UKC

Well if you hadn't guessed there is a group of us going to scotland end of feb for the ice and snow from plymouth and we need somewhere to stay!

Normally we would be happy to camp/bivi however as there is a biggish group of us we thought maybe a camping barn or bothy or some kind of hard shelter with some form of heat ie fire might be fairly good!

Ideally it needs to be:
Cheap (we are poor students)
Fire/warmth device
Near the winter climbing places

Not to worried about runing water and all that jazz although would be a plus!

Cheers y'all!

In reply to nodwas:

There's a pretty good place in Nethy Bridge just north of Aviemore I stayed at with my Uni MC a few years back.

Even had a bar and a pool table = Along with aslightly craaaaazy ex-army office owener...

In reply to nodwas:

try independant hostels of scotland - whole list of camping barns type places, quite reasonable price wise.

in glencoe there used to be a camping barn/bothy and cottage next to red squirrel campsite.

in fortwilliam Alan Kimber often has beds avaialble in his bunkroom.

or there was another excellent bunkhouse halfway between fort william and glencoe but I can't remember (will post if it comes back to me)

best of all if you do remote try mountain bothy association.

In reply to Neil Anderson:

http://www.inchreecentre.co.uk/inchreehostel.htm ?

Don't really think 'biggish group' and 'bothy' are compatible though.

In reply to nodwas:

hello

might be worth looking at cottages - in previous years a group of us has rented a cottage for a week round Spean Bridge way in March, and it's cost us something hilarious like £28 each for the week - cheaper than hostels!

i am staying at lorien cottage at the end of january. found the place from this site:
http://www.nethybridgeaccommodation.co.uk
they seem a bit pricey but if you get enought people together they work out really cheep.

Also in reply to 2pints abernethy bunkhouse: http://www.nethy.org/nethyhouse/home.htm
is an awsome place thought you might be a bit late booking now but the owners are amazing.
though i think there is a minimum mumber of people you have to meet, however it does sleep 86!

hope this helps

In reply to nodwas:

If you are BMC/MCofS members then you could try the Alex McIntyre hut in Onich between Fort Bill and Glencoe. Not sure what availability is like but it's likely to be quiet midweek.

In reply to sausage:

yeh that sounds like the one.

The owner was an absolute living legend (And an honesty bar too!)

In reply to nodwas:
If there's only a few of you, the Glenfeshie bothy is hard to beat. Lots of wood for the fire. There's even a toilet! Closer to the climbing, but

If there's a lot of you, you could try renting a youth hostel.
For example, http://www.rentahostel.com/web/site/Hostels/CairngormLodge.asp
£370 a night, sleeps 76, as close to the Northern Corries as you can stay.

In reply to nodwas:
Yeah i think there is going to be around 10 of us so not a massive group!!

So rent a hostel is probably a bit much haha!

Cheers for the replies!
Do you have to be a member of the bothy assosiation to stay and see where they all are?

In reply to nodwas:

Or possibly Badaguish~(?), stayed there once too

It's on the road from Aviemore to Cairngorms.

In reply to nodwas:
You don't have to be an MBA member but they ask that groups of more than 6 avoid bothies. Glen Feshie is smaller than it used to be now that the upper floor is closed off. Feshie is also very popular over weekends and theres a fair chance that other groups will be trying to use it too so even a group of 10 would be too much imo.

Bear in mind that if you do decide to use a bothy for a week, there will be other users looking to stay as well most of the time and room would have to be made for them if they turn up (i.e you can't turn folk away because you're using it).

A good relatively cheap option are club huts - Have a look at:
http://www.mcofs.org.uk/find-a-hut.asp

Normally a hut will be in the region of £6-10 per night per person and you'll get the place to yourselve in most cases.

Failing that you'll most likely be able to book 10 places in a hostel rather than booking the whole hostel.

Ardenbeg bunkhouse in Grantown on Spey or maybe the Carrbridge Bunkhouse would be good options as well.
Mill cottage by Feshie Bridge is a nice hut to stay in.

I can heartily recommed the smiddy by dundonnell for a great hut too.

Regards,

Stuart