The Cairngorm Club is a mountaineering club, based in Aberdeen, Scotland formed in June 1887.

History

The Cairngorm Club was founded by Alexander Copland, Rev. Robert Lippe, Alexander Inkson M'Connochie, Rev. C. C. Macdonald, W. A. Hawes, and W. Anderson at Clach Dhion - the Shelter Stone, above

Loch A'an Loch A'an is a remote freshwater loch set deep within the central Cairngorms plateau, in the Cairngorms National Park, located in the eastern Highlands of Scotland. Loch A'an, also called Loch Avon, is the source of the River Avon. Loch A'an i ...

in the

Cairngorms The Cairngorms () are a mountain range in the eastern Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland closely associated with the mountain Cairn Gorm. The Cairngorms became part of Scotland's second national parks of Scotland, national park (the Cairn ...

on 24 June 1887. The date of formation is given as 1889 in the SMC District Guide, and corrected in a later edition. The founders had climbed

Ben Macdui Ben Macdui (, meaning "MacDuff's mountain") is the second-highest Mountains and hills of Scotland, mountain in Scotland and all of the British Isles, after Ben Nevis, and the highest of the Cairngorm Mountains. The summit is above sea level an ...

and let off fireworks to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. The first formal meeting was held in Aberdeen on 9 January 1889, re-appointing the office-bearers and forming a committee. The first meet was held on 9 July 1889, staying at Nethy Bridge Hotel and ascending

Cairn Gorm Cairn Gorm () is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands. It is part of the Cairngorms range and wider Grampian Mountains. With a summit elevation of Height above sea level, above sea level, Cairn Gorm is classed as a Munro and is the sixt ...

and Ben Macdui from Glenmore Lodge. Reverend Lippe served as the first Vice President. The club was registered as a charity on 11 July 2017. The current President (2022) is Garry Wardrope, aged 60.

Club huts

Derry Lodge

The club leased Derry Lodge from

Mar Lodge Estate Mar Lodge Estate is a highland estate in western Aberdeenshire, Scotland, which has been owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) since 1995. Its principal building, Mar Lodge, is about west of the village of Braemar. The esta ...

from 1951 until 1967. Now empty, the Lodge still lies at the confluence of the Derry and Luibeg burns, at the end of a private road. The Lodge had been requisitioned by the army in 1942 and had lain empty since the army left in 1944. There was no significant structural damage. It was furnished to accommodate 24 people and was comfortable during the summer months. In winter, the water system had to be drained and the back scullery was draughty and let in snow. After agreeing that the lease would continue until 1966, the club replaced the corrugated iron scullery and rear passageway in 1955. In 1966, the lease was renewed, with rent increased from £25 to £100 pa and only every year. This made it uneconomic to spend further money on the building and the club gave up the lease in 1967. The Lodge has been unoccupied since. NTS submitted a plan to convert the building into a 20-bedroom hostel with space for two staff, retaining its lounge and dining rooms.

Muir Cottage

While negotiating for Derry Lodge, the club was offered a lease on Muir Cottage as a club hut from June 1950. Known as Muir of Inverey, it is located west of

Braemar Braemar is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. It is the closest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee, sitting at an elevation of . The Gaelic ''Bràigh Mhàrr'' p ...

, on the north side of the

Linn of Dee The River Dee () is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through southern Aberdeenshire to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen. The area it passes through is known as Deeside, or Royal Deeside in the region betw ...

road. The accommodation initially consisted of a combined kitchen and sitting room, and beds for 12 in three bedrooms, two in adjacent wooden annexes. A lean-to was built, adding a scullery and washroom. After purchasing the building, a timber extension was constructed in 1972, with four dormitories sleeping a total of 18, two toilets with showers, and a separate small sitting room. The small sitting room is now a members' room. The hut is bookable for use by members of recognised hillwalking and climbing clubs throughout the year.

Cairngorm Club Journal

The club has published a journal (CCJ) since 1893. The editor for the first 36 issues was Alexander Inkson McConnochie. As well as notes on the activities of the club, each issue contains a variety of articles, many with a focus on the Cairngorms. All issues have been digitised and are available on-line. The latest issue, Volume 23, Number 114, was produced in 2022. Articles in the early volumes include:

Volume I

* ''The Flowering Plants and Ferns of the Cairngorms'' - Prof. J. W. H. Trail * ''The Eastern Cairngorms'' - A. I. McConnochie * ''The Central Cairngorms'' - A. I. McConnochie * ''Outlying Nooks of Cairngorm'' - Rev. W. Forsyth

Volume II

* ''The Western Cairngorms'' - A. I. McConnochie * ''The Braemar Highlands after the '45'' * ''The Mountains of Scotland over 2000 feet: The Cairngorms'' - C. G. Cash * ''Outlying Nooks of Cairngorm'' - Rev. W. Forsyth * ''Outline View of the Cairngorms from Aviemore'' - C. G. Cash

Volume III

* ''The Torridon Hills'' - W. Brown * ''A Hillwalk in Norway'' - J. Geddie * ''Outlying Nooks of Cairngorm'' - Rev. W. Forsyth * ''Mount Battock and Clochnaben (sic)'' - R. Anderson * ''Arthur's Seat'' - C. G. Cash * ''Mountain Measurements'' - J. C. Barnett * ''An Arctic Summer Day on Cairntoul'' - J. Gordon

Projects

The club has funded a variety of projects in the Cairngorms.

Summit indicators

Lochnagar Lochnagar or is a mountain in the Mounth, in the Grampian Mountains, Grampians of Scotland. It is about south of the River Dee, Aberdeenshire, River Dee near Balmoral Castle, Balmoral. It is a popular hill with hillwalking, hillwalkers, and i ...

(1924) *

(1925)

Bridges

The Cairngorm Club Footbridge (1912) was built over the Am Beanaidh in

Rothiemurchus Forest Rothiemurchus Forest is a remnant of the Caledonian Forest at near Aviemore, Inverness-shire, Scotland. It is in the Highland region. The forest is popular for recreation and contains important independent wildlife, including the osprey, Scott ...

. Also known as the Iron Bridge, its construction is largely mild steel, with cast iron upstands. Other bridges have been built over the Luibeg Burn at Preas nam Meirleach (1948), over the River Dee near Corrour Bothy and over the

River Quoich The River Quoich is a tributary of the River Dee, Aberdeenshire, River Dee in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It flows in a generally southerly direction and is about 15 km long (including its upper reaches, known as Quoich Water, above the confl ...

near

Linn of Quoich Linn of Quoich is a waterfall of Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the isl ...

(2016–17).

Footpaths

*Repair of eroded parts of the footpath into Coire Etchachan (1995) *Access and waymarking at the Pass of Ballater (2012) *Footpath repair on Clachnaben (2019)

Woodland

*Piper's Wood: 1.72 ha native woodland regeneration in Glen Ey (1987) *Piper's Wood extension (2013) *Altanour: also in Glen Ey (2015)

Other projects

Corrour Bothy reconstruction (1950) John_Elgie

Deaths

Several members have died while pursuing their mountaineering. John Elgie aged 62, died in an avalanche in Lochnagar's Black Spout during a meet on 12 January 2003.

References

External links

* {{Official website 1887 establishments in Scotland Mountaineering in Scotland Climbing in Scotland Organisations based in Aberdeen Organizations established in 1887 Climbing and mountaineering organizations Climbing clubs in the United Kingdom