Free Staycation?

By Chiara Fabian

Drinking is out, reconnecting with reality is in.

Did you know that you can spend a weekend in the Highlands on pretty much zero budget?

You may have or haven't heard of bothies before – the UK has a proud collection of free shelters across its National Parks any pretty much any remote location. Whilst England and Wales have a few, Scotland has almost 100 officially registered bothies and a long list of private or ‘secret’ ones.

A bothy is basically a simple, small building, usually built of stone with very sporadic interior but everything you really need. In most bothies you will find a fireplace or stove and some sleeping platforms, usually they contain several rooms but sometimes it can be just one.

Traditionally bothies are spread through Scotland’s most scenic landscapes and are the place to stay on any multiday hike or also just for a cozy weekend away. Spending a night there does not cost you any more than your food and the journey there (even though some essentials like sleeping bags, backpacks and hiking boots are required), which if you are under 22 and taking the bus up north, can be completely free.

If you want to use a bothy you do not necessarily need to announce your plans or book it anywhere, however during stag season in autumn it is recommended to check with the landowner if the bothy will be available or if it is used as accommodation for gamekeepers and it walking in the area is safe.

Since these places are open to everyone, you can find yourself sharing your fire, as well as your best stories with a group of strangers and there are some crucial things to keep in mind when planning a few days away in the highlands and keeping it budget friendly.

1.        Make sure you have an updated map. OS Maps are your best shout for detailed guidance of the area you are in, however – some of the areas you’re in could have been mapped for the last time in 2015. That means that there CAN be slight changes of the area like patches of woodland or bridges, fences and buildings missing or appearing. Make sure you find at least 5 things around you that line up with your map to make sure you definitely are where you think you are. Ideally you have a paper map to make sure you don't depend on any battery life but for short getaways a downloaded map in the OS Maps App Store and a powerbank will guide you through your adventure just fine and is far easier to read (imagine Google Maps but fit for mountains).

2.        Bring some firewood. I usually make sure I have two pieces of dry wood that can burn for half an hour at least when I aim to stay overnight; thirty minutes will be enough time to set fire to the wood you have collected if the conditions aren’t horrible. Do not cut live wood. The ultimate lifehack to get your fire going when you have quite little experience? Place two dry logs very closely next to each other, place a tealight in the between the logs and stuff the gap in between them with newspaper, cardboard, dry moss or sheepwool. Make sure your logs are almost touching on top. If nothing else works, this won't fail you.

3.        Bring a sleeping bag and enough layers to keep you warm at night, as well as some food and snacks for the evening and night. Make sure to ideally also bring a tent if you are aiming for a popular bothy at a popular time of the year – like the first sunny weekend. You could, given the wrong circumstances also fail to actually find the bothy you are looking for - occasionally they are slightly hidden and off the beaten path. If you aim to stay in an MBA (Mountain Bothies Association) Bothy, check out their website to see if your refuge might be shut for maintenance works.

4.        Leave no trace. Please take all your rubbish back home with you. This really should be common sense but seems like it still needs mentioning. In an ideal world you even bring some sort of contribution with you - a classic would be a big candle or an old newspaper which can be left there because I guarantee you that many people forgot to pack them and will be grateful.

5.        Bring candles. There won’t be any electricity where you are so make sure you can light your home for the night with some candles and fairy lights to get cozy. No electricity also means you won't be able to charge your phone overnight, so bring a powerbank.

If you are looking for some beginner friendly bothies with short walk-ins, little elevation and stunning scenery; look up the directions to places like Ryvoan bothy, Marks Cottage, Gelder Shiel Stables, Melgarve Bothy, Ruigh Aiteachain, Strabeg or Cadderlie Bothy. For your first hike aim for a journey with less than 250m of elevation and under 10km of walking distance per day. If you encounter any streams which require crossing, take your shoes off and cross barefot - this is a little cold but will actually warm you up and decrease your risk of slipping and falling - as well as keeping your shoes and feet dry and warm for the rest of your journey.

One last thing to keep in mind: you probably won’t have any phone signal for the entire time you are away. This can be relaxing but it could also drive you nuts, since that is quite an unsual feeling these days - make sure you have a way to regulate unpleasant thoughts and maybe have a podcast or a playlist downloaded just in case.