As both a charity and a group of avid enthusiasts of The Cairngorms, and having within our mission statement the aim to preserve the environment in the area, we have occasionally taken forward projects that both enhance and maintain both the natural environment, and the man-made infrastructure that allows us to navigate it.
Summit Indicators
The Club erected summit indicators (a disk with lines and distances to nearby mountains), on Lochnagar in 1924 and Ben Macdui in 1925, and also previously had one on Blue Hill near Aberdeen (now subsequently replaced). We aim to replace the Ben Macdui and Lochnagar indicators in 2026 – the original ceramics are now weathering badly, but have done extremely well for 100 years of exposure to the extreme conditions that can be found at the highest points in The Cairngorms.
Bridges
We built a bridge over the Druie on the Lairig Ghru track (OS grid ref. NH 927078) in 1912, and the Luibeg (NO 013942) in 1948. A member of the club assisted with the design of the bridge over the Dee constructed in 1959. More recently, we assisted with the refurbishment of the footbridge above the Falls of Damff which had become precarious.
Woodlands
To mark the club’s centenary in 1987, we established a 1.72 ha woodland regeneration area, known as Piper’s Wood, in the middle of Glen Ey (NO 098857). The fenced enclosure has flourished from being protected browsing by deer. In 2013 the area was approximately doubled in size.
In 2015, an area further along Glen Ey was fenced off against deer at Altanour where the ruin of an old lodge stands (at NO 083823). This enclosure has seen slower progress, possibly with it being further from seed sources.
Paths
In 1995 the Club undertook the repair of the worst-eroded parts of the footpath into Coire Etchachan.
In 2012, as part of its 125-year celebrations, the Club funded access and waymarking at the Pass of Ballater.
