Corrieshalloch Gorge

Corrieshalloch GorgeNATIONAL NATURE RESERVE

Naturally Amazing

Corrieshalloch Gorge NNR Braemore, Ross-shire

Car park on the A832, half a mile after the Braemore Junction

Front cover photos from left: brown trout, Germander speedwellPhotography by Mike Bolam, Laurie Campbell, www.floralimages.co.uk

Tel: 0131 243 9300 / 01445 781200 (Inverewe Garden) Website: www.nts.org.uk

Scotland has over 50 National Nature Reserves for you to explore and enjoy. Click on www.nnr-scotland.org.uk

for some natural inspiration!

How grand, ’tween Garve an’ Lochbroom shore, To see an’ hear wild torrents roar,Gushing on in their mad career,Enchanting a’ that ventures near –’Mang mossy crags that overleap;Gazin’ doon on that awfu’ steep,Dazed wi’ wonder, and giddy wi’ fear –Wha to these dizzy clefts go near At the falls o’ Corrie Sallach.

Verse from Corrie Sallach by Charles MacKinnon, c1900

Spectacular

Corrieshalloch Gorge shows the formidable forces of nature at their most impressive. It is a slot gorge, or box-canyon, cut by glacial meltwater between 2.6 million and 11,500 years ago. Through its narrow and steep-sided length flows the water of the River Droma, dropping 100m over the course of its 1.25km journey in a series of waterfalls, the most dramatic of which is the 45m Falls of Measach.

In Gaelic, the series of falls is called Easan na Miasaich, which means ‘fall of the place of the platters’. This is a reference to the smooth, rounded boulders, or platters, which occur in the river bed above the falls. The name Corrieshalloch means Ugly Hollow, but today visitors from around the world marvel at this incredible site.

The reserve is owned and managed by The National Trust for Scotland.

Life on the edgeThe dark and dank gorge provides a haven for plants that enjoy poor light and high humidity. The treacherous landscape allows certain plants, such as sanicle, to flourish: in other areas of the Highlands many of these species have disappeared due to sheep grazing and moor burning. Shade loving ferns and plants such as mountain sorrel, germander speedwell and saxifrage thrive down in the lowest levels. Rotten logs provide a secluded niche for such rarities as Swedish pouchwort, and other more common bryophytes (mosses and liverworts).

Suspended viewing

For many, the highlight of a visit is a walk across the bridge and the deep chasm below. Spanning just over 25m from ledge to ledge, the bridge sways gently in the wind, providing an exhilarating experience! It was built in 1874 by Sir John Fowler, one of the designers of

the famous Forth Rail Bridge.

A short walk further along brings visitors to a cantilevered viewing platform high above the gorge, offering unrivalled views (for those who can bear to look) of the Falls of Measach and the bridge above.

Higher up, the ridges of the gorge support wood millet, a plant rare in north-west Scotland. A narrow strip of woodland sits along the flanks of the ravine where native trees such as birch, rowan, oak, hazel, elm and pine grow, together with some non-native species. Shrubs like the goat willow, bird cherry and guelder rose are a common sight.

Soaring above the gorge are a variety of woodland birds, and ravens often nest in the ledge opposite the viewpoint. Far below, trout live in the deepest pools of the gorge.

Starry saxifrageMountain sorrelCorrieshalloch Gorge is a National Nature Reserve, a Site

of Special Scientific Interest and a Geological Conservation Review Site. In conserving this area The National Trust for

Scotland would like to acknowledge the generous support of

CorrieshallochGorge NNR

Sanicle

© N

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Wood milletRaven

RowanGoat willow

The National Trust for Scotland is an independent charity with the aim of conserving, managing and

promoting Scotland’s cultural and natural heritage. We depend on our members and visitors to enable

us to continue our work, both now and in the future. Please support the Trust by becoming a member.

NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE

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Exploring the gorgeTwo walks leave from the car park:

Walk 1: Turn right and through the kissing gate for a short route (320m, approx. 20min return journey) to the historic suspension bridge and across the gorge to the viewing platform. The path has a steep incline.

Walk 2: Turn left and through the kissing gate along a relatively level path above the gorge (only this section is suitable for wheelchair users), offering spectacular viewpoints down Strath Broom towards Ullapool. The path then descends to join Lady Fowler’s Fern Walk, part of the original designed landscape at Braemore Castle, running along the gorge edge towards the suspension bridge, before returning to the car park. Total distance 1.1km (approx. 50mins).

A rocky foundationThe rocks that form the gorge are ‘Moine’ rocks,

originally sands and muds laid down in an ancient sea around 1000-870 million years ago – when life on Earth had not yet evolved beyond simple life forms such as algae. Moine rocks underlie much of northern Scotland – but despite their impressive age they are not the oldest. The sands and muds of the Moine were laid down on a landscape made of some of the oldest rocks in the world. These are Lewisian rocks, named after the Isle of Lewis where they are abundant: they are up to a staggering 2,950 million years old.

Over time, compression and heating of the original sandy and muddy sea floor turned the Moine sediments into hard ‘metamorphic’ rocks. Layers of mud hardened and formed schists, which have a shiny surface due to the large amounts of shiny crystals of the mineral mica on the surface. The sandy sediments became more massive brown-grey rock, which form most of the surface you can see here. The rocks were folded and heated during a series of continental collisions,

which eventually brought England and Scotland together around 425 million years ago.

Cutting through the horizontal rock layers at Corrieshalloch are what look like white lines. These

are veins of quartz formed by hot fluids circulating through cracks in the rock, often during the late stages of continental collisions.

Glacial actionThe gorge was not carved by the present river running through it – this is not large or powerful enough. Instead it is likely that it was cut by powerful rivers flowing beneath a glacier occupying the Loch Broom valley. High water pressure caused by the ice confining the water may have helped carve the gorge.

During the Ice Age, which began around 2.6 million years ago, ice advanced and retreated across Scotland many times as the climate periodically cooled and warmed. In warmer periods, when the glacier here melted back to stand in Dirrie More (the valley south-east of the Braemore Junction) massive meltwater rivers emerging from the front of the melting glacier would also have helped to carve Corrieshalloch.

It is likely that the gorge was cut deeper during successive periods of ice cover (glaciation), and was eroded along lines of weakness in the rock, known as ‘joints’. Joints are usually ‘sets’ of parallel fractures in the rock. At Corrieshalloch there are two sets of joints cutting vertically down into the rock, one running south-east-north-west and the other south-west-north-east. The gorge has eroded along these two sets of joints, with sharp bends in the river occurring where it switches from following one joint set to the other. Erosion along the vertical joints also tends to deepen the gorge rather then widen it. The result is an incredibly deep, narrow gorge – just 10m wide in some places.

Walk 2

Walk 1

Watch your step!The landscape of the gorge can be treacherous. Visitors should keep to the paths at all times for their own safety. Children and dogs must be kept under close supervision.

Site of the gorge today

Loch Broom Valley

Artist’s impression of an Ice Age CorrieshallochDuring the Ice Age, retreating

glaciers created massive meltwater rivers which helped

carve the gorge

SE

NWNE

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Cross-section of Corrieshalloch Gorge

Over thousands of years the valley was

eroded along lines of weakness in the rock,

creating the narrow and steep-sided gorge

‘ ’

Ionad-dìon Nàdair Mòr-ghil Coire Shalach

Ionad-dìon Nàdair Mòr-ghil Coire Shalach

Tha còrr is 50 Tèarmann Nàdair Nàiseanta ann an Alba – meal is caith!

www.nnr-scotland.org.uk

IongantachChithear forsaichean foghainteach

saoghal nàdair aig fìor ìre an

seo aig mòr-ghil Coire Shalach.

’S e sgoltadh-aibhne bogsa a

th’ ann, a chaidh a ghearradh le

uisgeachan-lèaghaidh aan an Linn

na Deighe. Tha an abhainn Droma

a’ sruthadh troimhe – aig bonn

cliathaichean cumhang is cas.

Tha na h-uisgeachadh a’ tuiteam

100 meatair ann an turas 1.25

cilemeatairean, tro dhiofar easan.

’S e Eas na Miasaich an t-eas as

sonraichte dhiubh uile.

’S e ainm Gàidhlig a th’ ann an

Easan na Miasaich, a tha a’

ciallachadh Eas àite nam miasan.

Tha seo a’ toirt iomradh air na

h-ulbhagan mòra rèidh a chithear

aig grunnd na h-aibhne os cionn

na h- easa. B’ e droch bheachd a

bh’ aig an fheadhainn a dh’ ainmich

an Coire Shalach, ach san latha

an-diugh, tha luchd-turais bho gach

ceàrnaidh dhen t-saoghal a’ tighinn

’s a’ gabhail iongnadh nuair chì iad

an sealladh mìorbhaileach seo.

’S ann le Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba

a tha an Tèarmann, agus ’s iad a tha

a’ coimhead às a dhèidh.

Air an OirTha e dorch is tais sa mhòr-ghil, agus tha seo na shuidheachadh

fìor fhreagarrach airson lusan nach eil ag iarraidh cus solais

agus a tha ag iarraidh àite tais. Tha an cumadh cunnartach a tha

neo-fhàbharach airson a’ mhòrchuid de lusan na shuidheachadh

fìor mhath airson lusan mar bhodan-coille. Tha an lus seo air a

dhol à bith ann am mòran de phàirtean eile dhen Ghaidhealtachd

air sgàth losgadh mòintich is ionaltradh chaorach. Tha raineach

is còineach iteach a’ soirbheachadh sna h-àiteachan as ìsle,

agus sealbhag nam fiadh, nuallach agus clach-bhriseach.

Tha logaichean loibhte nan dachaighean freagarrach do lusan

ainneamh mar an Dile Shuaineach, agus lusan cumanta mar

duilleag a’ chruithneachd.

A’ Crochadh ’s a’ Coimhead

Canaidh mòran dhen

luchd-tadhail gur e cuairt

tarsainn air an drochaid

is air a’ mhòr-bheàrn gu

h-ìosal an rud as fheàrr

dhen turas aca. Tha faid

còrr is 25 meatairean innte

bho oir gu oir, agus tha i a’

gluasad beagan sa ghaoith

– ’s e fèin-fhiosrachadh

aighearach da-rìribh a

th’ ann! Chaidh an drochaid a thogail

ann an 1874 le Sir Iain Fowler, fear de

dhealbhadairean na Drochaide Rèile

thar an Abhainn Dhuibh. Beagan nas

fhaide air adhairt, tha làr-seallaidh fada

os cionn na mòr-ghile, far am faicear

seallaidhean gun choimeas (dhaibhsan

a sheallas!) de dh’Easan na Miasaich

agus dhen drochaid gu h-àrd.

Shuas nas àirde ann an dromannan a’ mhòr-ghil, gheibhear

lusan eile a tha tearc ann an ceann a-tuath Alba. Tha pìos tana

de choille ri taobh na mòr-ghile anns a bheil craobhan mar

beithe, caorann, darach, calltainn, leamhainn agus giuthas,

agus seòrsaichean neo-dhùthchasach eile. Tha preasan mar

an t-sùileag, donn-rùsg agus ceir-iocan cumanta an seo.

Ach gu h-àrd os cionn na mòr-ghile tha eòin coille, agus tha

fithich a’ neadachadh gu tric air na leacan mu choinneamh an

àite-seallaidh. Gu h-ìosal, gheibhear bric anns na lochanan as

doimhne dhen mhòr-ghil.

Ionad-dìon Nàdair Mòr-ghil Coire Shalach

Eadar Gairbh an seo is tràigh Loch BhraoinMìorbhail a’ glaoidh aig tuiltean neo-chaoinA’ spùtadh ‘s a’ brùchdadh à creagan cho cruaidhAire luchd-coimhead air a ghlacadh le buaidhCarraig le còineach a’ crochadh cho casCliathaichean àrd is dorch gun lasGach neach a’ coimhead le iongnadh cho mòrgu cinnteach is fìor le eagal gu leòr

Earrann air eadar-theangachadh bho Corrie Sallach le Teàrlach MacFhionghain, c.1900

Fòn: 0131 243 9300 no tadhail air ar làrach-lìn:www.nts.org.uk www.nts.org.uk

Milèid ChoilleFitheach

CaorannSùileag

Clach-bhriseach ReultachSealbhag nam Fiadh Bodan

Coille

’S e Tèarmann Nàdair Nàiseanta, Làrach Sònraichte a thaobh Eòlas Saidheansail agus Làrach Rannsachaidh Glèidhteachas Geòlas a tha ann am Mòr-ghil Coire Shalach. Bu toil le Urras Nàiseanta na

h-Alba an taic fhialaidh bho

aithneachach ann a bhith a’ cuideachadh gus an àite seo a ghlèidheil.

’S e carthannas neo-eisimeileach a th’ ann an Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba, a tha a’ glèidheil, a’

leasachadh agus a’ cur air adhairt dualchas culturail agus nàdarrach na h-Alba. Tha sinn an urra ri na

buill againn agus ar luchd-tadhail gus cumail oirnn leis an obair – aig an àm-sa agus san àm ri teachd.

Ma ’s e ur toil e, nach toir sibh taic dhuinn le bhith a’ gabhail ballrachd san Urras.

Iongantas – nàdarrach

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Mòr-ghil Coire ShalachBràigh Mòr, Sireadh Rois

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s of Scotland

Pàirce Chàraichean air an A832, leth – mhìle an dèidh snaim Bhràgn mhòir

Deilbh air a’ chòmhdach – aghaidh bhon taobh chlì breac, NuallachDealbhan le Mike Bolam, Laurie Campbell, floralimages.co.uk

Gàrradh Inbhir In

A’ Rannsachadh na Mòr-ghileCuairt 1: Tionndaigh gu do laìmh dheis, an uarsin tron gheata airson slighe ghoirid (320 meatair) chun na seann drochaid-crochaidh agus thar a’ mhòr-ghil chun an àite-seallaidh. Tha leathad cas san t-slighe seo.

Cuairt 2: Tionndaigh gu do laìmh chlì, an uarsin tron gheata airson slighe nas fhaide (1.1 cilemeatairean) thar mullach na mòr-ghile. Chithear seallaidhean iongantach da-rìribh eadar Srath Mòr agus Ullapul. Tha am pàirt seo dhen chuairt rudeigin rèidh, agus tha e freagarrach airson cathraichean-cuibhle. Tha an slighe an uair sin a’ dol sìos agus a’ tighinn còmhla ri Slighe Raineach na Mnatha-uasail Fowler (pàirt dhen t-sealladh-thìre a chaidh a dhealbhadh o thùs mu Chaisteal Bràigh Mhòir) a’ ruith thar oir na mòr-ghile chun na drochaid-crochaidh, agus an uair sin a’ tilleadh gu pàirc nan càraichean.

Bithibh faiceallachTha an cruth tìre mu thimhcheall na mòr-ghile gu math cunnartach. Bu chòir do luchd-tadhail fuireach air na slighean aig gach àm airson an sàbhailteachd fhèin. Bu chòir gun deigheadh sùil dhlùth a chumail air clann agus air coin fad na tìde cuideachd.

Creagan Cruaidh’S e creagan ‘Moine’ a th’ anns a’ chreag a th’ anns a’ mhòr-ghil. B’ e gainmheach is poll a bh’ annta o thùs, agus chaidh am brùthadh nan creagan o chionn fhada. ’S e creag Moine a tha fo mòran de cheann a-tuath Alba, ach ged tha a’ chreag seo cruaidh, tha creag nas cruaidhe ann. Tha a’ chreag Lewisian, air a h-ainmeachadh an dèidh Eilean Leòdhais far a bheil i cumanta, cho cruaidh ri creag a gheibhear air an talamh.

Thar linntean, thionndaidh grunnd na mara san robh poll is gainmheach, gu creagan cruaidh ‘cruth-atharrachail’. Tha a’ chreag cruaidh is gleansach – air sgàth ’s na th’ innte de chriostailean gleansach air a h- uachdar. Chaidh a’ chreag mhòr donn-glas a chithear an seo a dèanamh à mirean de ghainmheach. Chaidh na creagan a phasgadh agus a theasachadh, agus ghabh bualaidhean mòra àite a thug Sasainn agus Alba ri chèile.

Chithear rudan a tha coltach ri loidhnichean geala a’ gearradh tro na sreathan còmhnard

de chreag aig Coire Shalach. ’S e cuislean de dh’èiteig a th’ annta seo san robh lionntan teth

a’ sruthadh tro sgoltaidhean anns a’ chreag.

Làrach na Mòr-ghil an

diugh

Gleann loch Bhraoin

Beachd dealbhadair air Coire Shalach an an Linn na DeigheRè Linn na Deighenuair a thòisich

eigh-shruthan ri leaghadh chruthaich iad aibhnichean mòra a chuidich gus

a mhòr-ghil a ghearradh.

SE

NWNE

SW

Roinn-tarsainn Mòr-ghil Choire Shalach

Thar miltean bhliadhnaichean chaidh

an gleann a bhleith far an robh laigse anns

a’chreag, a’ cruthachadh mòr-ghil cumhang le cliathaicheann casa.

Cuairt 2

Cuairt 1

Forsaichean NàdairCha deach a’ mhòr-ghil a cruthachadh leis an abhainn mar a chithear i an-diugh – chan eil i mòr no cumhachdach gu leòr airson bleith chun na h-ìre seo adhbhrachadh. Tha e nas coltaiche gum b’ e aibhnichean mòra cumhachdach a bha a’ sruthadh fo eigh-shruth ann an gleann Loch Bhraoin, agus gun robh an deigh a’ brùthadh an uisge fodha a chuidich gus am mòr-ghil a chruthachadh.

Ann an Linn na Deighe, chòmhdaich deigh Alba, agus nuair theasaich a’ ghnàth-shìde, lèagh an deigh seo. Nuair bha an t-eigh-shruth air fhàgail san, Dirrie More (an gleann an ear-dheas air a’ Bhràigh Mhòr), bha sruthan fìor-mhòr de dh’uisge a’ tighinn a-mach à beulaibh an eigh-shrutha cuideachd a’ gearradh a-mach mòr-ghil Coire Shalach

Ged tha a’ chreag cruaidh, tha ceanglaichean sa chreag a tha nas laige. Mar as trice, ’s e seataichean de sgoltaidhean co-shìnte a th’ ann an ceanglaichean. Aig Coire Shalach, tha dà sheata de cheanglaichean a’ gearradh gu dìreach sìos dhan chreag: tha aon dhiubh a’ ruith bhon ear-dheas chun iar-thuath, agus fear eile a’ ruith bhon iar-dheas chun ear-thuath. Tha bleith air gabhail àite thar an dà loidhne seo, le lùbaidhean sa mhòr-ghil far a bheil e a’ tionndadh bho bhith a’ leantainn aon seata de cheanglaichean gu bhith a’ leantainn an t-seata eile. Tha a’ bhleith seo a’ doimhneachadh na mòr-ghile an àite a bhith ga leudachadh. Mar sin, tha mòr-ghil againn a tha air leth domhainn agus air leth cumhang – chan eil ach 10 meatairean sa phuing as cuinge dhe na bilean aice.

CHAN FHAIGHEAR A-STEACH BHON

RATHAD SEO

Gu Inbhirnis

Gu Ullapul

Gu Geàrrloch

Leathadan cas –

fuirich air an t-slighe

Làr-seallaidh

Parcadh

Clàr-fiosrachaidh

Rathad A

Uachdar cruaidh, stèidhichte agus sàbhailte

Uachdar cruaidh ach neo-rèidh – gun bhith barrachd air 1:8

Slighe chomasan measgaichte

SligheUachdar cruaidh ach neo-rèidh, le pàirtean cas

Puing-seallaidh

Coille mheasgaichte

Coille durcain

Slighe gach comas

Puing-seallaidh

Mòr-ghil Coire Shalach

Easan na Miasach

Drochaid-crochaidh

Coi l le S t ruan

Sealladh gu Loch Bhraoin

Geataichean nam Pòg

Gu InbhirnisDOL A-STEACH

500 troigh

200 meatair