Shelters at the Edge of the Map

How rugged shelters known at bothies challenge prevailing ideas about luxury, ownership, and retreat.

Inshriach Bothy, photo by Andrew Ridley.

The bothy is a distinctly Highlander concept, based in necessity and resilience. Historically, bothies were basic shelters used by farmers, laborers, and itinerant shepherds in remote parts of Scotland, northern England, and Wales. Built with local stone and positioned in isolated landscapes, these modest structures offered rudimentary protection from the elements. They were never intended for comfort, often lacking windows, insulation, or furniture, and yet they served as lifelines in unforgiving terrain.

A vintage interior of a gardener’s bothy in the Audley End Gardens, photo by Geni.