It’s a brilliant time of year to…

STAY IN THE WILDS (for free)

IT MIGHT BE a bit fresh yet for nights under canvas, but you can still stay in the wilds in a bothy. Best described as a stone tent, these basic buildings provide beds – or more likely wooden sleeping platforms – in some of Britain’s remotest countryside. You’ll need to carry sleeping bags and mats, food and a stove to cook it on, but the walls and roof are generally watertight and there’s often a logburner to warm things up too. Incredibly, they’re completely free to use and there’s no need to book – part of the Bothy Code is to make room for arrivals – and the best thing of all is the people you meet there, chewing the fat long into the night in front of the flames. You can find a list of those maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association at mountainbothies.org.uk, and there are some looked after by private estates too like those in the Elan Valley of central Wales. In fact, their cottage at Claerddu is quite the palace, with a couple of sleeping areas upstairs, a gas stove, and the rare luxury of a flushing toilet. Gorgeous too, in a cleft of hills near the Teifi Pools with a stream babbling past the front door. Other favourites include

Kearvaig in the far, far north of Scotland near Cape Wrath, set on its own beach beneath the highest sea cliffs on the mainland. It’s a journey to get there, but worth it. Or try Ryvoan in the shadow of Meall a’ Bhuachaille in the northern Cairngorms; Shenavall in Scotland’s Great Wilderness with the foot of fearsome An Teallach in the backyard; and the Lookout on the northern tip of the Isle of Skye.

Plan a trip with a copy of Scottish Bothy Walks:

Scotland’s 28 Best Bothy Adventures by Geoff Allan, due out in 1st March 2020 – see wildthingspublishing.co.uk

Most bothies are in remote terrain, like Claerddu in the heart of Wales, which means dark skies and bright stars. STARRY, STARRY SKY

WELSH WELCOME Claerddu bothy, owned by the Elan Valley estate (elanvalley.org. uk) is one of the comfiest in Britain. And always read the guestbook – it’s a trove of tips and tales, often funny, and often poetic.