Ben Wyvis

Ben Wyvis - Glas Leathad Mòr
Beinn Uais
Ben Wyvis seen from near Loch Glascarnoch
Highest point
Elevation 1,046 m (3,432 ft) [1]
Prominence c. 691 m
Parent peak Beinn Dearg
Listing Marilyn, Munro
Naming
Translation Hill of terror - big green slope (Gaelic)
Pronunciation Scottish Gaelic: [peɲ ˈuəʃ ˈklˠ̪as̪ʎɛhət̪ ˈmoːɾ]
Geography
Location Easter Ross, Scotland
OS grid NH463684
Topo map OS Landranger 20
Listed summits of Ben Wyvis
NameGrid refHeightStatus
Glas Leathad MòrNH4636841046 mMunro, Marilyn
Tom a' ChòinnichNH463700953 mMunro Top
An CabarNH450666946 mMunro Top
Glas Leathad BeagNH492706928 mMunro Top, HuMP

Ben Wyvis (from the Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Uais meaning "hill of terror") is a mountain located in Easter Ross, Ross and Cromarty, Highland, in northern Scotland, north-west of Dingwall. It forms an undulating ridge running roughly north-south for about 5 km, the highest summit of which is Glas Leathad Mòr. Geologically, the ridge is composed of Moine pelitic gneiss.

The summit ridge is carpeted with the woolly hair moss Racomitrium lanuginosum, rather than the heather or grass found on most other Scottish mountains, whilst the lower slopes support dwarf shrub heath and boglands. The heath and bogland is home to a variety of plants, including dwarf birch, cloudberry, dwarf cornel and alpine bearberry. The site is an important breeding ground for the Eurasian dotterel, and represents at least 2.4% of the breeding population in Great Britain[2]. The site is designated as both a National Nature Reserve and a Special Protection Area.

It is usually climbed from the west, as that side is easy of access from the A835 road. The lower slopes are forested, and owned by the Forestry Commission. The summit ridge itself is a National Nature Reserve.

Ben Wyvis stands on the northern edge of the Clan Munro country. By tradition, the Munros hold their land from the Crown. The king declared that they held their lands on condition of furnishing a snowball at midsummer if required. This condition they could easily fulfil, as snow was to be found in some of the mountain corries of their property all year round.

Ben Wyvis National Nature Reserve

Ben Wyvis National Nature Reserve (NNR) encompasses the western and southern slopes of Ben Wyvis, and the summit plateau of Glas Leathad Mòr, which stands at an impressive 1,046 metres above sea level. Managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the reserve contains a range of important habitats for wildlife, as well as important geological features. The reserve habitats range from scattered native woodland and shrub-rich heath on the lower slopes, moorland further upland, and a mosaic of upland communities on the high tops and crags.

Ben Wyvis supports around 2% of the UK's population of dotterel, which use the moss-heath of the plateau to breed.[3] Ptarmigan also breed on upland areas of the reserve, nesting in higher areas among the boulders and scree. Other birds at Ben Wyvis include golden plover, red grouse and ravens, as well as birds of prey such as peregrine falcon and golden eagle.

Ben Wyvis is also home to over 170 plant species, including the nationally scarce dwarf birch, as well as other rare species, such as alpine foxtail.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "walkhighlands Ben Wyvis". walkhighlands.co.uk. 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/nnr/The_Story_of_Ben_Wyvis_National_Nature_Reserve.pdf

Coordinates: 57°40′45″N 4°34′45″W / 57.67912°N 4.57922°W / 57.67912; -4.57922

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