New bothy for walkers opens deep in the Cairngorms

A new bothy has opened for walkers deep in the Cairngorms after voluteers spent two years renovating the derelict shieling.

Ruighe Ealasaid, or The Red House, sits in the south of the mountain range on the Mar Lodge Estate, with the building owned by National Trust for Scotland.

The Mountain Bothies Association, which carried out the work and manages the maintenance of bothies in its network, said the shelter was in a “prime location” for hillwalkers bagging two nearby Munros.

It is also in an important position for those following one of several long distance routes through the mountains, MBA chairman Simon Birch said.

Mr Birch said the bothy could be found in a remote area of the range, which was often hit by poor weather, with volunteers working on the project coming to the aid of walkers on occasion.

He added: “I want to thank the volunteers who have made this project. They have transformed a former shieling which had become derelict and in a dangerous condition into a wind and watertight bothy complete with adjacent toilet facilities.

"It will be a valuable resource for walkers visiting this remote area, one where poor weather regularly occurs, best instanced by the fact that over the two years of work parties, these volunteers have come to the aid of a number of walkers who have found themselves in difficulties.

"We are extremely grateful to the owners of the building, the National Trust for Scotland Mar Lodge Estate, for allowing us to undertake the project and for the considerable practical assistance that they provided.”