Craigallian Fire

I’m writing to you in the hope that your Club would be willing to help us preserve a very important piece of Scottish history and outdoor heritage - the Craigallian Fire.

If you already know something of the Fire, forgive the following history lesson but there seem to be few people, even in mountaineering circles, who know anything of it ! During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Fire was a beacon for young, poor people from Glasgow and Clydebank who, through it, explored wider afield and were introduced to Scotland’s wilderness. It’s location and significance has been forgotten by all but a very few and soon will be lost completely unless the site is commemorated. Those who daily pass by the Fire site in their hundreds on the West Highland Way by Craigallian Loch are unaware of the debt they owe to the original young pioneers who opened up Scotland’s countryside to us all. Some Fire-sitters became prominent figures in the protection of our wild places.

There is a gathering view that a permanent memorial should be erected on the site of the Fire. It is the aim of my brother Bill and I, sons of an original Firesitter and Weekender – Professor Sir Robert (Bob) Grieve - to commemorate all those who sat by its flames gaining warmth, companionship and an awareness of wider horizons - and the potential of the human spirit. The attached electronic version of our hard-copy double-sided A5 information leaflet will give you some more information on the Fire and our project. Please do see our website: http://www.craigallianfire.org.uk/ for further information.

Would your Club be willing to publicise this project amongst your members and help us to raise the funds to erect this memorial and preserve this small but important part of Scotland’s history, which is about to fade into obscurity ? We need to raise about £5,000 to build and maintain the memorial which is designed by the well-known Scottish sculptor Tim Chalk. Any donation will be gratefully received.

Members could make individual donations by cheque or BACS (Acc No 10006869 Sort Code: 80-02-77). If you would prefer to collect monies for a Club donation, this also could be done by cheque or BACS. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Friends of the Craigallian Fire’ and sent to me at my address below. Please let me know which method (Club or individual) you would prefer. If you do make a donation, we would like to list your name on the website as a 'Friend of the Fire' – please let me know if you would prefer this not to be done.

Thank you for your help,
Iain Grieve