Restoration of Mountain Refuge Druimnashallag
Date: May, 2025
Location: Druimnashallag, Southwest Highlands, Scotland
Program: Traveler’s Refuge
Organisation: Mountain Bothy Association
Material: Basalt
In the early summer of 2025, Laura joined the Mountain Bothy Association (MBA) in restoring Druimnashallag in Scotland. In an effort to learn about resourceful construction, Laura embarked on a journey to contribute to reconstruction of the historic shepherd's shelter.
Similar to Salachy Bothy, this structure consisted of a main house and a smaller byre to one side. Another structure had also existed nearby which had been taken down due to its instability and useful stone resources for the repairs of the main structure. A third room existed on the site which was much older and did not employ any mortar in the construction. This was to be kept a ruin.
A team of volunteers had worked on the structure for other two years, carefully deliberating the course of action with an architect, engineer, geologist, project manager, among others. Material was brought to the site on a small dirt road and in wheelbarrows for the last stretch. The remote nature of this building contributed to the construction methodologies employed. Due to the immense effort required to bring materials to the remote location, most resources utilised in construction came from the site and its previous ruins.

Druimnashallag Bothy Under Construction (Photo Credit: Laura Stargala)


Ground Floor Plan of Exiting Structure (Drawing Credit: Laura Stargala)
Basalt Rocks Used For Construction (Photo Credit: Laura Stargala)

Surrounding Context (Photo Credit: Laura Stargala)


Reconstruction of the chimney heads (Photo Credit: Laura Stargala)
Pointing Repaired and Reconstructed Walls (Photo Credit: Laura Stargala)
Due to the immense effort required to bring materials to the remote location, most resources utilised in construction came from the site and its previous ruins.




Transformation of Site from 2014 to 2024 (Photo Credit: Google Earth)
