Wild camping and bothies
Where a night out is allowed, how to leave no trace, and how bothies work.
A night out lets you reach hills too far for a day, and see them at their best. Where you can do it depends on the country.
Where wild camping is allowed
- Scotland: lightweight camping is part of the right of responsible access. That means small numbers, two or three nights in one place at most, away from buildings, roads and enclosed fields. Around Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, byelaws need a permit to camp in set zones from March to September.
- England and Wales: there is no general right to camp; you need the landowner's permission. Discreet, high-level camping by walkers is widely tolerated in the Lake District and some other mountain areas, but it is a tolerance, not a right. Parts of Dartmoor allow backpack camping in mapped areas.
- Northern Ireland: ask permission. Some forests and the Mournes have places where it is accepted.
Leave no trace
- Arrive late, leave early, and pitch well away from paths, houses and water people drink from.
- Use a stove, not a fire. Fires scar the ground and start wildfires, and peat burns underground for days.
- Go to the toilet at least 30 m from water, bury it in a small hole, and carry out paper and wipes.
- Carry out all litter and food scraps. If you find other people's, take that too.
- Move on after a night or two so the ground recovers.
Bothies
A bothy is a simple, unlocked shelter in a remote place, free to use and usually cared for by volunteers. Expect four walls, a sleeping platform and perhaps a fireplace. There is no booking, no water on tap and no toilet, and you may be sharing.
The Bothy Code, from the Mountain Bothies Association, asks you to respect:
- other users: make room for whoever turns up, and leave it tidy with dry kindling for the next person;
- the bothy: tell the association of any damage, and take out all your rubbish;
- the surroundings: use the spade, well away from the bothy and from water, and never cut live wood;
- the agreement with the estate: some bothies close during stalking or lambing, so check first;
- the limit on numbers: bothies are not for large groups or commercial trips.
Always carry a tent or bivvy bag in case the bothy is full or shut. See bothies on a map, each with the walks and hills around it.
General guidance from the TRXO team, last read through on . It is no substitute for training or for your own judgement on the day.