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Start with the Timetable, Not the Map

Most people plan a bothy trip the wrong way round. They pick a bothy on the map, then wonder how on earth to get there. Do it the other way and the whole thing becomes far simpler: find a place where a train or bus will put you down close to a hill, then look for a bothy within walking distance of that stop. Scotland is unusually generous here. There are stations in the middle of Rannoch Moor, villages served by a handful of daily buses, and long-distance coach stops that sit within a few miles of some excellent bothies.

Doing it without a car isn't just greener — it often makes for a better trip. You start walking from the moment you step off, there's no vehicle to worry about, and you can plan a linear route rather than a loop. But it does demand a bit more homework, because a missed connection in the Highlands isn't a minor inconvenience; it can mean a long walk in the dark or a night in a bus shelter.

Getting There: Trains and Rural Buses

Check timetables on the operator's own site rather than a journey planner, which often misses rural connections. A few things worth knowing before you commit:

• Request stops are real. On some Highland lines you must tell the conductor you want to get off, and signal clearly to the driver if you're boarding at an unstaffed halt. It sounds quaint until you sail past your stop.
• Sunday services are sparse and can vanish entirely in winter. If your trip relies on a Sunday bus, have a Plan B.
• Timetables change in late spring and late autumn. A service that ran daily in July may drop to one or two days a week in October.
• Bikes need booking on most trains and coaches, and space is often just two or three slots per service. Reserve when you buy your ticket.
• Split your tickets. Buying a ticket to a major interchange and then a separate one onward is sometimes cheaper than a through fare — worth a quick check.

Outbound, aim to arrive early in the day. That gives you slack if a connection fails and means you reach the bothy well before dark, which matters far more than most people expect.

Planning the Walk-In

Assume the walk in will take longer than the map suggests. A four-mile approach on a track with a full pack is roughly two hours; the same distance over bog, tussocks and a river crossing can easily double. Add time for poor visibility and for the fact that you're carrying more weight than on a day hill.

Work out the following before you go:

• Where you'll cross water. Burns that are ankle-deep in a dry spell can be impassable after heavy rain. Know your alternative.
• Where the escape routes are. If the weather turns, is there a lower-level way out to a road or a station?
• Whether the bothy is likely to be busy. Popular ones near easy approaches fill up on Easter and summer weekends. Have a tent as backup — many walkers do.
• Your turnaround time. Decide in advance at what hour you'll abandon the bothy and pitch a tent instead.

What to Carry for an Overnight

Bothy trips sit between day walking and backpacking. You need more than a day sack, less than an expedition. The essentials:

• A three-season sleeping bag and a decent mat. Bothy floors are wooden or stone and pull heat out of you fast.
• A stove and fuel. Buy canisters in the last town you pass through — many rural shops stock them, but don't count on it.
• A headtorch with spare batteries. You'll use it more than you think.
• Water treatment. Filter or tablets, plus a way to carry at least two litres.
• A midge head net and repellent from late May to September. This is not optional.
• A trowel and bags. You'll bury what needs burying and carry out everything else, including used canisters.
• Spare warm layers and a dry bag for your sleeping bag. Bothies are cold and often damp.

Bothy Etiquette and Staying Safe

Bothies are free, unlocked and maintained by volunteers. The unwritten rule is simple: leave it better than you found it. Sweep the floor, stack any spare fuel or kindling tidily for the next person, and shut the door firmly when you leave. Burn only dead wood from the floor, never standing timber, and check whether fires are permitted at that particular bothy. If it's full when you arrive, share the space, keep the noise down, and make room for anyone who turns up after you.

On safety, treat a bothy as you would any hill day. Leave a route card with someone at home, including your expected return and the bus or train you intend to catch. Mobile signal is patchy to non-existent in most glens; carry a map and compass and know how to use them. In winter, bothies offer shelter but no heating, no warden and no phone.

Coming Back Out

The return leg is where public transport trips quietly fall apart. Plan backwards from the last service, not forwards from your breakfast. If the last bus leaves at half three, you want to be on the road by two, which means leaving the bothy at noon. Set an alarm.

Give yourself a buffer of at least an hour on the way out, and check for any engineering works or timetable changes the day before you travel. Then all that's left is to walk out, catch your connection, and start thinking about the next one.