Beinn Eighe

Coordinates: 57°35′37″N 5°25′46″W / 57.593735°N 5.429454°W / 57.593735; -5.429454
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Beinn Eighe
Gaelic
PronunciationScottish Gaelic: [peɲ ˈe.ə ˈrˠuəs̪t̪ak ˈmoːɾ]
Geography
Map
LocationTorridon Hills, Scotland
OS gridNG951611
Topo mapOS Landranger 19
Listed summits
of Beinn Eighe
Name Grid ref Height Status
Ruadh-stac Mòr NG951611 1,010 m (3,314 ft)
Marilyn, Munro
Spidean Coire nan Clach NG966597 993 m (3,258 ft)
Marilyn
Sail Mhòr NG938605 980 m (3,215 ft)
Murdo
Còinneach Mhòr NG944600 976 m (3,202 ft)
Murdo
Sgùrr Bàn NG974600 970 m (3,182 ft)
Murdo
Sgùrr nan Fhir Duibhe NG981600 963 m (3,159 ft)
Murdo
Creag Dhubh NG983604 930 m (3,051 ft) SubMurdo
Creag Dhubh North Top NG985607 909 m (2,982 ft) deleted Munro Top
Ruadh-stac Beag NG972613 896 m (2,940 ft)
Marilyn

Beinn Eighe (

Scottish Gaelic for 'file mountain')[3] is a mountain massif in the Torridon area of Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. Lying south of Loch Maree, it forms a long ridge with many spurs and summits, two of which are classified as Munros: Ruadh-stac Mòr at 1,010 m (3,314 ft) and Spidean Coire nan Clach at 993 m (3,258 ft). Unlike most other hills in the area it has a cap of Cambrian basal quartzite which gives the peaks of Beinn Eighe a distinctive light colour. Its complex topography has made it popular with both hillwalkers and climbers and the national nature reserve
on its northern side makes it an accessible mountain for all visitors.

Geography

View of Ruadh-stac Mòr and the western part of Beinn Eighe

Located between Loch Maree and Glen Torridon on the west coast of Scotland, Beinn Eighe is a complex mountain. The main ridge runs on a line extending from close to the village of

A896 and A832 roads, however the area to the northwest is largely unpopulated, comprising the mountainous landscape of the Torridon Hills and the Flowerdale Forest.[5]

The eastern half of Beinn Eighe is owned by NatureScot, who manage it as a national nature reserve, whilst the rest of the southern side is owned by the National Trust for Scotland: this area is also managed as part of the reserve.[6][7] The remaining northwestern part of Beinn Eighe lies within the Grudie & Talladale Estate.[8]

Two of Beinn Eighe's summits are classified as Munros. The highest point Beinn Eighe, Ruadh-stac Mòr ('Big Red Stack' in

Corbett.[10]

One of the most famous features of Beinn Eighe is the corrie of Coire Mhic Fhearchair, often simply known as the "Triple Buttress Corrie" after the three large rock features which dominate the view from the north. There are many rock climbs on the buttresses and hillwalkers can access the tops of the buttresses from the head of the corrie.[3]

Geology

In common with much of the

trilobites,[12] and worm burrows, are some of the oldest fossils to be found in Scotland.[11] The fossil of one creature identified in the rocks of Beinn Eighe, Olenellus armatus, has not been found at any other location.[12]

The area was heavily sculpted by glaciers during successive ice ages.[11]

Flora and fauna

Purple saxifrage at Sgùrr Ban

Many rare plants, including two variants of dwarf shrub heath and a western variant of moss heath, are to be found at Beinn Eighe. In total 680 different species of plants have been identified, including the greatest variety of oceanic mosses and liverworts of any single site in Britain.

brook saxifrage.[13]

In total 235 ha of the Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve are covered in ancient woodlands, which grows in areas between 12 and 300 metres above sea level, and the woodland at Coille na Glas Leitir on the northern side of the mountain is the largest fragment of ancient

Scots pine in this area show genetic differences to those in eastern parts of Scotland, and are more similar to those growing in southern Europe. It is thought that this results from the fact that western Scotland became ice-free first at the end of the last ice-age, allowing pine to move north along the western fringe of Europe. Pines reached Eastern Scotland from more northerly areas during a later period, as the ice sheets retreated further.[17] In March 2019 a "genetic reserve" was established at Beinn Eighe as part of the European Forest Genetic Resources Programme in order to coordinate investigation and protection of the unique DNA fingerprint of the area's pines.[18]

Bird species observed at Beinn Eighe include

pine martens, although the Scottish wildcat has not been observed for many years. Otters breed along the shores of Loch Maree, and have been sighted on burns and lochans up to 400 m above sea level.[22]

Ascents

The triple buttresses of Coire Mhic Fhearchair.

Beinn Eighe's complex topography offers both hillwalkers and climbers a wide variety of routes, climbs and traverses. For the hillwalker a popular route is the western traverse which includes both of the Munro summits and Coire Mhic Fhearchair. A full traverse of Beinn Eighe includes navigating a series of pinnacles known as the Black Carls, which provide good

weasel words
]

The cartographer Timothy Pont visited the Loch Maree area when producing his series of maps of Scotland in the late sixteenth century, including a sketch of Coire Mhic Fhearchair on his maps,[23] however there is little evidence of any recorded visits to the summits of Beinn Eighe prior to the nineteenth century.[24] The earliest recorded ascent appears to have been during surveying of the boundary between the Gairloch and Torridon Estates, which surveyor George Campbell Smith was required to determine and delineate in 1851.[25]

Air crash

Wreckage from Avro Lancaster TX264 in Coire Mhic Fhearchair in 2005

The Triple Buttress Corrie was the scene of an aviation tragedy on the night of 13–14 March 1951. An

Faroe Isles, and was due back at around 2:30 am. During the return journey the weather conditions were poor, with freezing temperatures and a strong north-easterly wind.[26]

Although experienced local mountaineers offered to assist, the

Royal Marine commandos
reached the crash site. It was not until nearly 6 months after the incident that the bodies of the crew were finally recovered.

The length of time taken to complete the recovery operation was a key factor in the introduction of formal training courses for the

gamekeepers and gillies in removing the bodies was instrumental in the formation of the Kinlochewe and Torridon Mountain Rescue Team.[26]

The eight crew members who died in the incident were:[26]

  • Fl/Lt Harry Smith Reid DFC (29), Pilot, RAF.
  • Sgt Ralph Clucas (23), Co-Pilot, RAF.
  • Flt Lt Robert Strong (27), Navigator, RAF.
  • Fl/Lt Peter Tennison (26), Air Signals, RAF.
  • Sgt James Naismith (28), Air Signals, RAF.
  • Sgt Wilfred D Beck (19), Air Signals, RAF.
  • Sgt James W Bell (25), Air Signals, RAF.
  • Sgt George Farquhar (29), Flight Engineer, RAF.

Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve

Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve
Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve signage
Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve signage
Map showing the location of Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve
Map showing the location of Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve
LocationWester Ross, Scotland
Coordinates57°36′50″N 5°19′01″W / 57.614°N 5.317°W / 57.614; -5.317
Area4758 ha[20]
Established1951[15]
Governing bodyNatureScot
Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

The Beinn Eighe

tree nursery lies alongside the field station; trees are raised from local stock for planting on the reserve in order to expand the amount of woodland.[34]

The Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR forms part of the

black-throated diver in Britain.[38]

References

Citations

  1. ^ "Beinn Eighe". Hill Bagging - the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH). 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Beinn Eighe - Ruadh-stac Mor, Scotland". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  3. ^
    ISBN 9780907521945
    .
  4. ^ "Walking Scotland - Beinn Eighe". Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  5. ^ a b c Ordnance Survey. 1:25000 Explorer map. Sheet 433, Torridon - Beinn Eighe & Liathach.
  6. ^ "Property Page: Torridon". Who Owns Scotland. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  7. ^ a b The Story of Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve. p. 27
  8. ^ "Property Page: Grudie & Talladale Estate". Who Owns Scotland. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  9. ISBN 0947782508
    .
  10. ISBN 9780907521716
    .
  11. ^ a b c The Story of Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve. p. 4
  12. ^ a b c d "Beinn Eighe Site of Special Scientific Interest Citation (Site code: 167)". Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  13. ^ a b The Story of Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve. p. 9.
  14. ^ a b The Story of Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve. p. 10.
  15. ^ a b The Story of Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve. p. 1.
  16. ^ The Story of Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve. p. 6.
  17. ^ a b The Story of Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve. p. 5.
  18. ^ Ken Macdonald (20 March 2019). "Genetic reserve in Wester Ross to protect Scotland's national tree". BBC News. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Beinn Eighe & Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve". NatureScot. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  20. ^ a b c "Beinn Eighe NNR". NatureScot. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  21. ^ The Story of Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve. p. 12.
  22. ^ The Story of Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve. p. 11.
  23. ^ Mitchell. p. 105.
  24. ^ Mitchell. p. 136.
  25. ^ Mitchell. pp. 198-201.
  26. ^ a b c "Avro Lancaster TX264". Gordon Lyons (Air Crash Sites Scotland). Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  27. ^ a b "Beinn Eighe". Protected Planet. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  28. ^ "Obituary: John Berry" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  29. ^ "The Management Plan for Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR 2015-2025" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2018. p. 3. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  30. ^ "The Management Plan for Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR 2015-2025" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2018. p. 1. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  31. ^ "Loch Maree Islands NNR". NatureScot. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  32. ^ "Visit Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve - Tadhail Beinn Eighe Tèarmann Nàdair Nàiseanta" (PDF). 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  33. ^ "UNESCO Beinn Eighe Biosphere Reserve Information Website". Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  34. ^ The Story of Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve. p. 28
  35. ^ "Wester Ross Biosphere Reserve Application" (PDF). Wester Ross Biosphere Ltd. September 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  36. ^ "Loch Maree SPA Citation". Scottish Natural Heritage. August 1993. Retrieved 10 October 2018.

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beinn Eighe.

57°35′37″N 5°25′46″W / 57.593735°N 5.429454°W / 57.593735; -5.429454

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beinn_Eighe&oldid=1270028733"