Hashtag "bothylife" is on the rise. It has been for the last 4-5 years as far as I can see, at least on social media channels that use the now ubiquitous medium of the hashtag. It's signalled the rapid dissemination of both the locations of bothys and their accessibility from a point of view of "this is actually a thing we can do" to the general public who may not have previously considers a wee trip outdoors for fear of it being less of a simple undertaking and more akin to some kind of Alpine adventure.
My experience of Bothys had been overwhelmingly positive and has enriched almost all of the tips that I have intentionally made to make use of them. I've also seen conflict. That said, the conflict I have seen has almost always bean over heat, drying and middle aged man getting drunk. occasionally too, the odd ganging of "yoots" has invaded (or already been in residence when arriving) adding a sometime funny and sometimes hyper-tense mood to the affair.
In the days of social media however, where people would never say things to your face that they would online, one act of well-meaning spreading of the bothy-life has triggered a response like no other. I am speaking of course of "The Scottish Bothy Bible" by Geoff Allan.
I have my own opinions about this book. To be honest, I didn't really care or consider the further implications and to further say, I still actually don't know that it's responsible for anything particularly bad in context (though others disagree) Can I say that definitively? No, but short of wrecking a hut and burning it down and leaving a charred copy of this book as evidence with a note that reads "I did this because of this book" I don't know how you'd quantify such an accusation.
Anyway, I don't have a particularly complex opinion on this book, so I just thought I'd ask others and give my thoughts on their opinions. I canvassed some popular places online and asked the following question:
"Hi, without getting to far into the weeds, Whats your honest opinion of this book? (above Bothy Bible pictured in context) I’m looking into writing some pieces on who “owns” the outdoors and this book certainly divides opinion on how bothies are perceived and used by the general public. It also provokes passionate responses from the more “experienced” user as to who perhaps “should” be using them. Thanks."
I got almost 50 replies over a range of opinions, so I've picked the stand out few that I can offer my own opinion or agreement with in context. They are the original words and have not beed abridged. They are the opinions of real users and people who have publicly quoted the following bites. Out of respect for thier honesty I won't give thier names. So what does a representative cross section of our bothy using public think of Geoff Allan's book and what do they tell us about who "owns" the outdoors?
Lets go...
CONTRIBUTOR QUOTE: "I wish it had never been published. It sits as a reminder of all the bothies I won't be using again because they're just too busy."
I don't know how you would quantify this to be honest? I've been to bothys on certain nights of the week to find them empty and then a different result at a different date and location. To imaging less accessible bothys would be busy on the particular day of your planned trip because of a book is (imo) a bit of a stretch? I get it with more accessible sites but they are generally known to people as just that "accessible" this person does point out that he may be referring to only a few sites to be fair. That said, an experienced person is never going to plan a Friday night at say Ryvoan and expect it to be empty, or even quiet?
My opinion on this would be that anyone that bought this book, is unlikely to venture deep into the real wild places because of what they find in it. Further to that, to notice that Ryvoan or Abyssinia has a few more visitors than normal may be guiding the Lilly a Bit as they can be pretty busy already given the ease of access..
The legal owners of such places have a responsibility to keep these safe and secure given any knowledge they have about the public use of them, so there are consequences for these people if visitor traffic increases.
CONTRIBUTOR QUOTE: I have said book. It's a good starting point for anyone who wants to make a start. As someone who used bothies from around1982, I have found the abuse of them has gotten worse - so fully understand why non-MBA bothies are being kept private.
However it is disappointing in another way as I'd prefer to go on tracks less trodden and know there is a private bothy available. But not being in the know makes it difficult to find such "hidden" gems.
So I'm with this person to a degree. Notice how he does not blame the book for the deterioration he cites as being his experience in what is a 40 year journey through the outdoors. To release information about private places is for me a step to far, but even at that, we don't know what permissions have been given to anyone that discusses locations of places in the wild and it's definitely not against the law to do so. In Scotland of course, it's not even illegal to venture out and responsibly visit these places.
The legal owners of such places have a responsibility to keep these safe and secure given any knowledge they have about the public use of them, so there are consequences for these people if visitor traffic increases. It's not hard to see how a private bothy would eventually become locked or even shut down for good if it was no longer financially viable to keep it open.
The MBA is a charity with passionate members and budgets to maintain and prepare their sites. A private landowner has no incentive to do so and could actually find themselves in hot water should they neglect these places and someone is injured as a result. In the context of what this person calls a "hidden gems" I believe word of mouth is the best overall way to be introduced to these places. It's better for their sustainability.
However Google earth, Strava heat maps and general online chatter has driven the last nail into the coffin of what used to be one of the best kept secrets out there. And yes, a friend and I found if for ourselves through pure detective work.
A quote from another contributor on "private bothys" went like this
CONTRIBUTOR QUOTE: "Check a map for what may be a bothy, contact the Estate and ask.Worst scene scenario is it’s locked and they won’t supply the key. More often if you are reasonable in your approach you get a favourable response. Of course many private bothies are left open and Estate will confirm so and any restrictions. In summary find and ask. Worked for me"
In my opinion, a very simple, respectful and ultimately helpful approach. Contacting estates and landowners is daunting at fort but ultimately the more you do it, the easier it gets. You might even start to build rapport with individuals that can help and advise you in ways you didn't consider.
CONTRIBUTOR QUOTE: "Whether this book or any other makes bothying any different will always for some reason be a debate, but one thing I have found is I wish they were around years ago, as I never even knew of bothies as I lived in Ireland, it took a Scottish pal to take me to one when doing the Munros many years ago, It has changed my life and has eventually lead to me living here and becoming a MO, The amount on the internet, You Tube etc about bothies was there long before the recent publications, so to blame any book for what is going on good or bad is unreasonable to assume, but any book is a starting point for those who do not know about them, and a good way for those who cannot get to them, medically or age can still dream of getting to the hills for a night in a shelter."
An inspirational tale surely? I think a good bothy experience can be literally life changing. Much the same as a good first experience of anything can encourage further participation. I do know a lot of people that think bothys are always locked or are reserved for those of us "in the know" This is quite off-putting and can keep people at arms length.
Yes, it can be argued that one should research thier journeys and destinations before travelling nd I'm 100% behind that and advocate for it in my professional life too. But the starting notion that you are excluded from a certain type of knowledge can be enough to put some people off actually going any further.
The statement: "to blame any book for what is going on good or bad is unreasonable to assume" is on point too unless there's a tangible accumulation of evidence to suggest it. Again, citing that the internet has been around long enough to do more damage than the dying medium of print is a theme now the initial indignation of this book has died down.
Ryovan Bothy is a prime candidate for being occupied by a huge range of different user groups all year round. Perhaps one of the bothys most at risk from the type of abuses we all fear? Both actual and imagined.
I have personally found that pigeon holing outdoor user groups is the fastest way to breed contempt between them, making it easy to blame by people by "otherising" them because they may not fit your own particular idea of perfect is a bit pathetic.
Which brings us nicely onto...
CONTRIBUTOR QUOTE: "Bothies have never been the same. Information for Bikes, Car parks has led to all & sundry accessing shelters. Vandalism, Lack of Bothy etiquette, no regard for others."
CONTRIBUTOR QUOTE: "The whole ethos is changing & not for the better. There will come a day when Bothies will be locked and/or destroyed."
"never been the same" Really? Now come on, can we really make such a blanket statement of this. Wether people use boots, bikes, horses or water craft to reach bothies does not speak to their potential behaviour. To suggest so come with a huge dose of ignorance. If someone is going to wreck a bothy, be rude or cause nuisance, they don't do it because they are a mountain biker (for instance) they do it because they are an asshole. That asshole just happens to be riding a bike and is most likely an asshole in their car, at work and at home. I have personally found that pigeon holing outdoor user groups is the fastest way to breed contempt between them, making it easy to blame by people by "otherising" them because they may not fit your own particular idea of perfect is a bit pathetic and objectively does not hold up to scrutiny.
CONTRIBUTOR QUOTE: "The tears and tantrums from certain posters on bothy pages over this book gave off very heavy vibes of "it's ma' baw, nobody else is playing with it". One guy in particular was utterly obsessed with it and it's author to the extent he should probably have sought professional help.
As to the gate keeping politics I think that's an appalling way to behave. This publication should instead be used as a tool to reach out to new users and educate them."
Coire Fionnaraich Bothy (Coulags Bothy) is widely used by both walkers and mountain bikers. When this photo was taken a few of the windows were smashed. The mind boggles at how this happens out here. Presumably by way of the kinds of parties I'm never invited to?
CONTRIBUTOR QUOTE: "Im so sad that this author chose to make money for himself whilst ruining this potentially joyous activity for others. Using a bothy as a place of rest whilst immersing yourself in nature is for everyone but my dog has rolled in so much human shit recently that i no longer use bothy’s unless they are really remote.
Last time i stayed in Bob Scotts two girls from Glasgow were watching an iPad , smoking weed INSIDE the bothy with a barking dog that didn’t like people. I also had to carry a bin bag of crap 15 miles once from a bothy.
I doubt any of these folk are mba members. It makes me really sad that there is no connection with protecting the natural beauty we seek."
Whilst I couldn't speak (and won't speak) to the motivations of Geoff Allan, I doubt he wrote it for free, this much is probably true. And whilst theres not a lot of money in low level publishing, yes, any normal appraisal (without citation) would be forgiven for assuming profit.
But I fully empathise with the majority of this opinion. Human waste and rubbish is on the increase in our beautiful spaces. Wether that be the annoying food wrappers and beer cans we find in bothys or the full-on camping bundles and tents we find strewn across the land, it's utterly contemptible and unacceptable.
One of my biggest annoyances in the outdoors is actually dogs in general. Not dogs so much as they are can be a product of their upbringing and I do like dogs in general. But the owners that don't understand their duty of care under SOAC is rising as folk venture further. Also "lockdown does" are clearly a problem, where people bought dogs with no real long term plan to care for it in the long term. Dogs that are not able to be controlled and are off the lease in shared spaces is just not cool and if you can't control the general behaviour of your dog, it should not be around others. In my opinion it's not ok. (breaths out...)
Like I've said before, user groups cannot be lumped together. They are a collection of individuals that make up a certain stereotype. But in there, you will find assholes.
CONTRIBUTOR QUOTE: "It’s a fucking disgrace. That’s what it is. Geoff Allan is a charlatan who was quite rightly dismissed from his prostitution as a maintenance organiser within the organisation. it's directly responsible for the closures of peanmeanach and an Cladach"
My favourite and the one I'm going to end with. It's just a bit pathetic right? Geoff Allan does not own the outdoors, or bothys by extension and doesn't claim to as far as I can see? I was actually pleasantly surprised to see that the overwhelming majority of responses to my question were positive and folk really like this book for what it is on the face of it. A beautifully illustrated, well presented book on a cultural phenomenon that is intrinsically attached to Scotlands outdoors.
There were a few disparaging comments, but this one took me aback a little. With it's un-cited accusations, it's profanity and the assertion of it all as a matter of fact, we (most likely) can see through this simple comment and expose the type of individual attitude that made me write these blogs on ownership. He's the guy who wants it all for himself and people he approves of. Who can access these places on his terms. Who has an opinion on what is right and what is wrong on no uncertain terms. A traditionalist? a contributor to a culture that must under no circumstances change or be introduced in any capacity to people that do not conform to the circumstances he approves of or rules that he has set. Like I've said before, user groups cannot be lumped together. They are a collection of individuals that make up a certain stereotype. But in there, you will find assholes.
My own opinion in brief:
I actually just bought the book because I like bothys. I have used them for years, perhaps 3-4 times a year on average. I've biked in, hiked in and had all kinds of experiences when I'm in them. It's a fairly niche "sport" to be fair and a very nicely produced reference to these things is not produced regularly (or very well) so to have it on the coffee table is a wee treat.
My thoughts did wander to wether it would "boost" the use of bothys and I think it would be ignorant to imagine that it has had no effect, but perhaps not for the reasons we may immediately think. It's my opinion that the books profile was almost single-handedly boosted by the very people that would have it burned. The unfounded accusations, personal beefs and imagined consequences were all self fulfilling prophecies brought on by the (sometimes faux) indignation of the gatekeepers of this culture. For sure, we need rules in the outdoors. For safety, sustainability and accessibility. But we must differentiate between rules and how we can stretch them to accommodate all users and the perceived "rules" dictated by the people that claim ownership in the face of thier unassailable and incontrovertible opinions.
A helpful foreword in any outdoor book?: Don't be a dick...
See you out there.
Allan
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