While most academics spend years saving for a pile of urban bricks and mortar to call their own, Eleanor Harris had slightly different ideas.
With sweeping views, a spacious garden and no noisy neighbours, Blair House in Angus sounds like an impossible dream for any first-time buyer.
But the 35-year-old historian has set about turning the former Glen Doll outdoor centre, at the head of Glen Clova, into a “house for Scotland to come and visit”.
The former 20-bed field centre was home to two generations of Edinburgh Academy staff and pupils from 1970 until it closed in 2013.
The house is in rambling distance of Forestry Commission woods, a dozen Cairngorm Munros, habitats for eagles and red squirrels, and six sites of scientific interest like Corrie Fee.
Eleanor’s father was one of a new generation of teachers who saw thousands of children use the base to camp, orienteer, botanise, and derive artistic inspiration.
The post-doctorate fellow was moved to buy the property with money intended for her first house in Edinburgh, with hopes of rekindling “the spirit of Glen Doll”.
She said: “To the sorrow of the biologists and geographers, staff and their families, and of generations of alumni, the school decided to sell the beloved Blair House and develop a more diverse outdoor education programme.
“I decided to buy it and make it the educational field centre Blair House again. I hadn’t expected the torrent of support from the wider Blair House diaspora.”
Scottish Wildlife Trust’s chief executive Jonathan Hughes described the house as “one of those rare magical places with the capacity to transform lives by reconnecting people with nature and landscape”.
Edinburgh Academy rector Marco Longmore said: “The project will give many the chance to visit and experience this marvellous setting and keeps a long-standing association with this beautiful area alive.”
Before the centre can open it requires massive renovation to comply with modern fire and safety legislation, and Eleanor has launched a crowd-funding appeal towards the £200,000 needed to complete work by the summer.
Around £20,000 has been received in private loans from supporters, and Eleanor expects up to £80,000 in sustainability loans leaving around £100,000 to find.
The effort at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/blair-house needs to hit £5,000 by March 24 to receive any money at all.