Scottish Ski Club - Ben Lawers
| Ben Lawers | |
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| This hut was built in 1932 on Ben Ghlas at a height of 760m, for use by the early skiing enthusiasts who found reliable snow conditions on the smooth, south-facing grassy slopes. It was reached from the National Trust car park and provided the only refuge on the mountain as well as a base for ski-touring. | |
| Unfortunately the hut was blown down in a storm in March 1999. The walls collapsed under the roof and the concrete anchoring blocks were dislodged. The Club accepted that it should not attempt to construct a replacement hut in the area.
Here it is depicted as seen by the Club Secretary on 19th March 1999. | 
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| Over the weekend of 4/5 September 1999, a group of seven stalwarts led by Ken McVean set off in thick mist for the hut on Ben Lawers. Their aim was to complete the demolishing of the structure, to burn all the wooden parts and to gather the non-combustibles for later removal. | |
It was as well that the cloud was right down as it was a bonfire to match anything ever seen and would have caused quite a stir to anyone walking the nearby hills. Sunday was spent grovelling through the ashes collecting nails, bolts, hinges and so on, and eventually raking over the ground in readiness for the surrounding grasses to recolonise it. | 
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| Farewell to the Hut on 2nd October 1999 | |
| About 45 members assembled at the National Trust Visitors' Centre around midday for the walk up to the site of the Hut. All that was left was a small pile of wood for the farewell bonfire and several heaps of non-combustible parts such as the roof, supporting girders and concrete anchor blocks. These await removal, hopefully by a helicopter pick up in the near future. Also still unresolved is how best to mark the site for posterity, but this matter will not be forgotten.The site itself is now a blackened area in which there are already signs of growth of new grasses.
Lunch comprised smoked salmon on oatcakes (courtesy of Mary Allison), DIY sandwiches and barbecued sausages, washed down by champagne and other liquids which also featured in a toast to the Club, proposed by Bill Aitken. The weather was as to be expected in October, that is mainly overcast with occasional distant glimpses of sun. A brisk Westerly brought some heavy showers which we could see were falling as snow on the highest tops. It was a shame that Helen Ross's fingers were too cold for her to play the pipes as much as she hoped but she did manage one lament. Lunch over, we made our way back to the car park and thence to the Bridge of Lochay Hotel for afternoon tea. In the past, this hotel was the main focus for social activity of the Club's skiers on Lawers but now skiing does not even figure on the hotel's list of available activities. Times have moved on. After tea, Jim Currie spoke to a set of slides presented by Mary Currie. This filled us in on much of the post-war history of skiing in the area, although the Club had been active on Lawers in the 1930s. Available for inspection were the original Log Book, covering 1932 to 1962, extracts from SSC Journals, photographs and a fax from Donnaie MacKenzie (included below), who had been unable to attend but wanted to wish us a happy day, with typical Lawers weather which would soak us all. His wish was fulfilled! The day concluded with supper and more chat for the 16 members still present. | |
The Fax from Donnaie Mackenzie | |
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I am sorry not to be at the final demise of my old and trusted friend the Lawers Hut. The occasion would have been tinged with great sorrow and all the splendid memories would have come flowing back. From 1947-1957 the Edinburgh Bus and sometimes "Jimmy Thin's bus" headed for Lawers every Sunday throughout the winter come fine weather or foul, snow or nae snow. I recall skiing down from the Hut to the Car Park with Lewis Drysdale entirely on wet grass. On the other hand taking the "Weasel" up with 3 feet of snow at the Car park was a big success until we reached the cloud line and nil visibility when I managed to turn the "Weasel" on its side casting all 12 passengers into the snow - except for my girl friend who was inside the flotation tank with the lid closed and no one had a tin opener to get her out. Saner skiers passed by on their skins and one was heard to remark: 'Donnaie Mackenzie has gone too far this time turning the "Weasel" on its side as a lunch shelter." No 2 Weasel was required months later to haul No 1 upright. The hilarious days of humping a half ton rope tow engine above the Hut and sinking thigh deep into the bog. The dreaded machine got going as darkness fell, and next week the whole outfit rope and all was buried under feet of snow. Nights spent in the Hut in summer were a big success once the mice had been killed off. I once found a pair of skis with sticks on either side and no one in between. He or she had clearly stopped off for a pee by the burn in the mist and never retrieved the skis. Oliver Williams made a fine sight wearing a replacement corrugated surround for the loo and marching it up to the Hut. One unskiable day Adam Bergius and I consoled ourselves with his Teachers in the Hut. A picture of the Hut with Adam in the foreground and Ben Ghlas behind appeared in the Journal entitled "Piste on Ben Ghlas". How right!
Ah happy days. I trust you had the usual Lawers weather and everyone got soaked. If the barman at Bridge of Lochay wants the receipt for a "Glenogle Bogle" let him apply to me. | |