The new Abyssinia bothy. Photo: MBA
A new mountain shelter with an African slant has opened for outdoor enthusiasts in a popular walking area in the Scottish Highlands.
The Bothy in Glen Kinglas is known as Abyssinia, and is now available for use after extensive renovation by charity volunteers.
The Mountain Bothies Association said 50 of its helpers worked over a three-week period to convert the building into a bothy for use by hillwalkers and other outdoors fans.
A spokesperson for the charity said: “We are extremely grateful to Strone estate for allowing us to renovate and maintain this building and for the assistance that they gave us both before and during the work party.
“While the bothy is now open for use, there are a few jobs left to do including unblocking the chimney. It is hoped that these will be tackled during the summer.”
The interior of the bothy. Photo: MBA
Work undertaken by the volunteers included strengthening the gable wall, pointing the walls, repainting the roof, partitioning the existing single room into two rooms, replacing a window with a door into the new room, installing a wooden floor, installing a ceiling in the main bothy area, and digging a drainage channel.
The new bothy, a single storey building measuring 12.5m long by 6.5m wide, is within striking distance of the Arrochar Alps, with munros Beinn Ime, Ben Vorlich, Beinn Narnain and Ben Vane as well as corbetts such as the Cobbler, Beinn Luibhean and Binnein an Fhidhleir within walking range.
Abyssinia is the third new bothy to be opened by the MBA in 2017, following Flittingford in the Kielder Forest and Cae Amos in Snowdonia.
The new shelter can be found in Glen Kinglas, Argyll, within the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park, at grid reference NN 256 117. Users should follow the bothy code. The building is on a private track with no vehicular access.
The building was derelict before the charity's renovation. Photo: MBA
The MBA is a charity established in 1965. With the consent and support of their owners, the association undertakes the restoration and maintenance of old cottages, huts and similar buildings throughout the wilder parts of Scotland, England and Wales for use as open shelters for walkers and other outdoor enthusiasts.
The association currently looks after 102 bothies – 82 in Scotland, 11 in England and 9 in Wales. All of the restoration and maintenance work is undertaken by volunteers and is financed by member subscriptions and by donations and legacies.
Abyssinia was an African empire occupying part of the modern state of Ethiopia.
Deborah Houston
27 August 2018My great great great grandfather, John McDonald lived in Abyssinia in the 1830’s when it was a Croft, at that time it was called Beinacariche. He was dispossessed of it in the 1840’s during the Highland Clearances.
Pleased to see it restored so beautifully and in use as a bothy.
Deborah Houston(nee McDonald)
27 August 2018Acknowledgements to Sarah McDonald for her research re.the above. I believe John McDonald was also her great great great grandfather.
JACK DOUGALL. ( IN HIS EIGHTY-FIRST YEAR, SO I WON’T BE FOLLOWING IN HER FOOTSTEPS!)
21 January 2019IT IS VERY ENLIGHTENING AND INTERESTING. I WAS POINTED IN THIS DIRECTION BY ONE, MAUREEN MACKINTOSH(NE CRAIG), WHO OBVIOUSLY IS AN OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST AND HILLWALKER. SHE USED ABYSSINIA THIS PAST WEEKEND AND ALTHOUGH SHE FOUND IT RATHER COLD, I TRUST SHE’S SURVIVED?! IT LOOKS A GRAND WEE PLACE FOR A BIT OF SHELTER AND A PLACE TO RELAX BEFORE TRAMPING ON THROUGH THE HEATHER.
John Vaughan
02 September 2021Ah, nomenclature! How I love it and where shall I start? Let's start with McDonald - Deborah above tells us her ancestor, John of that name, lived there in the early 19th century. Had the affectation 'Mc' replaced the original 'Mac' already or is there another explanation? Second name: Deborah tells us it was called 'Beinacariche' in those days and this must be from the Corbett just 2km to the south, Beinn Chorranach. Just an educated guess. The third and most interesting to me is Abyssinia, no doubt 'the African slant' that Bob talks about in his blurb above. (I thought he meant the style of the roof). Obviously the last part of the word comes from the burn 'Allt Uaine' since uaine (turquoise) is pronounced 'oo-anne-ya' but where did the 'abyss' bit come from? my Gaidhlig is not extensive enough to hazard a guess but someone might help. Anyway, thanks to all - I'm heading there the noo!
David
27 July 2022abhainnuaine
Green River? since it lies at the foot of Glen Uaine and The Kinglas River flows down the same Glen before turning at Abyssinia towards Butterbridge.
David
27 July 2022abhainnuaine
Green River? since it lies at the foot of Glen Uaine (Uaine is Green) and The Kinglas River (River is Abhainn) flows down the same Glen before turning at Abyssinia towards Butterbridge.