Dear Friends
To say it’s been a challenging year would be an understatement! For many of you I am sure this is true on a personal level and some of you will have endured loss and particular hardship and our thoughts are with you.
For the Lodge it has been a hard year and for George and Julia too. Whilst many of us celebrate the isolation of Rothiemurchus, when it is forced upon you as it was for them, it is much more testing and I pay much respect and grateful thanks to their personal resilience throughout. My occasional visits, when Aviemore was a ghost town and the A9 deserted left a marked impression. My particular thanks to those on the team who have ensured we were ‘Covid safe and good to go’ when we re-opened.
Notwithstanding all of this, we’ve progressed the maintenance of various buildings and the track. The work I talked about a year ago on refurbishing the Nuffield bathrooms remains an aspiration, but we are hopeful for next year. Conversations have progressed on a design and funding for a new Briefing / Classroom facility too.
One sliver lining was of course the UK Government’s Furlough scheme and Highland Council’s grant to rural businesses. This has kept us afloat.
We do though need your support when restrictions allow and we very much look forward to welcoming you in 2021. Please do lend us your support next year!
I join with all on the Management Committee, in wishing you a safe and virtual Merry Christmas!
Chris Smith
Chair Management Committee