Ben Wyvis
Encyclopedia
Ben Wyvis 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
http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-1882-theme=default. 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 corrie
s of their property all year round.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
located in Easter Ross
Easter Ross
Easter Ross is a loosely defined area in the east of Ross, Highland, Scotland.The name is used in the constituency name Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, which is the name of both a British House of Commons constituency and a Scottish Parliament constituency...
, Ross and Cromarty
Ross and Cromarty
Ross and Cromarty is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use...
, Highland
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
, in northern Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, north-west of Dingwall
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
. It forms an undulating ridge running roughly north-south for about 5 km, the highest summit of which is Glas Leathad Mòr. Geologically
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, the ridge is composed of Moine
Moine Supergroup
The Moine Supergroup is a sequence of Neoproterozoic metamorphic rocks that form the dominant outcrop of the Scottish Highlands between the Moine Thrust Belt to the northwest and the Great Glen Fault to the southeast. The sequence is metasedimentary in nature and was metamorphosed and deformed in a...
pelitic
Pelite
Pelite is old and currently not widely used field terminology for a clayey fine-grained clastic sediment or sedimentary rock, i.e. mud or mudstone. It is equivalent to the Latin-derived term lutite. More commonly, metamorphic geologists currently use pelite for a metamorphosed fine-grained...
gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
.
The summit ridge is carpeted with the woolly hair moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
Racomitrium lanuginosum, rather than the heather
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
or grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
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
Dwarf Birch
Betula nana is a species of birch in the family Betulaceae, found mainly in the tundra of the Arctic region.-Description:...
, Cloudberry
Cloudberry
Rubus chamaemorus is a rhizomatous herb native to alpine and arctic tundra and boreal forest, producing amber-colored edible fruit similar to the raspberry or blackberry...
, Dwarf Cornel
Dwarf Cornel
Dwarf Cornel may refer to the following plants:*Canadian Dwarf Cornel, Cornus canadensis.*Eurasian Dwarf Cornel, Cornus suecica....
and Alpine Bearberry
Alpine Bearberry
Arctostaphylos alpina is a procumbent shrub 10-30 cm high. Leaves are clearly toothed and the edges are not downturned. They often turn red in autumn and are not winter green, but dead leaves can persist on stems for several years...
. The site is an important breeding ground for the Eurasian Dotterel
Eurasian Dotterel
The Eurasian Dotterel , or in Europe just Dotterel, is a small wader in the plover family of birds.It breeds in the Arctic tundra of northern Eurasia, from Norway to eastern Siberia, and on suitable mountain plateaus such as the Scottish highlands and the Alps...
, and represents at least 2.4% of the breeding population in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-1882-theme=default. The site is designated as both a National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
and a Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
.
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
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
. The summit ridge itself is a National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
.
Ben Wyvis stands on the northern edge of the Clan Munro
Clan Munro
-Origins:The main traditional origin of the clan is that the Munros came from Ireland and settled in Scotland in the 11th century and that they fought as mercenary soldiers under the Earl of Ross who defeated Viking invaders in Rosshire...
country. By tradition, the Munros hold their land from the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
. The King declared that they held their lands on condition of furnishing a snowball
Snowball
A snowball is a spherical object made from snow, usually created by scooping snow with the hands, and compacting it into a roughly fist-sized ball. The snowball is often used to engage in games, such as snowball fights. Snowball fights are usually light-hearted and involve throwing snowballs at...
at midsummer if required. This condition they could easily fulfil, as snow was to be found in some of the mountain corrie
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
s of their property all year round.
External links
- Computer generated summit panoramas North South index
- Ben Wyvis NNR
- Ben Wyvis SPA
- Ben Wyvis route of ascent and map
