Bothy

These, such as Bothan Eòrapaidh, were used until recent years as gathering points for local men and were often situated in an old hut or caravan.

Suggestions include a relation to both "hut" as in Irish bothán and Scottish Gaelic bothan or bothag;[2] a corruption of the Welsh term bwthyn, also meaning small cottage; and a derivation from Norse būð, cognate with English booth with a diminutive ending.

[citation needed] Most bothies are ruined buildings which have been restored to a basic standard, providing a windproof and watertight shelter.

They usually have designated sleeping areas, which commonly are either an upstairs room or a raised platform, thus allowing one to keep clear of cold air and draughts at floor height.

[9] At the other end of the scale was “The Royal Bothy” at Frogmore (near Windsor castle) with accommodation for 24 gardeners, and of sufficient interest to be listed in Scientific American Building Monthly.

[11] Another ex-bothy resident recalled gardeners arriving with heavy heart, having left home for the first time, but regretful years later on leaving the bothy.

In “A bothy Yuletide”[14] he describes how, despite the necessity for two gardeners to remain on duty over the holiday to bank up the fires, the others accompanied them on their rounds and “the sound of Christmas carols mingled strangely with the rattle of the shovel”.

Bothies are usually owned by the landowner of the estate on which they stand, although the actual owner is rarely involved in any way, other than by permitting their continued existence, and by helping with transport of materials.