Glen Lui

Glen Lui from Gleann Laoigh – calves' glen – Gordon (1925) is one of the major glens on the Mar Lodge Estate, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Its main watercourse is the Lui Water a tributary of the River Dee, which it joins about a half-mile downstream from the Linn of Dee.

Known colloquially as the Canadian Campsite – this Lumber Camp was occupied during WWII by Canadian Lumberjacks. The Canadian Campsite covered the corner of land on the East bank of the Lui Water and the North bank of the River Dee and extending northward across the public road – the area is now covered by a Plantation created in the 1980s.

Before the Plantation was created the wartime occupation was evident on the ground with concrete blocks on the surface, partially rotted logs 'nailed' together with ½" spikes. In some of the standing Scots Pines were mounted insulators for carrying wire – presumably for their telephone system.

Near the small beach on the south side of the Canadian Campsite a log-bridge crossed the River Dee and there are still spiked-logs on the north bank and spikes in the rock on the south-bank to show its exact position. The bridge survived into the 1960s – Wyness (1968) shows a photograph of the bridge adding in his notes:

The bridge built over the River Dee above Inverey by Canadian lumbermen during the Second World War. Damaged by floods, it was eventually demolished.

Until the Plantation was created the Canadian Campsite was used as a campsite by campers and caravaners. Hillwalkers camped overnight before heading into the Cairngorms or continuing their journey to Braemar. Some of the caravan owners left their caravans at the Canadian Campsite on a semi-permanent basis with 'regulars' maintaining a weekend and holiday community. Mar Lodge Estate more than tolerated the use of this area as a campsite – they managed the 'rubbish problem' on the campsite by maintaining a rubbish pit – covering it over when full, and digging another nearby.

Also on the Canadian Campsite there was a 'big ditch' apparently man-made, that appeared to have been open to the Lui Water. At its deepest and widest point the ditch was over 10 feet deep, and 20 feet wide. There were many 'spiked' logs at regular intervals along the ditch and perpendicular to its axis.

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Wikipedia