Читать книгу Scotland's Best Small Mountains. 40 of the best small mountains in Scotland under 3000ft онлайн

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It was not until the 1880s that this latter theory was accepted as correct, and with it the identification of the Moine Thrust. We now know that the Moine Thrust was formed 430 million years ago when Scotland, then part of America, collided with England and Wales, causing huge sheets of rock to be thrust up to the west to form many of the Northwest Highlands’ most recognisable mountains.

Knockan Crag, at the foot of Cul Mor, was one of the most important sites in identifying the Moine Thrust and the horizontal movement of rocks. Today it forms the Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve, and is home to a visitor centre explaining more about the geology and global processes at work on the rocks and landscapes all around us.

Route

A good path leaves the lay-by, heading north to pass to the west of Lochan Fhionnlaidh. It leads you gently up and round the hummocky landscape, with good views back to Knockan Crag.

This good path ends at a large cairn (185 111) at the foot of the wide shoulder of Meallan Diomhain, just over 2km from the start. From here, head west-northwest on a rough, peaty path up the shoulder. It becomes rockier, with the gradient easing at about 500m. The path is hard to spot in places, but continue west with a line of cairns guiding you towards the summit.