Auchmountain Road

Image: © Lairich Rig Taken: 25 Sep 2010

The name of the road changes at the section shown here; ahead, it is known as Image [The name Auchmountain has its origins in the farmstead of Achmugdon, which is shown on Roy's Military Survey of Scotland (1740s-50s). On John Ainslie's 1796 map of Renfrewshire, it is called Aughmugton. By the time of the earliest OS maps (1850s), the name has become Auchmountain. The farm was located alongside the Craigieknowe Burn, at Image; according to OS map evidence, it disappeared in the 1920s or 1930s as a result of housing developments. See also Image] Greenock also had an Auchmountain Shipping Company. The firm launched a barque called "Auchmountain" in 1892. Unfortunately, on its maiden voyage, while the vessel was moored near the entrance of the Gare Loch, and after twenty tons of gunpowder had been loaded into the rear hold, a fire broke out. The crew (and an alarmed stowaway) all escaped safely. The captain and some of the crew later returned to throw as much of the gunpowder overboard as they could, but they had to withdraw when they realised that they were running out of time. When the inevitable explosion occurred, in the early hours of the morning, it blew out hundreds of windows in Greenock, Gourock and Dumbarton. The inhabitants of Pollokshaws (which is over twenty miles away, and a considerable distance inland, on the south side of Glasgow) thought that a small earthquake had occurred. See the book "Clyde Shipwrecks" (1988, Peter Moir and Ian Crawford) for full details. The Auchmountain Shipping Company went into liquidation soon afterwards.

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