Scottish Accordion Music On Visit To A Bothy In Scotland

Tour Scotland travel video of Scottish accordion music on visit to a Bothy. The accordion originated in Italy in the early 19th century and became popular all over Europe. It quickly found its place in Scottish music, its greater power lending itself to playing alongside the fiddle in dance bands, and its complexity allowing it to play a wide variety of tunes and styles. A bothy is a basic shelter, usually left unlocked and available for anyone to use free of charge. It was also a term for basic accommodation, usually for gardeners or other workers on an estate or farm. The etymology of the word bothy is uncertain. Suggestions include a relation to both hut as in Irish bothán and Scottish Gaelic bothan or bothag a corruption of the Welsh term bwthyn, also meaning small cottage; and a derivation from Norse būð, cognate with English booth with a diminutive ending. Most bothies are ruined buildings which have been restored to a basic standard, providing a windproof and watertight shelter. They vary in size from little more than a large box up to two storey cottages. Most bothies have a fireplace with firewood and are near a natural source of water. Bothies are found in remote mountainous areas of Scotland, Northern England, Northern Ireland, Wales and the Isle of Man. They are particularly common in the Scottish Highlands, but related buildings can be found around the world, for example, in the Nordic countries there are wilderness huts. A bothy was also a semi legal drinking den in the Isle of Lewis. These, such as Bothan Eòrapaidh, were used until recent years as gathering points for local men and were often situated in an old hut or caravan. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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