Scotland Outdoors A Ryvoan Bothy Special
Dec 27, 2025
Guest
Cat Hill
Guest
Kevin Campbell
Guest
Isla/Ayla Schaefer (storyteller)
Guest
Ross (Glenmore Lodge Chief Instructor / Ross Serber)
Join Ross Serber, Chief Instructor at Glenmore Lodge, as he shares expert tips on night navigation and winter hillcraft in the Cairngorms. Storyteller Ayla Schaefer enchants listeners with local folklore that ties the landscape to history. Kevin Campbell discusses the vital role of volunteers in maintaining Ryvoan Bothy, while author Cat Hill reflects on her personal experiences and the cultural significance of bothies. Together, they celebrate the warm, communal spirit that makes these cozy refuges special and essential.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Bothies As Living Cultural Hubs
- Bothies are living cultural hubs that combine landscape, shelter and community, celebrated during the Mountain Bothy Association's 60th year.
- Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart show bothies attract varied visitors and foster shared outdoor culture.
Practical Night Navigation
- When navigating at night, use your knee as a flat surface to read a compass and shelter your back from the wind.
- Ross Serber recommends planning pace and reassessing timings against snow depth regularly.
Map, Compass, GPS: Winter Roles
- Use map and compass primarily in low-visibility winter conditions and treat GPS as a helpful backup, not a sole tool.
- Prefer 1:50,000 maps in deep snow because detailed 1:25,000 features get buried and mislead you.