A new bothy, Ruighe Ealasaid, The Red House has now been officially opened and is available for overnight stays. The bothy is situated in the southern Cairngorms, to the south of White Bridge, in a prime location for hillwalkers bagging the two Munros at the head of the Tarff. It is also in an important position for several long distance routes through the mountains including Linn of Dee to Blair Atholl via Glen Tilt, Kincraig to Blair Atholl via Glen Tilt and the Scottish National Trail.
Chair of the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA), Simon Birch said “I want to thank the volunteers who have made this project happen. 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.”
The MBA believes that Ruighe Ealasaid was built in the late 1700’s or early 1800’s, most probably as accommodation for a shepherd. It fell out of use in the first half of the 20th century and over the years became an informal bothy. It was used in this way until the 1960’s and gradually became increasingly derelict. It got its name, The Red House, from its corrugated iron roof which rusted. The new roof has been kept red. During its time as an informal bothy various bits of graffiti were added to the lime plaster walls. During the renovation work these walls were stablised, re-pointed, insulated and re-limed before being wood pannelled. A section of graffiti has been left exposed as a reminder of these past times and the heritage of the building. It is believed that the pony may have been drawn by one of the estate ghillies who would have kept ponies outside in a paddock ready to walk them up to the hill to carry down dead stags until a vehicle could transport them to the estate deer larder.
The MBA is a charity, established in 1965, and with around 4,000 members. It undertakes the restoration and maintenance of old cottages, huts and similar buildings throughout Great Britain for use as open shelters for walkers and other outdoor enthusiasts. The work of the Association was recognised by the award of the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in 2015. Full location of Ruighe Ealasaid, as well as details of the Bothy Code, can be found on the MBA website.
