The Bothies
All 3 of our tiny houses offer different features and layouts.
They have been built with care and equipped to be environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Guilt-free glamping!
Gallery
Take a look inside our beautiful Bothies, full of handcrafted wee touches for a comfortable and relaxing stay. Cosy up by the stove, or use your outside space - the 'sitooterie'
We provide books and binoculars, individual fire pits you can also BBQ and cook on, and there's a glorious (shared) wood-fired bath tub for an unforgettable soak under the stars!
Each bothy has its own festival trolley to save you carrying your luggage, fetching firewood, or even ferrying tired wee ones about the village during your stay. Great for carrying kit and picnics down to the loch. We'd love to see pictures of how you use yours, and post them on our Insta page, @backtrackbothies
There is a wee 'step up' to get into each Bothy, and two shallow steps to the bath area. Other than that, the Bothies are arranged at the bottom, middle and top of a sloping access track.
We are deep in MacDonald country, and steeped in Jacobite history. MacDonald of Clanranald, MacDonald of Keppoch and Macdonald of Glenaladale all 'came out' in the 1745 Jacobite Rising to support Bonnie Prince Charlie, so our Bothies are named Clanranald, Keppoch and Glenaladale in their honour.
Glenaladale land extends into Glenfinnan, and Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed at Glenaladale the night before he was rowed up Loch Shiel to raise the standard here.
'We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do' - Barbara Ward
Clanranald
Clanranald can sleep two adults together and one child/teen/small adult (in one double and in one single 'Bothy Platform').
The Bothy Platform is a wee hidey-hole with an ex-Dutch army inflatable camping mat and a recycled plastic sleeping bag from Scottish company Vango, plus the same comfy pillows as the beds.
There are fun switches to flick on and off, books, and a wee box of treasure to rifle through. It also binoculars and a great view on to the Back Track and mountains beyond. Perfect for younger guests.
Clanranald is the closest Bothy to the Back Track, so it is very handy for folk not able to walk too far.
Like all 3 Bothies, Clanranald has a wood burning stove, with wood or heat logs (depending on season) provided on site for you to use. For instant heat, each Bothy has a wall heater powered by our renewable electricity.
There are also heat logs for our outdoor bath (stored beside the bath), which is big enough for two. It takes around 20 mins to fill and then about 120-180 minutes to be ready for bathing, so patience is needed as it is a slow, mindful activity.
Keppoch
Keppoch is the middle of our 3 Bothies. It sleeps up to 4 in two double beds. Like all of our Bothies, Keppoch has a bathroom with a composting toilet, handbasin and roomy shower area with a Grohe shower. Our shower trays are made locally in aluminium to our design to be more sustainable - to reduce plastic use, and to last longer.
We provide bamboo/bamboo-cotton mix towels (bath towel and hair/hand towel) which are naturally hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, antibacterial and undyed. They are also very absorbent and soft.
Even our oven gloves and tea towels are Fairtrade, and we provide solid soap and dish washing brushes to be more eco-friendly. There is also eco-friendly washing-up liquid if you prefer.
Glenaladale
Our third Bothy, Glenaladale, is at the top of the site, nestling in the woodland. Glenaladale also offers flexible sleeping possibilities for up to 4, with two double beds.
Like all 3 Bothies, Glenaladale has kitchenalia which has been chosen to be environmentally-friendly. Glasses are made from recycled glass or from metal, to be long-lasting ('buy once' ethos). The bamboo beakers and enamelware plates, mugs, bowls and utensils are an environmental measure to save on breakage and replacement.
All our electrical appliances have been selected for their low energy ratings, simple design and durability. For example, our eco kettles will keep boiled water warm, cutting down on the need to re-boil when you fancy a second cup.
Relax...
Each bothy has its own en-suite bathroom with a 'composting' no-flush loo to be eco-friendly, a Grohe shower and wooden hand basin, plus plenty of hot water heated by renewable, clean electricity, perfect at the end of a day's exploring.
We provide eco-friendly hand wash and Vegan-friendly soaps from Scottish soap makers, most with organic ingredients.
There's a toasty craftsman-made log burner for cosy nights in, with a dram or a book to hand.
We leave a selection of books plus a pair of binoculars in each Bothy, for those chill-out days. Switch off and kick back.
NB: The shared outdoor bath is available for guests all year, but please note in below zero temperatures the water supply can freeze. We will always try our best to thaw it out and have it working for you!
Re-fuel...
Would you like local craft ales and nibbles, or some marshmallows and a loan of toasting forks for the kids? Just ask and we will put something together for you. We can source food from local producers to cook in your wee kitchen.
How about a chilled snack, maybe a couple of local craft ales from the Glen Spean brewery with a plate of Great Glen Charcuterie venison salami and venison chorizo with oatcakes? There is also a double hob, microwave, toaster and eco-kettle in each bothy.
Or cook local steaks and pork from Lochaber Larder outside on your combined BBQ/firepit and sit around as the sun goes down, plotting your next adventure.
Sleep well...
Our sheets, pillowcases and duvert covers are by Nour Luxury (butter-soft ethical, Fairtrade, natural, sustainable bedding, with no harmful chemicals). We also have mattress protectors and pillow protectors by other Oekotex-certified and organic/Fairtrade brands. None of our bed linen or towels are chemically dyed or bleached.
The mattresses feature recycled materials including the filling and a washable cover made from ocean plastic waste (SEAQUAL), to give you a comfortable, guilt-free night's sleep.
Our duvets and pillows are all made from recycled plastic bottles. The sleeping bags on the Bothy Platform in Clanranald are either made from recycled plastic (by Scottish company Vango) or organic cotton (by Anorak).
Bothy Build
Craftsman built by hand, using local materials, for low environmental impact
Our Bothies opened in April 2022. They were built from Douglas Fir by Norman of Clark Pods, in a project lasting 2.5 years, with logs he sourced from Moray and cut on his mobile sawmill. Every door and window was also hand-made by Norman.
He also built the reed bed and put in all the drainage and water connections. His workshop is just 20 minutes from the Bothies.
Our family have been very hands-on during the build, cutting sheep wool insulation squares, digging ditches, hefting stones, shovelling gravel, and helping install the turf roofs. The Back Track Bothies build team ranged in age from 14 to 93! Everyone in the family has played a part.
All the metalwork in the Bothies is by Michael at G Welding in nearby Fort William, and a family member, to our own design.
The large stones were dug up on site during groundworks, and the hardcore and gravel are all from the quarry at Banavie, Fort William.
Chris the electrician from EVR Electrical, based in nearby Spean Bridge, has patiently installed every socket, light and piece of conduit in each Bothy.
We are grateful to each and every one of them for helping us along the way.
Any questions? Contact us
E-mail: backtrackbothies@gmail.com
Address: Glenfinnan, Highland, PH37 4LT
Stay healthy
Our cleaning procedures and Covid policy
Cleaning procedures are always important to guests, but today, as we learn to live with Covid, they are even more important.
We use environmentally-friendly cleaning products, sanitiser, soaps and hand wash at the Bothies, and have checked with the manufacturers to ensure these are effective against Covid for guests' protection.
We follow the Association of Scottish Self-Caterers' cleaning guidelines, so that guests know we are cleaning effectively after every stay, for their peace of mind.
- Wearing gloves and a mask to clean
- Ventilating the cabin (ie. windows wide open) whilst cleaning
- 'Wall to wall' cleaning to ensure no area is missed
- Sanitising of frequent touch points (ie. light switches)
- Using separate cloths for each cabin
- Providing cleaning products and hand wash for guests in every Bothy
- All crockery, cutlery and glassware will be washed in hot, soapy water
- Washing our hands in between cleaning each Bothy
- If a guest becomes ill during their stay, they should immediately self-isolate and book a PCR test online through NHS inform (Google nhsinform.scot, or call 119 and follow the latest advice), Guests should not self-isolate at the Bothies.
- Health centre: the local health centre is in Fort William, just off the A830 opposite = Lochaber High School, tel: 01397-703773.
- General hospital: Belford Hospital (also has an A&E department) on Belford Road, opposite the train station, tel: 01397-702481.
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©Pics by Iain Ferguson at https://albaphotos.smugmug.com/