The Mountain Bothies Association (MBA) and Ben Alder Estate have announced that Culra bothy in the Central Highlands is to be replaced. The existing building, which is situated 10 miles west of Dalwhinnie and was commonly used by people as a base for climbing several remote peaks including Ben Alder was closed in 2014 when a professional survey advised that asbestos was present in the fabric of the building making it unsafe for public use.
It is expected that work on will commence in mid-October 2025 and that the new bothy will be available for use early in the New Year.
This will be one of the MBA’s most expensive projects to date and will require the use of private contractors to remove asbestos and to construct the replacement bothy. MBA volunteers will demolish the existing building and will also fit out the interior.
Whilst the cost will be met from the charity’s existing funds, they say that it could affect their ongoing programme of annual maintenance and plans for new bothies – and that they would therefore welcome contributions from the outdoors community. You can join the organisation or donate via the Mountain Bothies Association website.