Burnmouth Bothy including walled enclosures, Rackwick Bay, Hoy

Burnmouth Bothy is an early 19th century, single-storey, roughly rectangular-plan former crofthouse with a heather thatched roof, and adjoining the northeast gable is a lower three-bay former byre with a flagstone roof. It was restored in the 1970s for use as a bothy. The buildings have undressed, rubble stone and thick walls. The end walls are gabled and the roof has a shallow-pitch. The building is located on a slight rise towards the middle of the curve of Rackwick bay, on the island of Hoy, with the southwest gable facing the sea and with cliffs to the southeast and northwest.

The principal (northwest) elevation of the crofthouse has a central timber door with a small window to the left of the door, all flanked by two enlarged window openings. There is a small window in the southwest gable end. The byre has three windows and a timber door. There are no openings in the rear elevation.

The heather-thatch roof is secured with netting and stone weights laid in rows along the ridge, the eaves and the centre of the roof pitch. The crofthouse has a chimneystack on each gable.

There is a long rectangular-plan walled enclosure to the northwest of the bothy. Directly to the southeast is a smaller, detached rectangular walled enclosure and the lower courses of a former outbuilding. The walls are built in rubble stone.

The interior, seen in 2017, is a large single space with exposed rubble walls. Raised rubble-built benches or sleeping areas have been added along the long walls. The fireplace on the northwest gable has a broad stone lintel, and has been modified to house a wood burning stove. There is a vertical recess to the left of the fireplace. The infilled fireplace in the southeast gable also has a heavy stone lintel. The interior of the former byre section has been changed to a toilet.