'See you later civilisation' – A week in the Athnamulloch bothy

Photographer Kira Zumkley leaves her frantic life in London behind to reconnect with nature and plant trees on a Conservation Week in Glen Affric.

I first came across Trees For Life when I was looking for an environmental charity in the UK that I could do some work for. I had been volunteering before, but never in the UK and I was keen to see in what way I could make a contribution to the beautiful country I had chosen to live in.

Trees For Life seemed to be the perfect organisation to choose, as a week with them would not only provide me with the rewarding feeling of helping to restore the Caledonian Forest, but also with the opportunity to hike in one of the most beautiful rural areas of Scotland, learn about wildlife and reforestation, and unplug for a week from my frantic London life.

Our group met up in Inverness and after stashing all our bags in the van we started driving South towards Glen Affric. About an hour later our Conservation Week Leader Mike stopped the van in front of a little Spar and told us with a knowing smile in his eyes that this would not only be the last opportunity for us to stack up on chocolate, crisps, and cider, but also the last point where we would have signal for the next week. Dutifully we all shuffled into the Spar with our mobile phones in hand making sure to tell the world that we would be entering a different era in a few minutes. My message to my friends and family read “Still alive. Now entering no-signal zone. See you later civilisation”. However even while writing it I was wondering to what extend the last statement was indeed true. Yes, there would be no signal at where we were heading, and yes, as beautiful as the newly renovated Athnamulloch Cottage is, it does not have running water, central heating or electricity. But what it does have is cosy fire places and calm days without the glow of mobile phone screens or the distracting beeping of messages coming in. Above all is has relaxed volunteers who have to work together to get water from the burn thus forging a bond that would in other circumstances have taken weeks or even months to build.

Likewise the lack of electricity had an unexpected and, from the photographers point of view quite welcome influence on how I spend the week. Without artificial light my body got surprisingly quickly accustomed to the natural cycle of the sun which meant I was able to capture the most beautiful sun rises without having to set an alarm clock. By the time I would come back from my early morning explorations the rest of the cottage was buzzing with activity as everyone was gathering in the kitchen to have their share of porridge, tea, and toast. Once everyone was fed and had made their lunch we’d leave for the planting site looking rather dashing in our high-vis vests and muddy boots.

“There is nothing permanent but change and this is especially true for the Scottish weather. We often had four seasons in one day, but to look at the bright side this meant that after every hail storm, there would be a sunny spell to warm us up again!”

The hike took us through fields of meandering burns, grass, and heather further up the mountain always making up for the strenuous walk by presenting us with beautiful views of the Glen. Once at the planting site the Conservation Week Leaders would examine the ground making sure to show us for what kind of soil to look out for when planting our trees. The more days past, the better everyone got at seeing the signs above ground for good soil and it was always a pleasing feeling to know that you had found a good spot and done the best you could to give the little trees a good start away from the secure environment of the tree nursery.

There were many more rewarding moments and highlights during my week in Glen Affric which I can’t possibly all include in this post. To name a few there were relaxing moments such as lying down during lunch break with the sound of grass being crushed under my waterproofs and the immediate feeling of rest due to the decrease in wind which would now only lightly brush over my rather than fight against me.

Likewise it never got boring to see deer majestically wandering along the slopes, spot yet another brilliant rainbow spanning the whole of the glen or learn more about red squirrels and why it is so difficult to get aspen to reproduce. It was a week to behold and there is nothing like coming home from a day in the sun, rain, and hail to the smell of fire and a warm meal with friends having just planted trees in one of the most scenic landscapes of Scotland.