Mountaineering huts

Protection for your club's assets
With many mountaineering huts being located in remote areas and non-standard in construction, it is important to get the right cover. Howden and Mountaineering Scotland has a bespoke solution for insuring huts with Hiscox Insurance.
Your club can arrange cover for:
- Buildings, including those of non-standard construction
- Contents
- Equipment
- Plant
- Business interruption
- Flood and storm damage
Liability insurance
As a member of Mountaineering Scotland, a club that owns a hut (or a hut trust) is protected by Public Liability Insurance with a limit of indemnity of £20 million. This policy includes cover for committee members, directors and trustees, Employers Liability and specifically notes "representation on any management committee or acting as a trustee with respect to the operation of mountaineering huts" within the cover.
Cover for club members undertaking hut maintenance is only included in respect of organised club working parties. It is recognised that hut wardens will, from time to time, carry out work on huts and enlist club members to help with this. For insurance purposes these are considered to be club working parties, but please note that the club and club members are not insured if members decide to undertake ad hoc maintenance at a hut outside of a club working party.
Maintenance by volunteers
Huts often need maintenance and many clubs have volunteers willing to carry out any work required, but this can bring additional risks. The club has a duty of care to its members and so could have a liability for injuries suffered by volunteers whilst they're working on the hut on the club's behalf.
Work undertaken by volunteers subject to the following conditions:
- Cover is not included for any work at height, use of chainsaws, work on gas appliances or electrical work that requires Part P certification. If a club has volunteers who intend to undertake such work it should be referred to Howden for approval before it commences. Find out more about the information insurers will need you to provide.
- If the volunteer is a working tradesperson or contractor, the club should contract them to do the work professionally regardless as to whether there is fee. This way the liability for the works and any injury to the volunteer rests with the tradesman's own professional insurance, rather than the club. If the work performed under these circumstances includes work at height, use of chainsaws or electrical work, this does not need to be referred for approval provided the contractor provides evidence of their insurance. If the contractor is simply working as a volunteer as part of a working party, however, this would fall under the clubs insurance.