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Roundhouse at Abriachan Forest rises up from the ashes as reconstruction work begins on the structure which was destroyed by fire in the summer


By Ian Duncan

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Work on the reconstruction of a replica prehistoric Highland roundhouse has begun after the original was destroyed in an accidental fire.

The blaze was during a busy afternoon in July, in woodland above Loch Ness, and the rebuilding project has been organised by the Abriachan Forest Trust.

The trust, which is a charity and social enterprise, launched a £10,750 crowdfunding campaign during the summer to help rebuild the timber and thatched structure.

Trustee Suzann Barr, who is also the trust’s learning co-ordinator, said it was first built in 1999 by young people from Active Abriachan youth group who had helped clear spruce seedlings regenerating in an area of hut circles thought to be bronze age archaeology.

She said the 1999AD date mirrored 1999BC, when an original roundhouse would have dated from, and added: “Initial heather thatching was skilfully done by Brian Wilson.

“The project also involved creating first person interpretation, a historical drama, building coracles, recipes and, as a result, these 15-16-year-olds won a national environmental competition which entailed a trip of a lifetime to Kenya to have a look at how the Maasai constructed their roundhouses.”

So far a new wooden frame has been constructed, using cut and skinned larch poles, over the past two weeks and Ms Barr said: “The stonework has been repaired after the heat of the fire damaged it.

“The next stage is attaching the horizontal supports to the structure and that is ongoing – more than 150 noble fir branches are to be skinned and tied on.

“The thatcher is harvesting reeds during November with a view to starting his phase of the project as soon as he can – weather permitting. Once he has made the base layer of reeds he will top it with rashes from a local crofter’s fields.”

She said, due to the winter weather, it was probably a bit too optimistic that it would be completed by the end of the year, adding: “We use it for a variety of activities – as a shelter for the outdoor nursery, and a storytelling location for the stars and stories sessions with Stephen Macintosh, local astronomer, as a feature for experiential learning for school groups.

“It has been a Gruffalo’s shelter, Gandalph’s hiding place and for dyeing workshops.”

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