The Haunted Bothy - Abyssinia
Abyssinia Bothy in Glen Kinglas
What’s in a name? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot.
Abyssinia. The only point of reference I had for it was from history lessons at school and the ill-fated campaign of the Italians. A perceived slight in the previous century had led to the Kind of Abyssinia taking some of the British hostage in a bid to seek a degree of international recognition. I’m sure you’re wondering what this has to do with a small farm in the Scottish Highlands.
Iain Mor, or Big John in English, is posited to have taken the King’s Shilling and embarked upon a rescue mission to free the British hostages in Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia). The contrast between life in the Highlands and Abyssinia is unimaginable and the effect this might have had on an impressionable young man is hard to fathom. One can imagine that some might have gone through the experience with a degree of glib ignorance. Whatever Iain Mor’s experience was, he took the name back home to Scotland with him and put it on the map.
After his return there was a period of transition in the cartographical nomenclature with the holding eventually becoming known as Abyssinia. This is something of a unique occurrence within place names of the time. From the exotic Abyssinia to the Tolkien-esque Butterbridge we have a couple of seemingly out of place names amidst the Gaelic storytelling in many of the other landmarks.
The Abyssinia Bothy came under control of the MBA in 2017 and extensive work was undertaken to make the shelter suitable for those who love the wild and lonely places. Care was taken to ensure the bothy was well-ventilated and insulated – something I am most grateful for having stayed in some which have not enjoyed as much attention in renovation.
The dowling stove functions well and, alongside the insulation, heats the main room well without much in the way of condensation. Similarly, the trickle vents in the sleeping bunks help keep the damp at bay and made for a far more enjoyable stay than I have enjoyed elsewhere.
During my stay I was lucky in encountering two Maintenance Officers from the MBA. They took the time to explain to me a lot of the work that had gone into the bothy and a lot of the thought that informed that work. They clearly enjoyed the history as much as I did, indulging in the tales with a healthy mix of enjoyment and scepticism.
The Bothy lies in the Strone Estate in Glen Kinglas. On still days cars can still be heard rumbling in the distance, but the arc of the glen protects you from the majority of this and a light breeze washes the rest of the noise away. There is mobile signal in the bothy which lessens the wild and lonely element a touch, but there’s nothing to be done for that.
Surrounded by excellent hillwalking, increasingly vibrant wildlife, and some beautiful scenery, the bothy is a great place to relax and explore while still being close enough to get back to the city within a couple of hours. I admit, I normally crave something a little further afield, a little harder to reach, but this could serve as a great sticking plaster when my feet begin to itch or for those who’d like to get their first bothy under their belt.
