New £100k hut offers vital mountain shelter

Glen Clova hut ready for its first visitors.

Its construction has taken almost a decade, thousands of hours of volunteer time and cost almost £100,000.

However, a purpose-built mountaineering club hut to replace a previous one which was beyond repair after 50 years is now finally ready to throw open its doors to offer shelter to those who enjoy the outdoors.

The bespoke building, which has been erected by the Carn Dearg Mountaineering Club, will open for use at Braedownie in Glen Clova with a ceremony on Saturday.

It means there will continue to be overnight accommodation available in the remote rural area for clubs, youth groups and mountain rescue teams.

And it is one of the few wheelchairaccessible rural huts in Scotland.

“We hope the new, improved, hut will appeal to an even broader range of groups than the old one,” said Katie Marwick, club secretary.

“Almost half of the money to build the hut has been raised by donations from Carn Dearg Mountaineering Club members, friends and family.

“The remainder has been sourced from loans and grants.”

Inside, it provides two bunk rooms, with Alpine-style sleeping platforms for up to 16 people.

There are two toilets and a shower, a drying room and a large common room with space for cooking, eating and relaxing after a busy day on the hills.

It also boasts a number of energy efficiency measures, such as insulation and double glazing, making it more comfortable than many older huts.

Among those who have contributed to the cost of its building are the Cairngorms National Park Authority, the Climate Challenge Fund, Angus Council’s Community Grant Scheme, the Scottish Mountaineering Trust, the Mill Cottage Trust and Awards for All Scotland.

The Carn Dearg Mountaineering Club was founded in 1949.

Its aim is to cater for all forms of outdoor activities, such as hill walking, climbing, sea-kayaking and ski-touring.

The club has 50 members who attend monthly meet-ups in remote locations across Scotland. gstrachan@thecourier.co.uk

Top: the Carn Dearg Mountaineering Club’s new £100,000 hut in Glen Clova, which has replaced a building that was beyond repair. Above: the new hut’s interior.