Abernethy (charity)

Abernethy was established in 1971 when the Walker family donated their 30-acre (120,000 m²) estate and buildings at Nethybridge. About 10 years later Miss Mary Currie, owner of the Hamilton Arms Hotel on the Isle of Arran, gave her property to be used as a Christian Centre resulting in the birth of the Arran Outdoor Centre. In 1984 the Trust accepted the gift of Brae Lodge at Loch Tay from Mr and Mrs Barratt, which ran under the Abernethy banner as the Ardeonaig Outdoor Centre. The fourth centre to come under Abernethy was the Ardgour Outdoor Centre on the Kilmalieu Estate, across the loch from Fort William. A few years later this centre became the home of the Abernethy Trust School of Adventure Leadership (in 1997). The last centre to be added to the Abernethy Trust was Barcaple Outdoor Centre, in 1996. This Centre was already operating as a Christian outdoor centre, independent from the Abernethy Trust, but Barcaple approached Abernethy asking if they could merge their ministry in Dumfries and Galloway with that of Abernethy. This officially happened on 1 January 2001. Around the same time it became apparent that the Arran Centre had reached the end of its effective period of service and the property was sold off and the proceeds used to support the other centres. Abernethy also runs an additional winter base at a Chalet in the Swiss Alps, and provide ski holidays from the end of December until the beginning of March.

Abernethy caters to a wide range of people including (but not limited to): primary schools; youth groups (both Christian and non Christian); family weeks in the summer and winter; youth camps throughout the year; student expeditions; Charity and university groups. A range of training courses are also offered.

The activities provided include: Abseiling, Archery, Bushcraft, Challenge Activities, Climbing and Bouldering, Coasteering, Crate Climbing, Dry Slope Skiing, High Ropes Course, Hill Walking, Jacobs Ladder, Kayaking, King Swing, Mountain Biking, Orienteering, Raft Building, Sailing, Sea Kayaking, Skiing, Snow Boarding, Team Building, Tree Climbing, Tree Top Trail, Weasling, Windsurfing, Zipwire.

Each centre also boasts various facilities additional facilities including tennis court, swimming pool, squash court, games hall, dry ski slope, indoor climbing wall, games room and a theatre lounge - complete with fully equipped AV Facilities (although not all of the centres have all of these).

The four Abernethy adventure centres are located at:

1. Nethybridge, a forest village in Inverness-shire, close to Loch Morlich and the River Spey
2. Ardeonaig, set on the South bank of Loch Tay in Highland Perthshire.
3. Ardgour, situated on the shores of Loch Linnhe
4. Barcaple, situated on the edge of the Southern Uplands between the Solway coast and the Galloway hills

And Glen Kin, the bunkhouse, is situated near Dunoon.

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