04/04/2026
Please share far and wide
Welcome to our new page βΊοΈ
As many folk in Orkney will now be aware, The Hoy Trust has been carrying out a major renovation of Burnmouth, the cottage cared for by the Trust and operated as an open bothy at Rackwick in Hoy.
It's one of Orkney's most familiar and best-loved buildings, and seeing the work that local builder Graham Brough and the family has been doing alongside talented stonemason Ben Glue has been amazing. Together they've brought back to life a building that was on the verge of collapse, working with skill and sympathy to secure its future for generations to come.
The project wouldn't have been possible without the generosity of a range of backers (we'll tell you more about those in the weeks to come) and The Hoy Trust has also made a considerable contribution from its own funds.
As the bothy itself takes shape, we're now at the stage of looking at how we might bring the immediate surroundings up to a similar standard - which is where we hope YOU might be able to help π
The walled area in front of the bothy has been a popular campsite for generations of Orcadians, as well as folk from much further afield.
We're launching a fundraising campaign to restore the drystone d***s around the campsite and generally improve the conditions for those staying under 'canvas' (don't worry, there'll be no manicured lawns and numbered pitches. The improvements will be very much low-key and sensitive to the surroundings βΊπ)
Any additional money raised will be used to fund minor improvements/tweaks around the building and campsite.
Please consider heading over to The Hoy Trust's JustGiving page and making a donation (link is in first comment below). No matter how small it will make a big difference to this fantastic project βΊοΈ
Please do share this page far and wide and we look forward to posting regular updates on the work.
(We're not quite at the stage of being able to give a timescale on when the bothy and campsite will reopen for public use. As soon as we get a better idea of that ourselves we'll let you know.)