Work has finished on a new bothy in the southern Cairngorms. Ruighe Ealasaid, otherwise known as the Red House, is the latest of the 100 or so remote huts maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association.

Situated near White Bridge, west of the Linn of Dee, Ruighe Ealasaid has a strategic location for hillwalkers heading for the two Munros at the head of the Tarf. For details see our Route Card:

It is also in a handy position on several long distance routes through the mountains.

Believed to have been built in 18th or early 19th Century, Ruighe Ealasaid subsequently served as an informal bothy until the 1960s, gradually becoming more derelict. It got its English name from its corrugated iron roof - a distinctive feature that has now been re-instated.

MBA Chairman 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."