Cicerone Guide Book: The Book of the Bothy

Cicerone Guide Book: The Book of the Bothy

by Phoebe Smith

A celebration of 26 of the author's favourite bothies, as she shares her memories of her favourite 'stone tents' all over the UK in remote and wild locations. 

Packed with expert advice on how to make use of these 'free, old, empty houses' from packing lists to bothy etiquette and the best walks into these remote locations.

Journey into some of the wildest and remotest spots of the UK and you will be amazed at what you will find – old, empty houses left open for you to use… and at no charge? 

It sounds too good to be true – but it’s not. 

Thanks to the fantastic work of the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA), the UK is home to a network of hundreds of bothies, lovingly maintained by volunteers for walkers and climbers to access some of the UK’s greatest wilderness.  

This book celebrates the very best bothies in the country. 

Follow in Phoebe’s footsteps as she shares hard-won, expert advice on how best to make use of these ‘stone tents’, including packing lists, bothy etiquette, best walking routes in, local legends and more. 


Be inspired to pay a visit to one yourself as she recounts stories from her own stays in these stone sanctuaries – sharing whisky from Sigg bottles, telling ghost stories around a roaring fire and dishing out dry socks to late arrivals.

Centres

Wales: Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons, Devil's Bridge. 

England: Buttermere and Mosedale (Lake District), Dufton (Pennines), Kielder Forest Park (Northumberland). 

Scotland: Highlands and Isle of Skye, Glenduror Forest, Fort Augustus, Spean Bridge, Rannoch Moor, Cairngorms, Galloway Forest, Fisherfield, Sandwood Bay, Oykel Bridge.


Difficulty

Good level of fitness and ability required. Some of the bothies featured can be reached in a half day's walk, on easy to follow bridleways and paths; others require technical and/or navigation skills, especially in winter, with some river crossings or scrambling.


Must See

Bothies in this book cover some of the UK's wildest spots. 

Highlights included Sandwood Bay, Fisherfield forest, the Isle of Skye, Mosedale in the Lake District, the Torridon coastline, Rannoch Moor, Ben Alder, the Cairngorms National Park, Galloway Forest and Snowdonia's Carneddau.