Spooky bothy

[Blacktattoo]

What’s the spookiest bothy you’ve spent the night in?

[Caberfeidh]

What’s the spookiest bothy you’ve spent the night in?

Bob Scott's is often full of spirits. In fact they used to have optics fitted on the back shelf....

[Soldier of fortune]

Stayed in the bothy at the head of Loch Arkaig half a century ago, arrived late at night and bedded down only to be woken later by foot steps and voices that went on for a couple of minutes and then silence.
We woke at 7 the next morning to voices and steps again and then nothing, strange.

Did two roughy toughy soldiers on leave investigate? not us, not on your life.

[Sunset tripper]

Tarf Hotel.

[Robinho08]

Although the story has been debunked about McCook hanging himself in the bothy, lots of people still claim to hear strange goings on in Ben Alder Bothy.

[rabthecairnterrier]

I've spent many nights in various bothies, in company or on my own, but never had a spooky experience. (Only spooky experience I've had was in the West of Ireland and that was out on the open hillside in broad daylight.) I did once have trouble getting off to sleep in Luipmaldrig, but that was it because it was a completely still, windless night with no noise either from the wind or the burn at the back of the house. Whether camping or bothying, I'm used to being lulled to sleep either by the wind or the sound of running water. Never stayed in Ben Alder cottage though.

[Mal Grey]

They can all feel slightly spooky if you let yourself think that way.

The only weird thing I've had was this. In the private Druim bothy on Knoydart one cold February, my mate and I had come in from the day's walk and were sat by the fire getting warm. When I got up to go out for a call of nature, the door was bolted from the outside. We'd been sat by the window, nobody had walked past. Luckily there was a back door and I could get out and undo it. Still don't know what happened, it was properly slid across, not just a little bit which might have happened when the door slammed.

Sat back down by the fire, neither of us saying anything. 20 minutes later Steve piped up. "You wouldn't want to do this on your own, would you?!"

[Blacktattoo]

Had the pleasure of an overnight stay in Ben alder cottage.

Lovely bothy, was in great condition last summer.

Woke up at 2am, loud old fashioned music playing in the room next door. Could hear shuffling like someone was having a party and dancing and jumping around. Headed outside for a leak, the room was empty. I’ll never return.

Going to glenspean next...

[walkingpoles]

Woke up at 2am, loud old fashioned music playing in the room next door. Could hear shuffling like someone was having a party and dancing and jumping around. Headed outside for a leak, the room was empty. I’ll never return.

Happy ghosts are good ghosts. No worries.

[Graeme D]

Staoineag. Spent two consecutive nights there a few years back, the first on my own, the second night with a family in the other room. No unexplained noises or supernatural happenings, just a general feeling of remote spookiness about the place. Absolutely loved it though! Have spent numerous solo bothy nights in various establishments and never felt spooked about it in any way but know quite a few people who say they would never bothy on their own.

[walkingpoles]

I remember now. There was singing and guitar music at night in the asbesthos bothy at ben alder. But I didn't go to check whether the room was empty.

There was an interview published yesterday with Ms Revol who barely survived a Nanga Parpat expedition (her climbing partner didn't). She told of a hallucination during which she was offered tea by some people and she gave them a shoe in return. She now risks having her foot amputated due to frostbite.

For a couple of seconds I saw a pineapple on a 4800m peak, which turned out to be a fancy hat of a fellow climber. Glad I wasn't alone up there.

And I inadvertedly scared some fellow hikers when turning up in a tiny remote hut in bad weather quite late after nightfall to claim the last bed

[John Doh]

Spookiest place I've seen is Windhouse on Yell, Shetland. It's reputedly haunted by various ghosts. It even looks spooky on a sunny August day in 2010. Ok, it's not a bothy but there's a campsite nearby, if I am not mistaken. Dare to go there?

[Graeme D]

Dare to go there?

Bring it on!

[IreneM]

I'll second Sunset Tripper's vote for the Tarf Hotel!

After a solo wander up Carn a'Chlamain, I thought I'd enjoy a walk down the back of the hill to the Tarf Hotel then do the circuit back to Glen Tilt......

Walking down towards the Bothy, l was CONVINCED there was someone walking very close behind me, but there was no-one to be seen!

Got to the bothy and it felt like there was someone inside. I looked through all the windows, called hiya, cooee etc - again absolutely no-one there, but I knew that there was someone / something quite menacing inside! I simply could not open that door!

Never moved so fast down the glen and back to the Tilt!

Probably spooked myself because I was on my own ......but it's never happened on any other solo walks!

[Sunset tripper]

I stayed at the Tarf Hotel with a pal. I think it was just over 3 years ago in November. We got a fire going and drank quite a lot of whisky and rum. We were in the small room to the right as you go in the main door (The one with the AA sign). I was sleeping on the wooden platform nearest the window and woke up freezing cold even though the fire was still going. I thought some one was at the window. My pal was still sleeping and I got up out of my sleeping bag I reckon still a bit drunk. I needed to go outside. When I returned to the bothy at the front door I got an overwhelming feeling of dread. It was a feeling I've never had before or since - not like the heebie jeebies I have had on the odd occasion in the past with alcohol .
Anyway I fumbled my way back inside in the dark and hid in my sleeping bag until daylight sleeping restlessly.
Anyway it was all totally irrational. In the morning I went into the big room where the log book was and there was some info about the bothy and some lunatic who had stayed there many years ago, I can't remember the story exactly.
I don't believe in ghosts and to be honest nothing really happened so I put it all down to alcohol.

I can't see me ever going back though.

PS I have a solo trip planned for quite soon with a loose plan to stay at Ben Alder cottage and Staoineag.
I had heard aboot Ben Alder cottage before but now Graeme D is saying Staoineag was spooky too

Wish me luck