A converted shipping container in a Highlands beauty spot is being advertised on Airbnb as a £195-a-night ‘bespoke bothy’ (a small mountain refuge).
But the 10ft by 10ft steel box has been branded an ‘eyesore’ on social media and also compared to a ‘prison cell’.
The accommodation features a wooden couch, which also serves as a bed, and a wood-burning stove. There is no bathroom or kitchen.
The converted shipping container in the Scottish Highlands, which is being advertised on Airbnb as a £195-a-night ‘bespoke bothy’
The accommodation features a wooden couch, which also serves as a bed, and a wood-burning stove. There is no bathroom or kitchen
And holidaymakers have to trek for 1.5 miles to reach it.
The box, which overlooks Lochgoilhead in Argyll and Bute, has been listed by the lodge and estate managers of Carrick Castle Estate, which is also in Lochgoilhead. It can only be booked for a minimum of two nights, with the price coming down to £154 a night if the booking is for seven nights.
A link to the Airbnb listing was posted to a Facebook page called Scottish Hill Walking & Wild Camping by Andrew Park, who asked: ‘Neat idea? Or at this price taking the mick?’
Commenting on the post, Nick Parish said: ‘Total eyesore. Hope these don’t start cropping up everywhere. You can get a decent hotel for that too, including a cooked breakfast.’
Maggie Christopher commented: ‘Basically offering a prison cell in a nice area for a stupid amount of money, they’ll go out of business even before they start. It boils down to pure greed on their part.’
Holidaymakers have to trek for 1.5 miles to reach the holiday bothy
According to the listing on Airbnb, the ‘interior has been carefully panelled to create a cosy and rustic feel’. Included in the price of a stay are five litres of water, toilet paper, tea and coffee, a starter pack of canned and dried foods and a ‘spade for bathroom requirements’
Jo Di Lieto said ‘who in their right mind would pay that?’, while Jamie Floyd said ‘£195 a night – WTF’.
Nicholla Ritchie wrote: ‘Absolutely disgusting that they put that eyesore there in the first place and then try to charge such a hideous amount. Hopefully, there are not too many dafties willing to book it.’
Sean Fitzharris said: ‘Wow that place looks awful – cannot believe the price they are charging – £195 per night for something that has been furnished and decorated to such a poor standard. It looks no more comfortable than a tent.’
John Elder wrote: ‘F*** me. What is this? Some mad London person? £195 a night. And you’ve got to bring your own sleeping bag. Taking the p*** or what. Buy a tent and wild camp…
A link to the Airbnb listing was posted to a Facebook page called Scottish Hill Walking & Wild Camping. The comments it attracted weren’t terribly positive
‘I’ve got a loo and carpet in my tent. Tell you what, I’ll give you an eight-man tent with a loo for £195 for a week. I’ll even pitch it for you.’
While Sonja Moore commented: ‘That’s not a bothy then is it if you have to pay? This is a rusty old container stuck in the middle of beautiful surroundings. I’m sure there are much nicer bothies close by you can sleep in for nought.’
The Airbnb listing describes the shipping container as a ‘unique space in which to enjoy the outdoors and beautiful views over a secluded lochan in the picturesque Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park’.
It goes on to say it is both basic yet comfortable before adding: ‘The bothy is a mobile structure made from a shipping container, 10 ft x 10 ft inside.
The Airbnb listing describes the shipping container as a ‘unique space in which to enjoy the outdoors and beautiful views over a secluded lochan in the picturesque Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park’
‘The interior has been carefully panelled to create a cosy and rustic feel and furnished with a folding-down double bed that can be stored away when not in use to make way for sofa-like seating. There is plenty of shelving storage space and a fully functional wood-burning stove.’
Holidaymakers are provided with basic tableware for meals, a kettle that can be heated on the wood-burning stove, a solar panel that provides light, a USB charging facility and an extra heater if need.
Also included in the price are five litres of water, toilet paper, tea and coffee, a starter pack of canned and dried foods and a ‘spade for bathroom requirements’.
However, it is up to the renter to bring additional food and drink and a sleeping bag.
MailOnline Travel has contacted Carrick Castle Estate for comment.