Great Glen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Great Glen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Glen

Coordinates: 57.3000N 4.4500W

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Great Glen (Scottish Gaelic: An Gleann Mr), also known as Glen Albyn (from the Scottish Gaelic
Gleann Albainn "Glen of Scotland") or Glen More (from the Scottish Gaelic An Gleann Mr) is a long and
straight glen in Scotland running for 62 miles (100 km) from Inverness on the edge of Moray Firth, to Fort
William at the head of Loch Linnhe.
The Great Glen follows a large geological fault known as the Great Glen Fault. It
bisects the Scottish Highlands into the Grampian Mountains to the southeast and
the Northwest Highlands to the northwest.
The glen is a natural travelling route in the Highlands of Scotland, which is used
by both the Caledonian Canal and the A82 road, which link the city of Inverness
on the northeast coast with Fort William on the west coast. The Invergarry and
Fort Augustus Railway was built in 1896 from the southern end of the glen to
the southern end of Loch Ness, but was never extended to Inverness. The
railway closed in 1947.
A recent development was the opening of a long-distance route for cyclists,
canoeist and walkers. Called the Great Glen Way, it links Fort William to
Inverness.[1] Officially opened on 30 April 2002 by HRH The Earl of Inverness,
the route is a series of footpaths, forestry tracks, canal paths and occasional
stretches of road.[2][3]

The Great Glen Fault

Its strategic importance in controlling the Highland Scottish clans, particularly around the time of the
Jacobite uprisings of the 18th century, is recognised by the presence of the towns of Fort William in the
south, Fort Augustus in the middle of the Glen, and Fort George, just to the north of Inverness.
Much of the glen is taken up with a series of lochs, with rivers connecting them. The Caledonian Canal also
uses the lochs as part of the route, but the rivers are not navigable.
From northeast to southwest, the natural water features along the Great Glen are:
River Ness (Abhainn Nis)
Loch Dochfour (Loch Dabhach Phuir)
Loch Ness (Loch Nis)
River Oich (Abhainn Omhaich)
Loch Oich (Loch Omhaich)
Loch Lochy (Loch Lochaidh)
River Lochy (Abhainn Lochaidh)
Loch Linnhe (An Linne Dhubh)
The watershed, or water-divide, lies between Loch Oich and Loch Lochy. Loch Linnhe to the south of Fort
William is a sea-loch into which both the River Lochy and Caledonian Canal emerge. At the north end, the
River Ness empties into the Moray Firth.

Seismic activity
Although earthquakes in the vicinity of the Great Glen Fault tend to be minor, seismic activity is a
consideration in the design of infrastructure. For example, the Kessock Bridge includes seismic buffers.[4]

2016-07-04 16:22

Great Glen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2 of 2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Glen

References
1. The Great Glen Way, Paddy Dillon, Cicerone, 2007
2. http://www.outdoorhighlands.co.uk/long-distance-trails/great-glen-way-2/route/
3. http://www.greatglencanoetrail.info/
4. Preece, Robert (1995). "Earthquakes in the Inverness Area". Scottish Association of Geography Teachers
Journal (24).

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Categories: Glens of Scotland Valleys of Argyll and Bute Valleys of Highland (council area)
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2016-07-04 16:22