Abyssinia? Near Arrochar!

Jake Drummond · Post by **Jake Drummond** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:58 pm

It may well be that my brain cells are getting a bit dulled with the passing years but I seem to recall seeing a signpost for a place called Abyssinia, near Arrochar if I recall.
Can anyone confirm this, and supply a reason why the place was so named?

Post by **AndrewP** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:27 pm

Hi Jake,

A search on www.streetmap.co.uk for Abyssinia has only one result in the UK - only a few miles from Arrochar.

--> Abyssinia on the 1:50000 OS map <--

or zoomed out...

--> OS map zoomed out showing Arrochar area <--

As to why it should be named Abyssinia (old name for Ethiopia), I have no idea.

All the best,

AndrewP

Post by **emanday** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:33 pm

Like Moscow in Ayrshire, the reasons are probably lost in time.

Jake Drummond · Post by **Jake Drummond** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:38 pm

Thanks Andrew, for confirming that my memory is not gone all together!
Seems a strange name for such a small location, which appears to be, or have been, a farm.
Like you suggest Mary, the one who named it may be well gone, and any chance of finding out why it was so called may be gone too.

Post by **AndrewP** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:39 pm

Hi again Jake,

I had a look at some of the old maps on the NLS website. Abyssinia can be seen on the 1920s Ordnance Survey map and the 1912 Bartholomew map. There is no sign of it on older maps. The property is not there on the older maps by another name. It could be that it was built since the 1890s Ordnance Survey map, or merely that it was not shown on the earlier maps.

On looking at www.old-maps.co.uk and taking the co-ordinates given on the streetmap website, 225500 and 711500 you first see Abyssinia on an 1899 map. No sign of it on the 1874 map there.

All the best,

AndrewP

Jake Drummond · Post by **Jake Drummond** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:48 pm

That rather suggests an ex colonial soldier may have named it then, as I think that there were expeditionary forces in Abbysinia around the turn of the century, and certainly there was a military presence there pre WW1.
Maybe a census for the area would turn up something for the place name around 1901? An ex colonial officer who retained his rank or title (Major, Colonel?) would be too much to hope for!

I've no connection at all with Abyssinia; just a curiosity.

Have we any Arrocharians on site?

Post by **AndrewP** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 11:37 pm

Hi Janke,

According to one website, Abyssinia is now a bothy.

See http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/415260 for a picture of Abyssinia.

All the best,

AndrewP

Jake Drummond · Post by **Jake Drummond** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:42 pm

What a location for a house! No doubt some 'settler' will have an eye on it.
I'll see if any fellow hillwalkers know of it and it's origins.

Post by **AndrewP** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 6:34 pm

Hi Jake,

Here is another Abyssinia link - http://www.arrocharheritage.com/Arrocha ... ssinia.htm

All the best,

AndrewP

Jake Drummond · Post by **Jake Drummond** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 6:39 pm

Gets better by the minute Andrew; Ghosts, haunted hooses, spirits! I suspect the tramp perhaps had a sample of the 'spirit' too!
It appears to have been a but and ben type of hoose, with no outbuildings or enclosures judging by the maps.