Some important basic information about Culra Bothy:
Johnny beside Culra Bothy in May, 2006
The use of Culra Bothy is free and open to all
There is no charge for the use of Culra Bothy. The Bothy is provided by courtesy of The Ben Alder Estate and through the support and management of the Mountain Bothies Association. Large groups are not encouraged to use Culra Bothy. Culra is already very heavily used by individual users as Culra is on the path of several popular cross-Scotland routes, and so its use by groups automatically excludes them. Groups planning to use the Bothy should notify the Bothies Association, so that the planned visit can be placed on the MBA website and so other visitors then realise that the Bothy will be heavily used. You may also be informed that another large group is planning to use the Bothy at the same time as you.
Special enquiries especially during the stalking season from 15 August to 20 October, and during culling from 21 October to 15 February may be directed to Ian Crichton, the Chief Stalker for the Ben Alder Estate, at 01540672 000. The Ben Alder Estate has always been very co-operative and helpful to the MBA and to walkers using their land generally. Please don't do anything to ruin the great relationship that has been built up over the years.
The costs involved in maintaining the bothies throughout the UK are considerable and so your support in joining the MBA and the financial assistance this provides would be greatly appreciated. Click here to go to the membership page of the MBA.
The bothy is very basic but clean, comfortable, wind and water tight and has a warm welcoming atmosphere about it. It has three separate rooms and is really three bothies in one with sleeping facilities and a place to cook in all three rooms. There is a fireplace in the main Common Room in the southwest corner, but the stove doesn't throw out much heat unless the stove doors are opened, and opening them fills the room with smoke. It is hoped to replace this stove in the near future. The open fire in the small dorm has been closed off as it was the cause of numerous problems and was a high fire risk. There is no wood near the bothy unless you're lucky enough to find some bog pine out on the moors (it IS there if you look for it although it is now very difficult to find near the Bothy). Quite a lot of people bring in coal, charcoal or coke for the fire. The stove in the common room is not designed for cooking on even if you provide your own fuel, and this means you need to bring in your own cooker.
Nothing is supplied.
Everything you need to eat and drink needs to be taken in as well as matches, candles, cooking fuel, etc. There are sleeping platforms but no mattresses nor bedding. There is no heating fuel supplied although a bow saw and an axe are provided for turning the bog pine into firewood. A spade is provided for digging a hole in the hill above the Bothy when you go to the toilet. NOTHING else is provided.
Please remember to leave the bothy clean and tidy.
Sweep out the area of the bothy you have been using. Brushes and dustpans are provided. Take any outside rubbish with you too. Leave the bothy the way you would like to find it yourself after a long day on the hills.
PLEASE take your rubbish out.
If you don't take your rubbish out, then we have to take it out on our backs ourselves. There's no one else to do it. No fun! Burn any flammable rubbish, but take out everything else. Bottles and tins give us a lot of problems. Do not leave any perishable food or food not in bottles or tins in the bothy as it may rot and attract vermin which can cause a lot of damage.
There are sleeping platforms and decks for thermo-rests to get you off the floor and away from draughts. There is room for a maximum of 26 people using all three parts of the building. Be prepared to camp or to sleep on the floors as the Bothy is sometimes very crowded. The midges and clegs can be fierce from July onwards. There is no toilet but there's the standard spade for you to use to dig your own personal hole in the peat bog up above the bothy and then to cover it up again.
But basically one needs to bring in everything you will need for your stay there - the bothy is for shelter and protection only.
We hope that you enjoy your stay in Culra and that you have a great time there. Let us know if you have any questions and we'll try to answer them. If you do e-mail:
We love it!!
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