Ben More Assynt

Infobox Mountain
Name = Ben More Assynt
Photo = Ben_More_Assynt_from_Conival.jpg
Caption = Ben More Assynt from Conival.
Elevation = 998 m (3,274 ft)
Location = Assynt, SCO
Range = Northwest Highlands
Prominence = 835 m Ranked 26th in British Isles
Parent peak = Sgurr Mor
Topographic
OS "Landranger" 15, OS "Explorer" 442
Grid_ref_UK = NC317201
Listing = Munro, Marilyn, County top (Sutherland)
Translation = Big mountain of Assynt
Language = Gaelic
Pronunciation = peiɲ voːɾ ˈas̪əɲtʲ

Ben More Assynt (Gaelic: Beinn Mhòr Asaint) is a mountain in Assynt in the far north-west of Scotland, 30 kilometres (20 miles) north-north-east of the town of Ullapool. The name translates as "big mountain of Assynt", and with a height of 998 metres (3,274 ft) it is the highest point in the county of Sutherland.

The mountain lies in the east of Assynt, set apart from the area's better known and more dramatic (but lower) mountains such as Suilven. It is hidden from the traveller on the A837 road by the adjacent Munro of Conival, and the best views of it are obtained from nearby summits. The higher slopes of the mountain are capped by light coloured quartzite boulders, giving it a distinctive appearance.

Over 90 km² of land around Ben More Assynt have been declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of their geological interest and rare plant species.

Geography

Ben More Assynt is situated on a ridge of high ground which runs roughly north to south on the east side of the A837 road near Inchnadamph. This ridge forms part of the main north–south watershed of Scotland, with drainage from the mountain reaching the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean on opposite sides of mainland Scotland. The mountain's eastern and southern slopes are drained by the River Oykel and its tributary, the River Cassley, which flow into the Dornoch Firth on Scotland's east coast. The River Traligill drains the western flanks through Loch Assynt to reach the Atlantic at Lochinver.

The mountain is connected to the neighbouring peak of Conival to the west by a lofty ridge with a low point of 880 metres. Since Conival lies in the way of the ascent from Inchnadamph, the two are almost invariably ascended together. Ben More Assynt also has a subsidiary "top" listed in Munro's Tables, called simply the South Top; situated one kilometre south of the summit, it is 960 metres high. The ridge which leads to the South Top is composed of Lewisian gneiss, and is the highest located example of this rock in Scotland. The sharp arête is quite tricky to negotiate in places; according to Ralph Storer, it "has been flatteringly compared to the Aonach Eagach, with several unexpectedly awkward moves across exposed slabs requiring care (especially when wet)".

The whole of Assynt is an important geological location and a classic example of plate tectonics, and Ben More Assynt is a significant part of this, being the location of the Ben More Thrust Sheet, which in turn is part of the famous Moine Thrust Belt. Geological plate collisions have given Ben More Assynt a unique geology consisting of a base of Lewisian gneiss overlaid by sedimentary rocks, including Torridonian sandstone topped off by Cambrian quartzite.

Ascents

An ascent of Ben More Assynt is usually combined with the neighbouring Munro of Conival, which, as mentioned above, must be climbed first. The ascent starts at the hamlet of Inchnadamph (grid reference gbm4ibx|NC250218) and follows the River Traligill to its source on the col between Conival and Beinn an Fhurain at a height of 750 metres. It is then a stiff climb over shattered quartzite to reach Conival’s highest point. Ben More Assynt’s summit lies 1.5 kilometres east and is a demanding walk over quartzite stones and scree, even though there is only just over 100 metres of re-ascent. The summit is marked by a shattered lump of quartzite.

Wildlife and conservation

Ben More Assynt is home to many threatened species of vegetation. There are four species of plants which are on the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, and there are 27 nationally scarce varieties of plants within the Site of Special Scientific Interest.

In 2005 and 2006 the firm Airtricity proposed to build a 25-turbine wind farm at Invercassly, 22 kilometres south east of the mountain. Protesters used Ben More Assynt in their arguments against the project, saying that the wind farm would have a detrimental effect on the view from the mountain and the sense of wilderness would be greatly reduced. The future of the proposal is still in discussion.

Gallery

References

* "The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland", Irvine Butterfield, ISBN 0-906371-30-9
* "The Munros" (SMC Guide), Donald Bennett et al, ISBN 0-907521-13-4
* "100 Best Routes on Scottish Mountains", Ralph Storer, ISBN 0-7515-0300-2
* "Hamish’s Mountain Walk", Hamish Brown, ISBN 1-898573-08-5
* [http://earth.leeds.ac.uk/assyntgeology/classic/ben_more/index.htm University of Leeds page on Assynt Geology]
* [http://www.airtricity.com/ireland/wind_farms/scotland/in_planning/invercassley/ Airtricity page on Invercassley wind farm]
* [http://gateway.snh.gov.uk/portal/page?_pageid=53,854555,53_854586&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&PA_CODE=191 Scotland Natural Heritage page on SSSI]
* [http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/07BA935B-1FF8-47EA-AD8A-16AA698BEF00/0/pdet83.pdf Highland Council report on wind farm]