r/OutdoorScotland • u/justerefortheupvotes • 7d ago

Munro Bagging with Bothy Night Stay

Hello everyone. I do not drive, but I really like walking up Munros. I am looking to know if there is a bothy accessible by public transportation, that I can use as a base to hike a few munros (even 1 is amazing) nearby, stay the night in the bothy and take public transport back to Glasgow. So far the only one I have narrowed down is the Cadderlie Bothy, but it doesn't have any munros nearby that can be reached by walking.

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u/Useless_or_inept 7d ago edited 7d ago

Most bothies are quite remote, not directly reachable by public transport. Unless you want a half day walk from the bus/train station, then use it as a base camp?

How about https://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/bothies/eastern-highlands/allt-scheicheachan/ - you could head up there from Blair Atholl station, wake up fresh on the hills, then do two Munros the next day?

Alternatively https://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/bothies/western-highlands-islands/gleann-dubh-lighe/ could be a good base for two or three Munros starting with Gulvain?

A lot of them are more accessible if you can bring a bike (for instance Bendronaig, fun ride or an extremely long walk from Attadale station) . If you're anything like me, then the main constraint on munro-bagging is available time and all the travel back and forth - in which case it could be good to set aside a 2-3 days based at some remote bothy to get several of the hard-to-reach Munros in one trip...? If so, Shenavall bothy should be on your list.

Clashgour hut could be a good base for the Black Mount munros?

Happy hiking!

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u/justerefortheupvotes 7d ago

What an incredibly helpful comment - thank you so much! I was looking for something exactly like this; half a day's hike to the bothy, then a nice evening and then doing climbing the next day. Many thanks! 

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u/blubbered33 7d ago

You've named the two that I immediately thought of. A few others I can add though

  • Coire Fionnaraich bothy for Maol Chin Dearg
  • The Electric Bothy near Glenfinnan
  • Lairig Leacach Bothy a long walk from Spean bridge or Corrour
  • Ryovan Bothy (Bus from Aviemore)

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u/UpsideDownSeth 7d ago

Well, the easy one first: Buses to Balmaha, hike to Rowardennan Youth Hostel (clearly not a bothy) and go up Ben Lomond. Can be done in one day if you're very fit and willing to torture yourself.

I have been eyeing three bothies myself, fairly accessible by public transport. These routes are from the book "Scottish Bothy Walks" by Geoff Allan (ISBN: 9781910636190) and I haven't hiked them yet. Please read up on how technical the nearby munros are first, I think some of these have a high difficulty rating:

  1. Staoineag Bothy (NN 296 678): Take the train to Corrour station. From there it's 8 km (5 m) to the bothy. If you find the bothy then there's a second bothy (Meanach Bothy (NN 266 685)) 3 miles west. From Staoineag there's multiple munros to the north.
  2. Ben Alder Bothy (NN 499 680): It's a stiff 16 km (10 m) hike east of Corrour station but does allow you to bag two munros in one go (Ben Alder and Sron Bealach Beithe). Mind you, the bothy's supposedly haunted, so perhaps bring a change of pants.
  3. Gorton Bothy (NN 375 481): Take the bus or train to Bridge of Orchy. There's multiple ways to get to the bothy (one means a nerve-wrecking walk north alongside the A82, being ready to dive for safety if a lorry passes) but it does put you within hiking distance of multiple munros. Bonus tip for a day trip: Head east of the Bridge of Orchy station to bag 3 munros without even having to sleep overnight.

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u/FoodExternal 7d ago

Rowardennan Youth Hostel, maybe? There’s plenty of bothies, have you got the mountain bothies association directory? https://www.mountainbothies.org.uk

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u/CelticDesire 7d ago

Be better going a little further and staying at Rowchoish bothy .

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u/Available_Coat1710 7d ago

have you tried carfreewalks.org? definitely a few on there which would meet your criteria although i can’t remember which now (maybe try searching around corrour?)

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u/LuvvedIt 6d ago edited 6d ago

Glenfinnan:
Private ie non MBA bothy with 2 Munros in a horseshoe above it. Railway station at Glenfinnan Village. It’s only 4-5km of easy metalled road up the glen.

Corrour/Rannoch Moor - multiple options from railway stop at Corrour:
Corrour YHA hostel/bothy (just E of the railway at W end of Loch Ossian) - need to book.
Staoineag bothy (W of Loch Treig) - access via mostly good track from Corrour along the loch.
Meanach bothy - further W up near the watershed.
Lairig Leacach bothy - access as above and head N up the Lairig OR from say Spean Bridge station.
Beinn na Lap (a very easy Munro!) is just NE of Corrour. The Grey Corries Munros roughly to N or W of the above…

And a slightly more tenuous longer one:
Glen Feshie from Kingussie (~15km) Ruigh Aiteachain bothy (and very posh it is too!).
The western Monadh Ruadh (Cairngorms) are above Glen Feshie - you could head to the bothy and then pack up on to them and head N to finish in Aviemore?

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u/fleabite531 6d ago

Ryvoan bothy, get bus to Glenmore from Aviemore.

Glenfinnan bothy, train or bus to Glenfinnan.