Irvine Buttefiel,d, who died last year
A limited edition book by a giant of mountain literature is being republished to raise cash for the charity that looks after Britain’s mountain shelters.
Irvine Butterfield, who died last year, is best known for the ‘hillwalkers’ bible’ The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland, but his tale of the restoration of the Dibidil cottage on the Isle of Rum was much in demand when first published in 1972 and its limited 300 print run soon sold out.
Now, Irvine’s Dibidil – A Hebridean Adventure has been reprinted and all profits from sales will go to the Mountain Bothies Association to help their work in restoring and maintaining the rudimentary shelters in Scotland, Wales and England in its care.
A spokesperson for the MBA said: “The book describes the story of the restoration project from its original conception in 1968 through the planning and organisation to the landings of material in near-gale force winds at Easter 1970 to the final successful work party of July 1970 accompanied by midges, clegs, and, inevitably for one of the wettest places in Britain, rain.
“The book was originally written in 1972 and published as a limited edition of 500 copies. It quickly sold out. Copies which do now become available sell for considerably more than the original cover price.”
The book will be officially relaunched at the association’s annual meeting next month at Greenhead in Northumberland but is available to buy now.
Yorkshire-born Irvine Butterfield was a highly regarded as a writer, photographer and campaigner on wild-land issues. As well as his High Mountains tome, he also published the photographic books The Magic of the Munros and The Call of the Corbetts.
He was the first president of the Munro Society and life president of the Crochallan Mountaineering Club. He was also an early and active member of the MBA, the John Muir Trust, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland and the Perthshire Alliance for the Real Cairngorms.
The MBA was established in 1965, has more than 4,000 members. It undertakes the restoration and maintenance of a number of old cottages, huts and similar buildings throughout the wilder parts of Scotland, England and Wales for use as open shelters for walkers and other outdoor enthusiasts.
Many of the buildings that are cared for by the MBA would otherwise have become derelict. The association currently looks after almost 100 bothies. All of the restoration and maintenance work is undertaken by volunteers.
Dibidil- A Hebridean Adventure is available Roderick Manson at 33 Cedar Avenue, Blairgowrie, Perthshire, PH10 6TT at a cost of £8 including postage and packing.
