| Braemar Mountain Rescue Association
was formed in 1965 by a group of local people who were concerned
about the increasing number of mountain accidents and the resultant
risk to local residents, who, often with no mountaineering experience
or proper clothing, were called upon to rescue others; and all
too often to carry home the bodies of those for whom rescue
had come too late. These volunteers carried on a long tradition
of local people giving aid to those lost in the mountains. The
team works closely with the local Police Mountain Rescue Team
and on rescues the two operate as one integrated unit with a
joint leader.
As well as direct involvement in rescue work, now in the
hands of a well trained and well equipped team of 30 volunteers,
all based on Upper Deeside, the Association is involved in
a number of related ventures. Among these are the provision
of emergency telephones at Derry Lodge and The Spittal of
Glen Muick. Also important is the yearly programme of lectures,
visits and static displays - all of which further the cause
of mountain safety and mountain rescue.
Mountain rescue is now a very sophisticated and expensive
business; all the more so for a team like Braemar who attend
in excess of forty incidents each year. Fund raising is an
important part of the work of the association as the total
running costs of the team are met from public subscription.
The following is an extract from the Aberdeen Press &
Journal 27th January 1990 upon the retirement of John Stammers
after 40 years of service with the Mountain Rescue team.
"In those days, when someone got lost on the hills or
there was some other kind of alert, you just rounded up as
many of the local lads as you could get and then set out.
The team was almost entirely composed of gamekeepers, who
knew the area very well, farmworkers and other locals. The
number that turned out depended entirely on how many were
available. We always managed to get enough to do the job though,
whatever the conditions".
For further information:
www.braemarmountainrescue.org.uk |
Braemar search party 1934
Present day team using probes
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