can be reached by foot along the walking routes which thread through the thick canopy of Coed y Brenin forest or via a five-mile circuit up Moel Dôl-frwynog’s 269-metre peak, where there’s also a waterfall pool to dip in.

SUILEAG BOTHY, ASSYNT, SCOTLAND

Assynt is one of the least densely populated areas in the whole of Europe and home to some of Scotland’s most breathtaking mountains. Towering over it all is the isolated peak of Suilven, at 731 metres. Summiting this ‘crown jewel’ (where you can seek out mountaineer Chris Bonnington’s favourite view from a mountain peak) requires a steep 500-metre ascent and a 12-mile round trip, but back in the valley, tired hikers will find a very welcome pitstop at the snug Suileag bothy. This well-cared for refuge has a fireplace and two separate bedrooms that sleep up to eight people each. With the fire blazing, it’s a warm haven on a winter’s day, while in summer you can sit on the bench outside and gaze up at the breathtaking mountain peak you just stood tall on.

KEARVAIG BOTHY, CAPE WRATH, SCOTLAND

Scotland’s northernmost bothy is also one of its most beautiful, looking out over its very own white sand bay and a turquoise sweep of sea. It’s found in Cape Wrath, a wild 50,000-acre headland that forms Britain’s most north-westerly corner. Flanked by cliffs and sea stacks populated by puffins and guillemots, this remote retreat requires you to make the pilgrimage on foot, mountain bike or ferry.

It’s a pretty special place inside, too, complete with mirror ball, multiple bedrooms and a roaring fire (useful for warming up if you brave a plunge into the sea from the doorstep). For a proper adventure, make the 13 mile trek from Sandwood Bay, or for experienced hikers, along the challenging and unmarked Cape Wrath Trail – 200 miles of true wilderness.

BOB SCOTT’S HUT, CAIRNGORMS, SCOTLAND

One of the prettiest – and most popular – bothies in the Highlands, Bob Scott’s is named after an estate worker who allowed walkers and climbers to shelter in his cottage that’s situated nearby. It’s a tiny but very rewarding little cabin in the wild, surrounded by trees and perched right on the bank of a bubbling river. Prayer flags flap outside, while inside there’s a sleeping platform facing a wood stove.

You’re unlikely to have Bob’s to yourself on weekends, so if you’re trekking to this bothy at busy times, bring a tent as a backup; there are great wild camping spots along the nearby Lui River bank, and you can swim right in front of the hut. While it’s a flat and easy three-mile walk to reach Bob Scott’s, you can hike another five miles higher up into the mountains to reach the Hutchison Memorial Hut for a two-day bothy-to-bothy adventure.

RYVOAN BOTHY, CAIRNGORMS, SCOTLAND

Ryvoan is the perfect bothy for beginners. This modest stone cottage is only an hour’s hike from the Glenmore Forest Park car park, just up the road from Aviemore. The path is easy to follow, winding through a beautiful forest of tall pine trees and beside the glassy clear waters of An Lochan Uaine (the ‘Green Loch’) – an amazing place for a wild swim.

There’s just one room inside the bothy, but it’s furnished with a wood stove and a wide bench to sleep on. There’s usually a pile of felled logs left here by kindly souls, too. If you want an easy night in the wild you can leave it at that, but for an amazing view, carry on the next morning up the steep but not technical hike to the summit of Meall a Bhuichaille (810m), where you’ll be rewarded with panoramic vistas of the snow-clad Cairngorms.

GREG’S HUT, NORTH PENNINES, ENGLAND

Greg’s Hut – named after climber John Gregory – was once a blacksmith’s shop and cottage for workers from the nearby lead mine. Today, it’s a cosy sanctuary for weary walkers tackling Cross Fell – the highest mountain in the Pennines. England’s highest bothy at 700 metres, Greg’s is a basic but welcoming place to spend the night; there’s a raised platform for sleeping, a woodburning stove, and glorious views of the mountains from the windows. A limited supply of wood is provided but consider bringing your own for a comforting blaze. The hut makes the perfect stopping off point if you’re following the 268 mile-long Pennine Way, or just a good overnighter on the six-mile hike from Garrigill. Continue on to the top of Cross Fell the next morning for far-reaching views of the Peak and across to the Lake District –and even Scotland – on a clear day.

Get involved

You can support the Mountain Bothies Association to help maintain these and other Bothies across the UK.

To find out more go to mountainbothies.org.uk