Mountain Bothies Association

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The Mountain Bothies Association (MBA) is a Scottish registered charity.^[1] It looks after 104 bothies and two emergency mountain shelters (not to be mistaken for or confused with a mountain hut, as the Fords of Avon and Garbh Choire refuges are little more than a heavily weather protected shed).^[2] Of these, only two bothies (Over Phawhope and Glen Pean) are owned by the charity. The remainder are maintained with the agreement and encouragement of the owners. The majority are in Scotland with the remainder in Wales and Northern England.^[3] These may be stayed in without charge.^[4]

The object of the charity is to maintain simple shelters in remote country for the use and benefit of all who love wild and lonely places.^[1] All maintenance work is financed from the MBA's own resources, mainly membership subscriptions supplemented by donations from benefactors, some of whom wish to commemorate a relative or friend who was a hillwalker or climber.^[5]

Bothies sometimes have an outside toilet but the majority do not. When this is not the case a toilet spade and guidance as to the appropriate disposal of toilet waste are provided within the bothy. Raised platforms or bunks may have been installed for sleeping, but this is not always the case. The floor, particularly an attic floor, may also be suitable to sleep on with the aid of a sleeping pad. Visitors are expected to stay for no more than a night or two before moving on.^[6] Groups of six or more and commercial groups are not allowed.^[7]