Glen Nevis
Gleann Nibheis
Glen Nevis is one of the most beautiful and spectacular glens in Scotland. It nestles at the foot of Ben Nevis and is easily accessible from Fort William on foot, by bike, car or bus. From the floor of Glen Nevis you can see some of the different rocks that make up the Highlands of Scotland, as well as dramatic evidence of sculpting by the huge Ice Age glaciers which once filled the glen.
The six stopping points on the geotrail help to explain the forces that have shaped the glen we see today.
1. Roaring mill - A'Mhuileann roiceach
The first stopping point lies 1km into the glen on the west bank of the River Nevis. Here you'll see some steeply inclined slabs of metamorphosed sandstone, known locally as the Eilde Flags. These were once sandy sediments on the edge of a great ocean and were created during the continental collisions that formed the Caledonian mountains. At about 700 million years old, these are the oldest rocks in the glen.
2. Lower falls - Na h-easan ìochdarach
The twin falls have been formed by the river eroding along the lines of two separate dykes cutting through the granite of Mullach nan Coirean. The dykes were formed when magma was injected into vertical fractures in the granite after it had cooled and crystallised.
3. Polldubh mica schists - Am Poll Dubh mica schists
The Polldubh crags are scattered across the hillside on the north side of the road. Popular with rock climbers, the slabby south faces of these crags show clear evidence of scraping by ice. These crags are made of mica schist, rock which began as muddy sediment that was metamorphosed during the formation of the Caledonian mountains. If you look closely you can see the twists and contortions of this process in the rock.
4. Roches moutonnées - Ulpagan cloiche
Continue up the glen to see several good examples of roches moutonnées (these are commonly known as 'rock sheep', in the Highlands, which is also the literal translation of the French term). These rocks have a distinctive smooth back where ice has scraped up and over the rock, and a steeper face where the rock has been plucked by the ice on the downstream side.
5. Waterslide - Sruth-uisge
The car park at the end of the road offers fine views of a magnificent waterslide. The water draining from high on the southern flank of Ben Nevis rushes down the granite slabs for more than 350m. Walk 60m up the hillside to reach a small pool on the waterslide. The lip of this pool is made of schist, but the slabs just above are made of the inner granite of Ben Nevis. This contact marks the edge of an ancient granite magma chamber.
6. An Steall - falls and hanging valley - An Steall - eas agus gleann crochte
It's well worth taking the time to walk from the car park through the Nevis gorge to one of Scotland's most impressive waterfalls. Once you are through the gorge, the glen opens out dramatically and you see the An Steall waterfall cascading down a high wall of white quartzite rock. The water spills out of Coire a'Mhail, which is a superb example of a glacially carved hanging valley.
