Dad has the complete collection of the Cairngorm Club Journals, dating back to 1896. He is a lifetime honorary member and has many articles written in the journals over the years.
On reading the most recent Journal, I found an article about this man, Hugh Welsh. He used to come to Braemar to see dad when we lived there, dressed in his kilt, always. I was very small and sometimes would be in the bath in front of the coal fire when he came into the house. Seemingly he used to threaten to come in with me and I used to get into a panic about it!! As you might imagine.
An article in the most recent CC Journal was interesting, as it was made up of extracts of Hugh's 1904 teenage diary of days spent in the Cairngorms and sleeping out in the open at the Shelter Stone.
The first two bound Journals in dad's collection are signed by Hugh Welsh and I believe they belonged to his older brother originally.
Reading these Journals is an absolute pleasure as you realise that people change, stories differ, and times change but the mountains stay the same and it is fascinating to read accounts of people climbing mountains that we have climbed over 100 years later in some cases.
I cherish this collection, as it has now come to live on our bookshelves and as current CC members, we are keeping the collection going.
It's wonderful to know that the journals will be kept safe and sound. It must be most interesting to read about what has happened in the area over the years.
How intriguing to read of your dads old friend & his adventures specially as you have memories of him. The club will be so glad to see this too & no doubt would be glad to inherit the diaries themselves one day perhaps!
I think that would be very cool to read about the mountains you and your family are tromping through, looking at what's the same and what's different now, over 100 years later.
