10 Things I’ve Learned

Appropriate clothing is important! As we went on our trip in winter it was freezing! I was wearing layers on layers on layers. And that was ok for the walking bit of the trip. As soon as we arrived at the bothy my feet were starting to get super cold. Woollen socks are a must!!!
Scottish weather is unpredictable! Always take rainproof stuff with you (and make sure your backpack is rainproof). Just because it’s summer, or the sky is blue does not mean it is not going to rain in 5 minutes. On that note, keep your eyes open for a rainbow! I’ve seen more rainbows in Scotland than I have in my whole life.
Take someone who knows the art of reading a map! I’ll just leave it at that…
Not being online for a day is so nice! Growing up with technologies it’s become so normal to always be online and available. A time out is so needed sometimes.
A decent backpack takes away half the weight! Obviously water and wood aren’t the lightest things to carry around. Having a backpack adjusted to your body takes away so much weight, especially if it has a waist strap.
The Bothy Bible! Yes, this book actually exists! The book is super helpful for planning bothy trips as it lists most of the bothies, routes and difficulties.
Sphagnum moss can be used as toilet paper! Random fact I know but who knows when that might come in handy…
Bothying makes you appreciate the simple things in life! Toilets, lamps, plug sockets, a stove… just a few things I realised how much I rely on.
Scotland is beautiful! This country definitely has a different kind of beauty. Untouched, wild and a bit rough but it will never fail to amaze you.
Checking out Youtube Channels! There are some people who upload their bothy trips to youtube. It is super helpful as you get a detailed look of the bothy and the route! One channel I’ve discovered is British Coastline.

British Coastline’s trip to Peanmeanach Bothy

xoxo, Joanna

24th Feb 2020 0

Exploring, Robins and a Cow Whisperer

A little tired after a windy night with hail and rain I wake at 7am. The sun is starting to rise and from the sleeping platform I have the perfect view through the panorama window.

We decide to get up about two hours later. Our breakfast consists of coffee and cereal bars.

We start packing up shortly after and once we’re done, we decide to go explore a little before it’s time to make our way back.

We stroll along the shore and listen two the waves moving the pebbles. If you look closely, there are quite a lot of things to discover. Different types of moss, little succulents, the skull of a sheep and a tiny snail feasting on seaweed.

We climb over a few slippery cliffs and make our way back to the bothy. It is sunny today!

We leave the rest of our kindling for the next people coming here. Before we leave we check that everything is tidy and we’ve picked up all our rubbish. We lock the door and set off.

We take a few detours on the way back. We pass old ruins, which must have once belonged to an old farm house and walk up a hill. The view is breathtaking!

We make our way further along the path and decide to try getting close to the Loch. Maybe not the best idea! It is super boggy and when I finally reach the water, my feet are soaked.

We pass the cows from yesterday and I try petting one. I try luring the cow but it wasn’t very amoosed…

When we finally arrive in Arisaig we still got a little time left so we watch the beautiful sunset and meet a curious little Robin.

It’s time to take the train home… until next time Carlotta’s Eyrie!

xoxo, Joanna

17th Feb 2020 0

Carlotta’s Eyrie

The bothy stands on top of a sea stack and the platform surrounding it is quite small. As it is raining throughout most parts of the day it is quite slippery. There are some ropes provided to help but we have to watch our steps quite carefully!

We open the door and take a peek inside. Cozy! The first word flashing through my brain… and cute! It’s definitely small in here but so much bigger than a tent. I can stand up straight in here (my biggest issue with tents). We put down all our stuff and make ourselves at home. There is a fireplace which has logs next to it and a rope where we dry our stuff. We roll out our mats and sleeping bags on the platform. There is even little bookshelf!

And the best thing about the bothy. The view, overlooking the sea!

After changing into spare clothes and getting the fire started, it starts to rain again. We decide to stay inside. We both curl up in our sleeping bags to have a nap. It’s still raining when we wake up so we pass our time playing cards (lucky for us someone left a deck).

When the sun slowly starts to set, we start boiling some water so we can eat soon. It’s really weird not being able to just switch a light on when it gets dark! We can see the rain in the distance.

Once I start eating, I realise how hungry I actually am. Mmmmh, creamy, warm mushroom pasta is exactly what I need right now! After our dinner we continue playing cards until it is completely dark outside.

At around 8pm we brush our teeth outside. I look up to the sky and smile in awe. It’s beginning to clear up and millions and billions of stars start to show. The longer I look, the more I can see. We can make out the milky way and Venus. I love looking at the night sky and discovering constellations.

We crawl back into our sleeping bags after adding one more log to the fire and fall asleep to the sound of crackling fire and waves crushing against the shore…

xoxo, Joanna

10th Feb 2020 0

The Sea Stack Bothy

6:50am – The alarm goes off and I am really in the mood to sleep a bit more… just a tiny bit…

7:00am – The alarm goes off the second time. Time to get up. It’s freezing and I am tired. But I am also really excited for this trip. Getting dressed, having breakfast quickly, going to the toilet (the last time using a proper toilet for 2 days) and then leaving the house. I am ready for an adventure!

8:50am – The bus leaves Fort William and I am awake now. It’s rainy and grey and we drive for an hour until we finally arrive in Arisaig.

10:00am – I look at the dark grey sky in the distant. And then I look up. Blue skies above me!

After a short visit at the local shop we start our journey to Carlotta’s Eyrie Bothy. The path is wide at first, we pass a field with sheep and some beautiful old trees forming a kind of archway.

We get to a gate with loads of highland cows waiting for their lunch. After the obstacle is passed, the track starts to become more muddy and the sky gets more grey until it starts to rain.

The scenery however is stunning. Beautiful colours, weirdly they’re autumnal.

After about an hour of walking (and the occasional stop to take a picture) we can see the bothy in the distance. It’s sitting on a sea stack, right at the shore.

The sun’s decided to come out for a little bit to accompany us on our last metres to the bothy. A little scramble down and up again with the help of the rope and we have arrived!

Hi home for one night!

xoxo, Joanna

3rd Feb 2020 0

Packing List

When going camping anywhere you’ll want to make sure you pack properly. That means only the essentials and as lightly as possible.

Consider what time of the year you are going on the trip and how far the bothy is that you’re hiking to.

These are the items we packed for our bothy trip (rainy, cold January) :

Fire lighters (if the wood is not burning properly this might be of help)
Wood and kindling
Matches or a lighter
Food (dehydrated meals and breakfast bars)
cutlery

First Aid Kit
Water bottles (make sure you have plenty water to drink and use for cooking if there is no fresh water source near by)
Hiking boots (proper footwear will save your day I promise, also never go on a trip with completely new shoes)
Appropriate clothes for the day (in our case that meant warm and waterproof clothing)
Map of the area

Power bank (if you want to take your phone)
Gas can
Camping cooker
Sleeping mats
Sleeping bags (make sure they are suited for the temperature; 3-4 season is what we took)

Additional things you might need are head torches (check the batteries), toilet paper, a bin bag, hiking poles, a compass, spare clothes, a book/card deck etc. Its pretty much up to you what you’re taking but at the end of the day, you’ll have to carry it!

xoxo, Joanna

27th Jan 2020 0

Scran for a Bothy Trip

Obviously when in a bothy there won’t be a stove to cook on or the possibility of ordering a pizza (sad times! Pizza and a bothy would be the DREAM!). However, you do have a few options to choose from. You can either buy something ready made, cook with a camping cooker or prep something at home to take to the bothy.

The option of buying food can be the easiest and it is usually the lightest food you can get. Cotswold, Mountain Warehouse and other outdoor shops have packages of dehydrated meals. You add boiling water into the bag, leave it sealed for a few minutes and dinner is ready to be served. Each bag costs around 5 pounds.

I had the mushroom pasta which was really tasty and quite filling.

Another possibility is making your own food at home to bring on the bothy trip. It should be light and not take up too much space. That could be couscous salad, a rice and veggie mix (it’s best to use brown rice as it’s more filling!) or anything else you’d like to take.

For our breakfast in the morning, or a wee snack for in between, we got cereal bars from Morrisons. They were bloody delicious I’ll have you know!

One more thing you will want to consider is bringing enough water with you. You will need it for drinking (stay hydrated folks!), but also to boil for adding it to your food, brush your teeth or to have a nice cup of coffee or tea in the morning.

xoxo, Joanna

20th Jan 2020 0

The Bothy Code

Even though bothies are free and anyone can go, there is a bothy code which has 5 rules.

Respect Other Users
Respect the Bothy
Respect the Surroundings
Respect Agreement with the Estate
Respect the Restrictions on Numbers

As you can’t book a bothy for yourself there is a chance you will share it with other people. Be respectful to others and you might even like the possibility of meeting new people.

Before you leave a bothy, make sure the place is clean and you’ve taken all your rubbish with you! Left rubbish can attract animals and it is extremely rude to other people to leave your mess. When leaving make sure the fire is out and the door (and windows) are closed properly.

Inform the MBA of any damage to the bothy you see or accidentally do yourself. Most bothies don’t have a toilet, so you’ll have to go outside and (at least in winter) get a cold bum. Make sure you are at least 180 metres away from any water source and the bothy. If you decide having a ‘poo with a view’, take the spade that will be in the bothy and bury everything in a hole (at least 15 cm deep). Toilet paper can either be burned in the hole, in the fire place or you can take it back home in a bin bag.

For the bothy fire, you should bring your own kindling, or you can collect wood from the surroundings. DO NOT cut down live wood!

Bothies are owned privately. It is important you respect any restrictions by the owner (e.g. stalking season) and remember bothies are for short stays (1-2 days). Bothies are not meant for groups over 5 people or commercial purposes. To be on the safe side of having a place to sleep it is always wise to bring a tent or bivvy bag.

The code can usually be found in the bothy itself and on the website of the Mountain Bothy Association).

xoxo, Joanna

13th Jan 2020 0

What is a Bothy?

Before I begin to write about anything in specific, I thought I would explain what a bothy is.

I looked the term up in the dictionary and this is what I found:

Bothy both-ee,baw-thee

Noun, plural both·ies. Scot.

a hut or small cottage.

This describes a bothy in the simplest way. More specifically a bothy is a shelter or a refuge where anyone is allowed to stay. There is no place to sign up for it or make a reservation, so when going to one you have to expect other people might be there too.

The owners of bothies permit the access to them and most are maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA).

There is (with exception) no electricity or running water in bothies nor is there a toilet. Between 2 and 12 people (check the number) can stay in a bothy but most are for 4-5.

Bothies can be found all over Scotland and some in northern England, Wales and Ireland, most of them in remote places.

Some might not find bothies appealing due to the fact that there are no facilities and so on but I dare you to try it.

Bothies are magical! You will hike to places in the rough wilderness of Scotland and you’ll make some of the best memories ever. Because bothies are quite far from everything, if the sky is clear you will see the most amazing night sky.

xoxo, Joanna

6th Jan 2020 0