The best bothies in Scotland
Traditional bothies are free lodgings left open to anyone in need, scattered across Scotland's heather-strewn moors, snow-capped peaks, and secret beaches. They once provided shelter for those who worked the land and are now a network of basic accommodation options for adventurous hikers searching for a night out in the wild.
These bare-bones structures, described by the Mountain Bothies Association as more akin to camping spots than holiday homes, may have previously had a rough-and-ready reputation. Still, their reinvention was only a matter of time.
While the original primitive dwellings still hold an appeal for their typically remote locations and offer a truly unique experience, the buzz around more luxurious cabins has been accelerating to a fever pitch for some time. Scotland’s vast wilderness offers a natural spiritual home, and it’s fair to say that the bothy is in the midst of a renaissance here, with comfortably appointed digs borrowing the term for an altogether higher-end holiday.
Whether you’re looking for a rugged bolthole for the night or a comfortable five-star experience, below is our pick of the best free and luxury bothies in Scotland.
The best luxury bothies in Scotland
From wood-fired saunas and private chef experiences to dreamy lochside spots, these beautifully appointed bothies provide the best of both worlds: Countryside and comfort.
Killiehuntly, Cairngorms
Beautifully finished to the highest spec, the self-catering bothies at Killiehuntly allow you front-row access to the Cairngorms (one of our picks of the best places to go in the UK), being conveniently situated at the heart of a sprawling private estate that runs through hills and glens. Here, Scandi-Scot style is seen in full force, with pared-back interiors in muted colours reflecting the landscape outside and beds plump with fluffed pillows and soft-washed linen sheets. Evenings spent around the log burner offer a cosy digital detox, while the farm shop’s supplies mean you can access fine wines and hearty comfort food dishes just a couple of paces from your front door. From pony picnics to 4x4 adventures, the hospitable team go out of their way to plan unique experiences for guests, ensuring everyone heads home with a hankering to return as soon as possible.
Address: Killiehuntly, Kingussie, PH21 1NZ
Website: killiehuntly.scot
Prices: From £350 per night
Inverlonan, Oban
Offering stylish seclusion, Inverlonan’s attention to detail goes beyond the usual welcome pack or bottle of wine. Here, you’ll find everything you need for a completely off-grid getaway, from fishing rods and kayaks to a wood-fired sauna and an outdoor pizza oven. Little tasks like making tea or showering become more industrious with no indoor running water or mains stove. For those needing to slow down, this is a soothing antidote to the unrelenting buzz of modern life, full of peaceful moments, star gazing, wild swimming, and long-drawn-out pauses wreathed in light – either golden or grey, depending on the weather – sinking in through all four sides of the bothy. When your hunter-gatherer instincts have been well-satiated, why not head for the outbuildings a mile up the track? Here, you’ll find chef Tim Kensett working his magic, cooking up a multi-course menu on an open fire before delivering it to a candlelit byre for you to enjoy with the estate’s other merrymakers.
Address: Glen Lonan, Oban, PA34 4QE
Website: inverlonan.com
Prices: From £280 per night, including breakfast
Monachyle Mhor, Lochearnhead
Tucked up by the window wall that hugs one side of the double bed at Corr Cabin, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were out in the wild. A dramatic landscape of craggy mountains and wild lochs extends beyond the immediate profile of sheep happily making the most of Scotland’s green grass, and there’s not much noise to note either, beyond the sound of birds. However, it’s cleverly placed, and, in reality, you’re in the middle of a small handful of bothies at Monachyle Mhor, a hotel just an hour and a half from Glasgow but a world away. Here, you’ll find the convenience of a bar and restaurant, plus the reassurance of a team of friendly faces nearby should you need a helping hand during your stay. Inside the cabin, there’s a neat kitchen, a comfortable seating area and a fully plumed bathroom with unlimited hot water – perfect for a post-loch dip.
Address: Balquhidder, Lochearnhead, FK19 8PQ
Website: monachylemhor.net
Prices: From £220 per night
The Sheep Shed, Aberdeenshire
Hosts Jane and James truthfully describe The Sheep Shed as ‘bleating cosy’. A sizeable wood-burning range keeps you snug; the open-air hot tub looks out across rolling barley fields, and the king-sized mezzanine bed faces large windows to make the most of the countryside’s starry skies. Comfort food also reigns supreme. A wood-fired pizza oven is yours to test out, and guests arrive to a hamper stocked with Jane’s homemade jam and other Scottish treats on arrival.
Address: Newton of Begshill, Drumblade, Huntly, Aberdeenshire AB54 6BJ
Website: canopyandstars.co.uk
Dates: Year-round
Price: From £120 a night
The Bothy Project, Cairngorms
The Bothy Project was built with art and writer residencies in mind: a cosy, no-distractions cabin with a small desk at its centre. There’s a wood burner and plenty of wood, an outdoor shower, a nearby river for wild swimming, and a sauna for relaxing afterwards. One of Scotland’s best hotels, The Fife Arms, is worth a visit while you’re here. Decorated with thousands of artworks collected by owners and gallerists Iwan and Manuela Wirth, any supper booked comes with a hearty dose of inspiration.
Address: Inshriach House, Inshriach, Aviemore PH22 1QP
Website: canopyandstars.co.uk
Dates: April - October
Price: From £105 a night
The Bothy at Kirkwood, Coulter
If no-frills bothying in far-flung places isn’t your thing, you might feel at home at The Bothy at Kirkwood instead. A 40-minute drive from Edinburgh and 50 minutes from Glasgow, it’s also just a three-minute walk between parked car and cabin, so you’re never too far from civilisation. But guests don’t miss out on seclusion here; Kirkwood’s private 20-acre woodland is ripe for what the Japanese call shinrin-yoku, or ‘forest bathing’ – the restorative act of being in nature. There are plenty of walking routes, too, including one to the River Clyde.
Address: Coulter, South Lanarkshire, 1.5 miles from Biggar. Full address provided on booking
Website: airbnb.com.sg
Price: From £35 a night
Kabn Company, Loch Fyne
A real place to unwind, just two of these luxurious cabins sit side-by-side on the shores of Loch Fyne, where you can stretch your legs along its pebbly beaches or dip in its cold waters. Each one has minimalist interiors focusing on aesthetics and functionality, including a kitchenette, living space with a log burner, a very comfortable bed and an en suite. In a very Japanese way, you’ll find a tidy home for every little detail, like barbecue tools under the built-in bench seating or trays for your boots tucked below a sideboard. Outside, there’s a barbecue and dining area, which makes for a very peaceful al fresco experience amongst the trees and birdsong.
Address: Unnamed Road, Cairndow PA26 8BE
Website: kabncompany.com
Prices: From £220 per night
The best free bothies in Scotland
If you’re determined to do things traditionally, the best free bothies of Scotland make the perfect place to pitch up in the wild. Most will have a place to start a fire, but other than that expect four walls and a roof – the rest is up to you, so make sure to pack accordingly. If you get lucky you’ll find these bothies empty of other travellers, giving you total seclusion in some of Scotland’s most beautiful areas.
Lookout, Isle of Skye
Skye’s most northerly bothy, situated on the tip of the island, is surely one of Scotland’s best. Perched vertiginously near the edge of a cliff, the Lookout is precisely that – a former coastguard watch station with uninterrupted views across the strait that separates the Highlands from the north-western islands. Early risers might be treated to a glimpse of whales or dolphins passing through (summer’s 5am average sunrise should help get you out of bed). Luckily, the conveniently named Coffee & Cake is just a stone’s throw away if you’re in need of caffeine.
Address: Trotternish Art Gallery car park, Kilmaluag, by Duntulm, Isle of Skye IV51 9UQ
Website: mountainbothies.org.uk
Dates: Year-round
Allt Scheicheachan, Cairngorms
This spot is ideal for first-timers. The route to reach it through evergreen forest and heather moorlands takes around three hours and is easygoing. The Cairngorms National Park, Britain’s largest, also provides a wonderful introduction to the Highlands, where spotting an impressive red deer and a tufty-tailed red squirrel on the same day is common. Bring wood with you to get the fire roaring; if you fancy yourself as Bear Grylls, you can fill your bottle from the flowing stream next door.
Starting point: Glen Tilt Car Park, Blair Atholl, Pitlochry PH18 5TP
Website: alltrails.com
Dates: Check the MBA website for stalking season closures
Cadderlie, Loch Etive
Legend has it that, centuries ago, Glen Etive was refuge to a pair of lovers. Deirdre and Naoise eloped against the King of Ulster’s wishes and settled in a hill fort near Loch Etive. They grew an orchard, which may be where the area got its name, Cal-der-leys, deriving from the Gaelic for ‘the burn at Deirdre’s garden’. This is indeed the perfect setting for a love story: from the bothy, the vast loch looks tranquil; beyond it are the undulating peaks of Ben Cruachan and Starav; a forest backs it, and a burn flows steadily beside it – Scotland at its most idyllic.
Starting point: Bonawe, Oban, PA37 1RL
Website: mountainbothies.org.uk
Dates: Closed during stalking season, from 20 September - 20 October
Glenpean, Spean Bridge
Glenpean, which takes less than two hours to hike if you’re kitted out for rough terrain, is easy to find and completely off-grid. Its 360-degree views of the surrounding glen are phenomenal. The River Pean, which connects Loch Arkaig to the east with Loch Morar to the west, meanders past its doorstep. Meanwhile, the sister Munros Sgùrr Thuilm and Sgurr nan Coireachan invite you to climb – or as devoted hillwalkers would say, ‘bag’ – them.
Starting point: Strathan, Spean Bridge PH34 4EL
Website: mountainbothies.org.uk
Dates: Consult estate notices for low-level routes during stalking season
Kearvaig, Cape Wrath
Usually, having a beach on your doorstep and to yourself is reserved for high-end trips abroad. At Kearvaig, on the northwest coast of Britain, it costs nothing; Kearvaig’s bothy visitors kick back in the secluded bay alone. It’s a fantastic destination for nature lovers, who can watch the sunset from the unspoilt beach, swim in the bracing ocean and hike the Clo Mor Cliffs to spot puffins, Arctic skua and other seabirds flying to and from their nests.
Starting point: The easiest route is from the Kyle of Durness jetty via the Cape Wrath Ferry
Website: mountainbothies.org.uk
Dates: Closed when the nearby Ministry of Defence firing range is in use. Check the MBA website
There’s a bothy code and key practicalities to know when planning a trip to a traditional bothy. Always check the Mountain Bothies Association website before you travel. Buy the Scottish Bothy Bible guidebook from Wild Things Publishing wildthingspublishing.com.