Ruigh Aiteachan Bothy

[Cairngormwanderer]

Cameron's article on the refurbishment of Ruigh-Aiteachain Bothy - https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/what-price-a-bothy/0016682/ - raises a number of issues which need to be addressed.
Firstly, he says: "Now, although I’m not a bothy user myself, I am aware that there is a current trend in Scotland for groups of people to drive as close to a bothy as possible and lug in enough booze, and often drugs, to make T in the Park look like a temperance party. Maybe I don’t have as much faith in mankind as I should have but I couldn’t help thinking that this bothy could now become a target for the druggies and party-goers with all the potential for serious damage to the new fabric of the building."
This is tabloid journalism at its (nearly) worst - complete hyperbole. After admitting he doesn't use bothies he claims as a 'trend' something which is far from that. The vast majority of bothy users and bothy visits are very responsible, but to say this and put responsible people off from using bothies just leaves the way open to the 'neds' to have free rein.
Then he says: "Thomas MacDonell hinted to me that if the bothy was trashed in any way he would be tempted to administer a charge for using the building, but I didn’t think that was a good idea. I even suggested to him that if the bothy was trashed he should simply close it down." If you look at the planning permission, it was granted on the basis that the bothy remained a bothy - not paid accommodation. To then urge the estate to close the bothy down in the event of vandalism (and there have been no real problems with vandalism in Cairngorm bothies for many years) is, to put it mildly, not helpful. Apart from anything else, assuming the existing lease to the MBA is continued, it's the MBA who will be responsible for maintenance and any necessary repairs, so again Cameron is raising a false spectre.
As for the issue of firewood - there's nothing new there. Yes, there's a problem with people using dead wood for fires (campfires too) but that's existed for a long time and elsewhere. At Bob Scott's Bothy, in Glen Lui, and elsewhere, we encourage people to carry in their own fuel (coal is best, followed by firelogs). If people arrive expecting fuel to be supplied - and it isn't - that's when they are most likely to start foraging. It's a question of education: it'll take time to convince everyone, but go back 20 years and hardly anyone carried in coal; now, in the Cairngorms at least, it's quite common.
I'm not looking to slag Cameron off for the sake of it - generally I find myself agreeing with him - but I think he's produced a very negative article here and, given his self-professed lack of first hand knowledge of bothies, maybe he wasn't the best person to be asked for an opinion.
(PS, Yes, I'm in the MBA but, no, I'm not writing this as their voice).

[WayneGault]

Deary me Cameron, I was really surprised to read your tone on the refurb of Ruigh Aiteachan. Lots of unexpected prejudices coming out there!

Druggies/ society's dregs? Pretty stigmatising language.

We've all got our reasons for getting into the great outdoors. Some because it is our NHS - 'natural health service'.
Years ago, at a drop off on a winter Forres to Blair Atholl walk, I had a great chat with the Ruigh Aiteachan bothy MO. He described the transformative experience people in recovery from addiction had coming to that bothy. He volunteered for a Glasgow addictions charity and would regularly take people up there.

I've never been disappointed in the fascinating craic and insights into other's lives to be had in a bothy.

Let's not label and stigmatize folk using bothies. We're all Jock Tamson's Bairns!

[Robinho08]

Certain bothies that are easy to reach tend to get unwanted attention. I'd never have considered Ruigh Aiteachan as one of them thought.

I'd be more concerned about the new MBA bothy, Abyssinia.

[region_of_clouds]

Deary me Cameron, I was really surprised to read your tone on the refurb of Ruigh Aiteachan. Lots of unexpected prejudices coming out there!

Druggies/ society's dregs? Pretty stigmatising language.

We've all got our reasons for getting into the great outdoors. Some because it is our NHS - 'natural health service'.
Years ago, at a drop off on a winter Forres to Blair Atholl walk, I had a great chat with the Ruigh Aiteachan bothy MO. He described the transformative experience people in recovery from addiction had coming to that bothy. He volunteered for a Glasgow addictions charity and would regularly take people up there.

I've never been disappointed in the fascinating craic and insights into other's lives to be had in a bothy.

Let's not label and stigmatize folk using bothies. We're all Jock Tamson's Bairns!

I imagine people in recovery are the group most keen to avoid being surrounded with lots of drinking and drug-taking?

[Essan]

I'd be more concerned about the new MBA bothy, Abyssinia.

Nah, I think Abyssinia's far enough away from Newtonmore to be safe

[KatTai]

I really find it hard to imagine the "dregs of society" as he puts it lugging a load of alcohol that far into a forest and looking at the map, it doesn't look that easy to drive there either. Now, I know a fair few bird hides have been misused by certain individuals for drugs, alcohol, air gun practice and fireworks were even set off in one hide, but these hides are easy to access with parking right next to them or a very short walk away, whereas most bothies are well out of the way. There are far easier places to get to for a drink/drug party if someone was wanting to do that so I can't really see that being an issue. Surely those that head out hiking in big groups expecting to be able to stay at a bothy despite the Bothy code saying that large groups of 6 or more should get permission or camp nearby would be a bigger issue...say someone taking a dozen boy scouts to a bothy...

Do I think spending £200,000 doing up a bothy is money well spent? Not my money to judge if someone wants to spend their money on that fair enough it's their money and they can spend it on whatever they want to. Though it would have been nice for them to give me the money to do up my own house instead, not that it would cost that much so they could still have plenty to spend on the bothy as well

I think having a donation box for fuel is fine, I'm sure people would be more than happy to contribute to replace what they use. Assuming they have cash with them of course!

[NickyRannoch]

It's an absolutely terrible article.

Who would be arrogant enough to admit they know nothing about a subject but go ahead and write it anyway.

Also "dregs of society"? **** off.

[region_of_clouds]

I think you would need to be a very sensitive soul to find the term "dregs of society" offensive.

[Scraggygoat]

So he doesn't use bothies but writes about them, a bit like writing hill walking guides to summits he hadn't ascended himself.........allegedly!


Oh for the return of 'The Angry Corrie'....plenty of mirth and a justifiable put-down to be had!

Yes there has been issues at some bothies in the past, it's not a new thing, and there will be occasional problems in the future.

The biggest future challenge facing several bothies is increasing use due to being featured in guidebooks promoting a certain long distance trail which will / is becoming increasingly popular in with time.......I wonder who jumped on the band wagon and wrote one of those guides.........

[Dave Hewitt]

It hasn't always been the case that CM described himself as "not a bothy user". In October 2007 in the Strathspey and Badenoch Herald, he began one of his regular columns thus: "I've had more than my fair share of bothy nights", and went on to add that he used to be a member of the MBA. So for whatever reason (perhaps having encountered society’s dregs somewhere along the way?!), during the past decade he appears to have gone from fairly heavy bothy user to non-user.

More generally, the argument in the piece - eg suggesting that the bothy should be closed down if trashed - seems to sit rather oddly with his staunch defence (especially on Twitter) of free camping in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs national park, and his opposition to the new anti-camping bylaws.

[Mainser]

Thanks to Robinho08 for pointing out my blindness For what it's worth here are my thoughts on the article

Whilst I read a lot of posts I don't often post much, but as Cameron has kindly asked for views following his post, I feel kind of obliged to do so.

I have to say I am late to the party on using Bothies, but I have to say they are brilliant - at least the ones I have used to date are. Like Cameron I was unsure about the publication of the Bothy Bible book, but if the MBA had endorsed it as they appear to do, who am I to argue.

Part of me says I want to be selfish and keep these wonderful places to myself, but then on the other hand as I recently passed Corrour Bothy to discover a young Canadadian woman in her early 20's on her own I realised actually they are great places for self-discovery in a safe environment. I have yet to come across one described by Cameron where it's populated by rowdy boozers or worse, but suspect that's confined to the more accessible ones.

Where I do think there is an issue is where too much is spent on making them too nice and thus attracting people who are not there to enjoy the outdoors for itself. I was recently in the Alps where the hut culture exists and our guide expressed a view that there is an opening for such a culture in the Highlands and maybe that's the solution, building purpose built, serviced, paid for Alpine style huts. It could provide sustainable economic growth in areas that would welcome it bearing in mind protection of local environments - the opportunity exists particularly near long distance paths.

Maybe I have been lucky but my recent encounter at Corrour was the first time I had been to a bothy where there was someone already there (maybe it's because I tend to go to more remote places) so I would welcome thoughts and reflections from more seasoned bothy users on this site to get a broader perspective.

[topmunro282]

No problem with Cameron raising this topic or the way in which he presents the arguments.
But for the record the MBA were listing bothies online well before the Scottish Bothy Bible was published.
My view is that renovation and the promotion of bothies as places of cultural and aesthetic value will only serve to improve the behaviour of the people who visit, and dissuade visitors with leisure objectives that aren't especially welcome in the great outdoors.
Anyone who buys the SBB is unlikely to feel persuaded to go and trash a bothy. They are more likely to find themselves investing in knitting needles and watercolour paints.
It's going to take a few years to get away from the idea that bothies are a cheap party destination - something which developed from the whispered secrecy of bothies rather than from good books and open discussion.

[Essan]

No problem with Cameron raising this topic or the way in which he presents the arguments.
But for the record the MBA were listing bothies online well before the Scottish Bothy Bible was published.
My view is that renovation and the promotion of bothies as places of cultural and aesthetic value will only serve to improve the behaviour of the people who visit, and dissuade visitors with leisure objectives that aren't especially welcome in the great outdoors.
Anyone who buys the SBB is unlikely to feel persuaded to go and trash a bothy. They are more likely to find themselves investing in knitting needles and watercolour paints.
It's going to take a few years to get away from the idea that bothies are a cheap party destination - something which developed from the whispered secrecy of bothies rather than from good books and open discussion.

My view on books like the SBB and other publicity is that it leads to more people using bothies responsibly - and the more people doing that, the more people there are looking after bothies and cleaning up after the minority who misuse them

As you say, groups using bothies as "party" destinations arose partly because they were seen as places no-one else used....

There IS an issue of litter at some bothies, particularly those on new, popular, trails, but this comes from the sort of books Cameron has written, not books on bothies and bothying. And I am confident in time education will result in an improvement.

I do have some concerns about RA being "too" nice. But its going to be well used by a lot of genuine outdoor folk. The "dregs of society" wont get a look in.

[Guinessman]

Surprised that the owner has sought out for Cameron for his views. There will have been a lot of discussions with the MBA over the refurb and I would imagine, given the owners strong links to the bothy , that he will be in regular contact with the MO.

Cant see it becoming a "party" bothy. For starters you do actually have to walk to it, unlike some of the Galloway or Northumberland bothies where the problems did exist, where you could drive to the door.

[jupe1407]

You'd have to be a pretty committed **** artist to not only drive the single track road to Achlean, but then lug a couple of slabs of Tennents over three miles to a bothy, which could involve a dodgy river crossing or two

I've been pretty jammy with bothies, other than managing a cumulative total of sleeping hours still in single figures. I've turned up at the Hutchie, Gorton, Coire Fionnaraich and Culra with no one else there (obviously folk turned up later, especially at Gorton ) but I've yet to experience the anti-social nonsense that can be read about on various Facebook "bothy" groups, thankfully.