Abernethy, formerly known as the Abernethy Trust (founded in 1971) is a non-profit making organization with a charitable status. Abernethy provides four outdoor activities centres, based in Scotland, providing outdoor instruction and residential facilities, staffed by committed Christians.
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. In 1997 this centre became the home of the Abernethy Trust School of Adventure Leadership. The last centre to be added to the new corporate image of the 'Abernethy Trust' (1996) was Barcaple Outdoor Centre. This Centre was already operating as a Christian outdoor centre, independent from the Abernethy Trust, but they approached Abernethy asking if they could merge their ministry in Dumfries and Galloway with the Abernethy Trust. 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: primary schools booking a lot of the week slots; youth groups both Christian and non Christian booking weekend breaks; family weeks in the summer and winter; youth camps throughout the year; student expeditions; people looking for qualifications in outdoor adventure; Charity and university groups.
The activities provided (although not at every centre) include: Mountain biking, kayaking, canoeing, climbing, abseiling, archery, skiing, snowboarding, coasteering, assault courses, challenge and Teambuilding courses, high ropes and low ropes courses, hill walking, gorge adventure, bushcraft, crate climbing, weasling, raft building, forest adventure, Jacobs ladder and trapeze, tree-top trail and sea kayaking.
Each centre also boasts various facilities (not at every centre) 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
The four Abernethy adventure centres are located at:
- Nethybridge, a forest village in Inverness-shire, close to Loch Morlich and the River Spey
- Ardeonaig, set on the South bank of Loch Tay in Highland Perthshire.
- Ardgour, situated on the shores of Loch Linnhe
- Barcaple, situated on the edge of the Southern Uplands between the Solway coast and the Galloway hills