Forestry and Land Scotland has handed over the keys to Kilbo Bothy in Glen Prosen to a Dundee mountaineering club, marking a new chapter for one of the Angus Glens’ most distinctive mountain buildings.
Forestry and Land Scotland has agreed a six year lease with the NCR Hillwalking and Climbing Club, which will use the bothy as a base for hillwalking and mountaineering across the Angus Glens and surrounding area.
The move forms part of a wider effort to bring Glen Prosen’s historic buildings back into active use, following the arrival of The Bothy Distillery, which took on several nearby buildings last year for manufacturing and visitor purposes.
FLS says the approach is designed to balance economic activity with long term social and environmental benefit, ensuring the glen continues to be a working and welcoming landscape.
Angus Glens Programme Manager Christine Reid said the partnership reflects shared values around access, care, and stewardship.
“We are excited to welcome the Dundee NCR Hillwalking and Climbing Club as tenants and caretakers of Kilbo Bothy.
“The club has a long tradition of exploring the hills and glens in this area and shares our keen interest in looking after the mountain environment at Glen Prosen.”
She said the partnership would help more people connect with the landscape as restoration work continues.
“We look forward to more people being able enjoy and connect with the evolving landscape restoration here through this partnership.”
Kilbo Bothy sits high in Glen Prosen beneath the Munros of Mayar and Driesh and was rebuilt in 2013 on the site of a former ruined bothy, restoring a long standing shelter in the heart of the glen.
The NCR Hillwalking and Climbing Club was founded 75 years ago to offer factory workers from the former National Cash Register Company in Dundee an escape into the hills, a tradition that has continued long after the company itself.
Today the club is open to anyone with a love of the outdoors, with members still drawn to Scotland’s hills and mountains for adventure, challenge, and camaraderie.
Mark Lundie of the NCR Hillwalking and Climbing Club said Kilbo Bothy offers something special for both existing and future members.
“Kilbo Bothy in Glen Prosen gives the club a fantastic base for its hill walking and mountaineering activities in the Angus Glens.
“The remote location of the bothy, in the heart of Glen Prosen, will play a valuable part in supporting the club’s long tradition of getting people with a great love for the outdoors and an insatiable appetite to climb mountains out into the hills.”
“And at the end of the day, provide a warm and safe place for the telling of stories and singing of songs and maybe the odd dram.”
Lundie said the lease reflects a long term commitment to care for both the building and its setting.
“We are proud to be working with FLS and the lease represents our dedication to providing a well maintained refuge for our members, while preserving the landscape and ensuring its sustainable use for future generations.”
For Glen Prosen, the handover represents continuity rather than change, keeping the bothy alive as a place of shelter, community, and connection to the hills that surround it.
