Ben More Assynt
| Ben More Assynt | |
| Sutherland | |
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 Ben More Assynt | |
| Summit: | 3,274 feet NC318201 |
Ben More Assynt (Gaelic: Beinn Mhòr Asaint) is a mountain in Sutherland which rises to a height of 3,274 feet and is the highest point in the county.
Ben More is found 19 miles north of the town of Ullapool in the remote Assynt district of north-western Sutherland, from which the mountain takes its full name, to avoid confusion with the many mountains name "Ben More" The name Ben More is Gaelic, Beinn Mhòr meaning simply "big mountain".
The mountain lies in the east of Assynt, set apart from the area's better known and more dramatic if less lofty mountains such as Suilven. It is hidden from the traveller on the A837 road by the adjacent Munro of Conival, and the best views of it are obtained from nearby summits. The higher slopes of the mountain are capped by light coloured quartzite boulders, giving it a distinctive appearance.
Over a great area of land around Ben More Assynt have been declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of their geological interest and rare plant species.
Geography
Ben More Assynt is situated on a ridge of high ground which runs roughly north to south (to the west of which runs the A837 road) near Inchnadamph. This ridge forms part of the main north–south watershed between the waters which drain eastwards to the North Sea and those draining westwards to the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain's eastern and southern slopes are drained by the River Oykel and its tributary, the River Cassley, which flow into the Dornoch Firth on Scotland's east coast. The River Traligill drains the western flanks through Loch Assynt to reach the Atlantic at Lochinver.
The mountain is connected to the neighbouring peak of Conival to the west by a lofty ridge with a low point of 2,890 feet. Since Conival lies in the way of the ascent from Inchnadamph, the two are almost invariably ascended together. Ben More Assynt also has a subsidiary "top" listed in Munro's Tables, called simply the South Top; situated a thousand yards south of the summit and rising to 3,150 feet.
Geology
The ridge which leads to the South Top is composed of Lewisian gneiss, and is the highest located example of this rock in Scotland.
The whole of Assynt is an important geological location and a classic example of plate tectonics, and Ben More Assynt is a significant part of this, being the location of the Ben More Thrust Sheet, which in turn is part of the famous Moine Thrust Belt. Geological plate collisions have given Ben More Assynt a unique geology consisting of a base of Lewisian gneiss overlain by sedimentary rocks, including Torridonian sandstone topped off by Cambrian quartzite.
Ascents
An ascent of Ben More Assynt is usually combined with the neighbouring Munro of Conival, which if starting from the hamlet of Inchnadamph (grid reference NC250218), is climbed first.
From Inchnadamph the route of ascent follows the River Traligill to its source on the col between Conival and Beinn an Fhurain at a height of 2,460 feet. It is then a stiff climb over shattered quartzite to reach Conival's highest point. Ben More Assynt's summit lies a mile east and is a demanding walk over quartzite stones and scree, even though there is only just over 300 feet of re-ascent. The summit is marked by a shattered lump of quartzite.
The sharp arête is quite tricky to negotiate in places; according to Ralph Storer, it "has been flatteringly compared to the Aonach Eagach, with several unexpectedly awkward moves across exposed slabs requiring care (especially when wet)".[1]
Wildlife and conservation
Ben More Assynt is home to many threatened species of vegetation. There are four species of plants which are on the World Conservation Union's Red List of Threatened Species, and there are 27 nationally scarce varieties of plants within the Site of Special Scientific Interest.
In 2005 and 2006 the firm Airtricity proposed to build a 25-turbine wind farm at Invercassly, 14 miles southeast of the mountain. Protesters used Ben More Assynt in their arguments against the project, saying that the wind farm would have a detrimental effect on the view from the mountain and the sense of wilderness would be greatly reduced. The future of the proposal is still in discussion.
Picture gallery
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Ben More Assynt and Conival from Loch Bealach na h-Uidhe -
The Summit -
The Conival - Ben More Assynt ridge
References
- ↑ "100 Best Routes On Scottish Mountains", Ralph Storer, ISBN 0-7515-0300-2, Gives this quote.
- The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland, Irvine Butterfield, ISBN 0-906371-30-9
- The Munros (SMC Guide), Donald Bennet et al., ISBN 0-907521-13-4
- 100 Best Routes on Scottish Mountains, Ralph Storer, ISBN 0-7515-0300-2
- Hamish's Mountain Walk, Hamish Brown, ISBN 1-898573-08-5
- University of Leeds page on Assynt Geology
- Airtricity page on Invercassley wind farm
- Scotland Natural Heritage page on SSSI
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Ben More Assynt) |
| Munros in SMC Area SMC Section 16 - Coigach to Cape Wrath |
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