ukbothies

hmm..... Well neil, what does buster think aboot that

Hi Piper,
The last time I was there, there was a chinese take-away stuck to the wall and bacon fat had been poured all over the floor.

It's a bonny enough spot on a braw summer evening, Piper, although there are few places to pitch a tent for a modicum of comfort at night. And, of course, there's Efff all tae burn.

I had something of a traumatic experience there during a January blizzard some years back, and can't even remember if I was stuck in there for one night or two before escaping to Faindouran. Not recommended as a winter bolt-hole!

Even though, I still have a soft spot for Ath nam A'an, the fords of the Fianna.

I think Fords of Avon deserves our support, the place has stood from 1970 as a reffuge without any maintenance.Its now maybe time for the Eastern Area to support Sports Scotland and the Mc of S in encouraging the MBA to take responsibility for the place and liase with the RSPB on the matter.The MBA are willing to adopt it I gather all it needs in the nod and the wink from the area then liasion can start..It wouldn't be too difficult a project now would it and I'm sure support of transport ect would come from many quarters.

Kev and skye

I'd certainly be up for a work party - but how many bothies can we do work on at one time? We're away out to Tarf this weekend, Etchachan is bubbling under, Corrour is ongoing for the loo, Ryvoan is just done, and there may be another project underway. Mind you, last time I was at Fords of Avon it looked like there wasn't much left to go wrong wihtout the place actually falling down, so I suppose any renovation work wouldn't have to be tackled immediately. I certainly wouldn't want to see the place disappear. Apart from being in a lovely place, I'm pretty sure, way back in the distant mists of time, that it was the first bothy I ever actually spent a night in.

i know a guy who went there for newyear with his brother and was first footed by the rescue chopper and crew who gave them a packet of biscuits as a first foot.aye abbie morgan you canna hide .i also would like to help out,in a helpers role.ie. roll about the grass drinking beer whilst waching other folks doing the job.seemingly you cant drink and work any more
neil ,and buster would also like to help

We'll soon be the envy of other areas with all these 5 star dosses.

I emailed john bygate supporting the idea but onlu using MBA funding and not officially taking on the refuge. As NFF pointed out how many more bothies can the area support? Also the status and publicity of being MBA might not be something that would be of benefit to the hut?

Haud on there, Jim lad.
What I meant was that we were already committed to a fair bit of work, but not all of it will be ongoing, and if F of A can wait a bit for attention, I don't see any reason not to take it on. It's only ever going to be a basic shelter - too small to be much more - but as well us keeping an eye on it as letting it go to complete ruin, and I don't think status as 'an MBA bothy' will lead any more people to it than pass that way already.

Sorry if you mistook what i meant Neil, i didnt suggest we ignore it just now. The first course of action would be to speak to the landowner and see what they want done with it anyway, its not going to get much worse than it is. I was by that way a few summers by, on a very wet horrible day, the frogs still opted to go inside out the rain because it was damper inside than out.

I understand what your saying but we all know the stupidity of some people. How often have ou sat in scotts and had folk as if the etchechan hut is like scotts and corrour. I think MBA status may cause people to think of fords of ann as more than it is. If the MBA chose to take it on i wouldnt object as there are far wiser older heads on the eastern commitee (as well as off) whos experience far out weigh my own and i would tend to trust their judgement.

Another point worth considering is this quorum nonsense for the meetings, another bothy means finding more MOs.

Aye Jim, there is the question of MOs. I was on the verge of saying 'for goodness sake, I'll be MO for the place', but then I thought about it - I can't even organise a weekend up at Scottie's more than a couple of days in advance, and the only paperwork I've ever managed involved my *rse. In fact the very idea of the volume of paperwork the MBA would demand for sic a wee rickle o' stanes as Fords of Avon is, makes me laugh with despair. Maybe some weekend when we have a spare meenty, we could nip over and redd the place up and jist no bother onybody.

Intersting looking place...





James H

It would be sad to see the fords of Avon hut fall into a worse state than it is at present. i Can feel a meeting cropping up. Could be we can have the meeting in say....a pub in Braemar.

i'll vote for that piper!

I recall that the hut was replaced around the mid 80's but don't know who did the work. Might have been the Forces.

I do agree that it deserves looking after though, and that it's a braw wee spot to walk past ... and it's probably saved a number of people's puffs.

Hi Bill, I never knew the Fords of Avon hut was replaced in the '80s - and that would explain a lot! My recollection (from the early '70s) was always of it having a sort of ship's door, so that there was a big sill at the bottom, but when I was there a few years ago (and in photos) I was puzzled to see that the door was 'normal' and thought it was my memory at fault.
Thank-you Bill: I may not have early onset dementia after all.