The publication in Moel Prysgau Bothy, Wales. Photo: University of Dundee
Academics have placed copies of a limited artwork in remote mountain bothies – and they’re happy for you to use them to light the fire.
Shelter Stone: The Artist and the Mountain, is a 66-page publication on newsprint that has been hidden in buildings under the care of the Mountain Bothies Association.
Edward Summerton, senior lecturer at the University of Dundee’s Jordanstone College of Art and Design, led the team of 46 artists and writers who produced the 200 copies of the work, which have been placed in bothies in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as shelters in Iceland and the French Alps.
Made from 70 per cent recycled midge-trap waste and in collaboration with the charity that cares for 103 bothies in Great Britain, the 66-page Shelter Stone aims to both entertain and perhaps even become a vital survival tool for those hunkered down in a bothy for a night.
Featuring a mix of creative poetry and art, with writers selected by John Glenday and artists selected by Edward Summerton, this November will mark the half-way point in the year-long project, which was launched last summer at its namesake the Shelter Stone at Glen Avon in the Cairngorms.
Mr Summerton said, “Firstly, Shelter Stone is art. It’s not only something to read but acts as a reference to understanding our relationship with the mountain landscape.
“Secondly, it can also be a survival tool. We encourage those who find it and who need some extra warmth, to use it to dry your boots, light a fire or even use it as a draft-excluder. It might just be crucial in harsh mountain conditions.”
One of the copies has been found at Corrour Bothy. Photo: University of Dundee
So far five books have been spotted in remote bothies, including ones in Oban bothy in the west Highlands, Corrour Bothy in the Cairngorms and another in Cae Amos bothy in Wales.
Neil Stewart of the Mountain Bothies Association said: “For over 50 years, our volunteers have restored and maintained old buildings as unlocked shelters for people out in remote places.
“A night spent in a bothy is a wonderful experience and can greatly enhance appreciation of our mountain heritage. Shelter Stone will add to that experience and I am sure that those who come across a copy will be both fascinated and delighted with its contents.”
For those unable to access the remote bothies, an exhibition of the publication will be on display next month in conjunction with the Dundee Mountain Film Festival.
The exhibition opens at the Visual Research Centre in the Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre on Thursday, 23 November at 6pm and is open to the public from Friday 24 until Saturday 25 from noon-5pm.
