Scotland to get a new bothy with a difference: bats and owls to keep the hikers company
The network of bothies in Scotland’s hills represents a wonderful tradition worth celebrating
The motto of the Mountain Bothies Association is “to maintain simple shelters in remote country for the use of all who love wild and lonely places”. Thanks to the work of volunteers who have endured sub-zero temperatures in the winter and swarms of midges in summer, Scotland is about to get another one.
A 133-year-old building south-east of Oban, called Druimnashallag, had been falling into ruin for about 70 years. However, it is now being rebuilt to serve as a resting place – and not just for weary hikers.
For, as well as making it ready for human guests, a new roof is being specially constructed to encourage bats and owls to live there.
Bothies are a wonderful feature of the Scottish countryside. Almost without exception, crossing the threshold provides a most pleasant experience, as you discover little signs of care from the previous occupants – a swept floor, newly chopped firewood, a roll of toilet paper.
And while they are usually pretty basic, those who love the wild and lonely places in the Scottish hills wouldn’t have it any other way.
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