Writer on surprise supper visit by the Queen
come over and check out the new renovations to the bothy but sadly that didn’t come to pass.”
Bothies have been used as t empo r a r y s he l t e r s for gamekeepers, farm workers and walkers for hundreds of years.
Until recently, many of their locations were a closely guarded secret, shared only through word of mouth, but over the last 30 years, they have become popular attractions.
Many outdoor enthusiasts proudly post bothy images on social media, celebrating visiting them in the same way some hill-walkers celebrate “bagging” Scotland’s Munros.
The Mount a i n Bot h ie s Association helps maintain more than 100 across the country, often in wild and lonely places.
They say visitors to bothies should expect to find no tap, sink, beds or lights – and if there is a fireplace, there may not be any wood to burn. Very few bothies have toilet facilities other than a spade.
Two years ago, Geoff won UK Travel Guidebook of the Year for his book The Scottish Bothy Bible, which gave details of more than 100 of Scotland’s unique and picturesque bothies and how to reach them.
His new book, Scottish Bothy Walks, is published by Wild Things Publishing today. It gives details of circular or return walking routes to 28 bothies.
Geoff, who visited his first bothy whi le studying geography at Edinburgh University, said: “It’s hard to know how many bothies there are, as some are still secret or people know where they are but don’t want their locations to be publicly shared, and I respect that.
“I’ve probably visited about 125 – some many times – and while many are at stunning locations, my favourites are the ones that bring back the best memories.
“As wel l as whisky- inspired evenings, I’ve spent the night in bothies listening to the bellowing of testosterone-filled young stags in the autumn rutting season.
“I’ve spent three nights alone in a bothy in the depths of winter, with temperatures dipping to -10C. I’ve stayed in bothies where I’ve gone for summer swims in river pools, and had birthday celebrations at a bothy with a three- course meal and a choice of wines.
“I’ve met a wonderful array of people, from outdoor instructors and ultramarathon runners, to wise old men of the hi l ls holding forth in front of a bothy fire, to teenagers planning the next day’s adventure. There was even an extended family who came to the same bothy every year on holiday.”
He added: “The aim of my new book is to encourage people to use bothies as a focal point as they go out and enjoy Scotland’s rugged and beautiful landscape.”