Glen Nevis
Glen Nevis (Gaelic: Gleann Nibheis) is a glen in western Inverness-shire, running below the slopes of Ben Nevis down to the sea in Loch Lochy. At its foot sits Fort William, and down the glen flows the River Nevis.
The glen is bordered to the south by the Mamore range, and to the north by the Nevis Range, the highest mountains in the British Isles: Ben Nevis, Càrn Mor Dearg, Aonach Mòr, and Aonach Beag.
In the glen are three of the highest waterfalls in Britain: Steall Falls, where the Allt Coire a'Mhail joins the Water of Nevis in the glen. Below the waterfall is a steeply walled and impressive gorge.
A public road runs for seven miles up the Glen, becoming single track after 4 miles. There is a hotel, hostel, and campsite at the bottom of the glen, near Fort William, and a small hamlet further up at Achriabhach.
From the car park at the end of the Glen Nevis road, a path continues through a gorge. After a scramble up this rocky path, the view opens up and the path leads into the peaceful upper glen. A wire bridge crosses to the base of the waterfall. Built by the famous Engineer Tom Russell while in training for the Royal Engineers (JLRRE MacPhee troop) as a HAT before joining 9SQN. This bridge was closed for three months in 2010 when one of the cables snapped.[1]
The path has been improved periodically to ease access and to reduce the damaging effects of soil erosion caused by many walkers, but it remains challenging in places, and as the sign at the car park warns, potentially fatal. There have been several accidents in Glen Nevis, including the death of a young walker in August 2006.[2]
On film and popular culture
Several films have been shot in Glen Nevis, including some scenes from the Harry Potter films,[3] Highlander, Highlander III: The Sorcerer, Braveheart and Rob Roy (1995).
Glen Nevis river race
A 2-mile race down the River Nevis has been run in the summer since 1973. Competitors use floating aids such as LiLos to navigate the river. The race can take from 20 minutes to 2 hours dependent upon water flow. After a hiatus of several years, the race was run again from 2008 to the present.[4]
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Glen Nevis) |
- Location map: 56°46’14"N, 5°2’8"W
References
- ↑ John McHale (24 August 2010). "Steall Bridge Reopens to Walkers". Grough. http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2010/08/24/steall-bridge-reopens-to-walkers. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
- ↑ "Girl dies after fall on mountain". BBC News. 16 August 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/4796515.stm. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
- ↑ C.D. Miller (2012). "23". Harry Potter Places Book Five—Scotland. First Edition Design Pub.. p. 209. ISBN 162287224X. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=LYfQFKxrCzsC&pg=PT209&dq=River+Nevis&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5Vt2UpfEEsnH0QXax4HIBw&ved=0CFMQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=River%20Nevis&f=false. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ↑ "Glen Nevis River Race". No Fuss Events. http://www.nofussevents.co.uk/event/Glen-Nevis-River-Race/2897/. Retrieved 5 November 2013.