Most camping böds staying closed this summer
There is difficulty in getting people to act as custodians – while some are shut for maintenance
ONLY two of Shetland’s camping böds are open this season – with a key challenge being getting people to act as custodians for the properties.
Some of the böds are also out of action for maintenance.
The böds, operated by Shetland Amenity Trust, are described as an “economic” option for self-catering, with some only providing basic shelter and bothy style accommodation.
The only two which are open for bookings in 2022 are the Johnnie Notions böd in Eshaness and the Aithbank böd in Fetlar.
And while Covid restrictions have been removed, the trust is continuing with some of its measures. This means there is a minimum three-night stay and no shared bookings, and people are advised to bring their own supplies as items for cooking are no longer provided.
There are a total of nine böds on the books, from Yell to the south mainland.
Some are basic; the Nesbister one for example, the only original fishing böd, has no electricity and comes with a chemical toilet. However, the Windhouse böd in Yell, for instance, is a well-equipped cottage that comes with the luxury of a hot shower.
The first camping böds opened in 1992 and it has expanded into a network spanning the isles, with the properties generally opening their doors between March and October. The largest is Voe’s Sail Loft, which sleeps 16 in bunks.
They are a popular option for people travelling around Shetland on a budget, as well as locals, but following the blanket closures due to Covid restrictions there are few options this summer.
“Unfortunately we do have very few of the böds open this year,” the amenity trust’s natural heritage officer Sandy Middleton said.
“Whilst a couple of them are closed for maintenance, our key challenge has been in getting staff to act as custodians to clean and open the böds for guests.
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“We are looking at working with a property letting agent to see if we can find a better system for managing the lets in the future.”
Middleton added that previously in the pandemic the trust was required to operate the böds as single occupancy for groups, with the minimum stay increased to three nights to cover costs and the time required for cleaning.
“We have kept that system in place for this year and it has been welcomed by customers who prefer exclusive use due to the ongoing pandemic,” she added.
“We are looking at the network as a whole, the expectations of customers, the approach to delivery and the associated business model but have no firm plans as yet.”
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