Ben Wyvis ( gd, Beinn Uais) is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

Easter Ross Easter Ross ( gd, Ros an Ear) 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 constitu ...

, in the northern

Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia * So ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

. It lies north-west of

Dingwall Dingwall ( sco, Dingwal, gd, Inbhir Pheofharain ) is a town and a royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,491. It was an east-coast harbour that now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest cas ...

, in the

council area {{Unreferenced, date=May 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) A council area is one of the areas defined in Schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and is under the control of one of the local authorities in Scotland created by that Ac ...

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

, and the

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Ross and Cromarty Ross and Cromarty ( gd, Ros agus Cromba), sometimes referred to as Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use, the l ...

. Ben Wyvis is a large winding and undulating ridge running roughly north–south for about 5 km, the highest point of which is Glas Leathad Mòr at .

Geologically Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other Astronomical object, astronomical objects, the features or rock (geology), rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology ...

, the ridge is composed of Moine

pelitic A pelite (Greek: ''pelos'', "clay") or metapelite is a metamorphosed fine-grained sedimentary rock, i.e. mudstone or siltstone. The term was earlier used by geologists to describe a clay-rich, fine-grained clastic sediment or sedimentary rock ...

gneiss Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures a ...

. The mountain is prominent in views of the area, presenting a whale-back shape above the farmland of Strathconon. Ben Wyvis is an important habitat for several species of plants and birds, and is designated as a National Nature Reserve (NNR), a

Special Protection Area A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cert ...

(SPA), a

Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...

(SAC), and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Of particular importance is the woolly hair-moss that covers the summit plateau. This springy moss provides ideal nesting territory for

dotterel The Eurasian dotterel (''Charadrius morinellus''), also known in Europe as just dotterel, is a small wader in the plover family of birds. The dotterel is a brown and black streaked bird with a broad white eye-stripe and an orange-red chest ban ...

that breed here each summer:The Story of Ben Wyvis National Nature Reserve. Introduction. Ben Wyvis represents at least 2.4% of the breeding population in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

Name

The name 'Ben Wyvis' is believed to come from gd, Beinn Uais, which probably means "high or lofty mountain", from the same root as ''uasal'' (noble, lofty). Another suggestion is that it comes from ''Beinn Uabhas'', "mountain of terror".

Landscape

Ben Wyvis is a large winding and undulating ridge running roughly north–south for about 5 km, the highest point of which is called Glas Leathad Mòr ("the great green slope") at above sea level. To the south lies the

Corbett Corbett may refer to: * List of Corbetts (mountains), 222 mountains in Scotland between , with prominence over * Corbett, Oregon, a community in the United States * Corbett Award, US award for athletics administrators * Corbett (surname), people ...

of Little Wyvis, which is separated from Ben Wyvis by the

Bealach A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both human and animal migrati ...

Mòr. The

A835 road The A835 is a road in the Scottish Highlands linking Inverness to Ullapool and the Far North of Scotland. Route The A835 starts at Tore on the Black Isle, seven miles north-west of Inverness at a junction with the A9. The A835 crosses the Bla ...

between

and

Ullapool Ullapool (; gd, Ulapul ) is a village and port located in Northern Scotland. Ullapool has a population of around 1,500 inhabitants. It is located around northwest of Inverness in Ross and Cromarty, Scottish Highlands. Despite its modest size, ...

runs to the west and south of these mountains, whilst the Kyle of Lochalsh railway line passes to the south, following a route between Dingwall and

Kyle of Lochalsh Kyle of Lochalsh (from the Gaelic ''Caol Loch Aillse'', "strait of the foaming loch") is a village in the historic county of Ross-shire on the northwest coast of Scotland, located around west-southwest of Inverness. It is located on the Lochal ...

. Loch Glass lies to the northeast, whilst the land to the northwest is mountainous and largely uninhabited, and crossed by no roads until the A837, some 30 km to the north.

Geology

Ben Wyvis is primarily composed of Moine

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes ...

, which was formed as sediment around 1,000 to 870 million years ago during a period when the landmass that is now Scotland was covered by shallow seas. As the amount of sediment increased the layers underwent

metamorphism Metamorphism is the transformation of existing rock (the protolith) to rock with a different mineral composition or texture. Metamorphism takes place at temperatures in excess of , and often also at elevated pressure or in the presence of ...

due to the increased temperature and pressure, resulting in the formation of a hard, water-resistant rock. This schist was subjected to further upheaval during the

Caledonian orogeny The Caledonian orogeny was a mountain-building era recorded in the northern parts of the British Isles, the Scandinavian Mountains, Svalbard, eastern Greenland and parts of north-central Europe. The Caledonian orogeny encompasses events that oc ...

, leading to formation of waves and folds which are visible in the rocks.The Story of Ben Wyvis National Nature Reserve. p. 3. During the

Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...

much of Scotland was periodically covered by ice sheets, with glaciers forming in corries and glens. During the final phase of this period, much of Ben Wyvis was covered by ice. The presence of

glacial erratic A glacial erratic is glacially deposited rock differing from the type of rock native to the area in which it rests. Erratics, which take their name from the Latin word ' ("to wander"), are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundr ...

boulders can be interpreted as marking the upper extent of the ice sheet, with the top of Ben Wyvis remaining free of ice.The Story of Ben Wyvis National Nature Reserve. p. 4.

History

Ben Wyvis stands on the northern edge of historic lands of

Clan Munro Clan Munro (; gd, Clann an Rothaich ) is a Highland Scottish clan. Historically the clan was based in Easter Ross in the Scottish Highlands. Traditional origins of the clan give its founder as Donald Munro who came from the north of Ireland and ...

. By tradition, the Munros held their land from

the Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has differen ...

. The king declared that they held their lands on condition of furnishing a

snowball A snowball is a spherical object made from snow, usually created by scooping snow with the hands, and pressing the snow together to compact it into a ball. Snowballs are often used in games such as snowball fights. A snowball may also be a larg ...

at midsummer if required. This condition they could easily fulfil, as snow was to be found in some of the mountain corries of their property all year round. The Battle of Bealach nam Broig was fought between rival clans near the pass that separates Ben Wyvis from the lower summit of Carn Mòr, which lies to the northwest. Clans from lands to the north-west who were allied to

Clan Mackenzie Clan Mackenzie ( gd, Clann Choinnich ) is a Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands. Traditional genealogies trace the ancestors of the Mackenzie chiefs to the 12th century. However ...

fought against north-eastern clans (including Clan Munro) who supported the

Earl of Ross The Earl or Mormaer of Ross was the ruler of the province of Ross in northern Scotland. Origins and transfers In the early Middle Ages, Ross was part of the vast earldom of Moray. It seems to have been made a separate earldom in the mid 12 ...

. The actual date of the battle is debated, but is thought to be 1452. From the sixteenth century

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

droving Droving is the practice of walking livestock over long distances. It is a type of herding. Droving stock to market—usually on foot and often with the aid of dogs—has a very long history in the Old World. An owner might entrust an agent to deli ...

was one of the major economic activities in the highlands, and Ben Wyvis lay near to a major

drove road A drovers' road, drove ''roador droveway is a route for droving livestock on foot from one place to another, such as to market or between summer and winter pasture (see transhumance). Many drovers' roads were ancient routes of unknown age; ot ...

between northwest Scotland and the cattle markets of the south. Drovers often took a shortcut across the southern flanks of the mountain, following the Allt á Bhealaich Mhòir before crossing the bealach between Ben Wyvis and Little Wyvis then rejoining the main route near Auchterneed. The drove road was still being used into the early twentieth century. There are remains of a settlement at Garbat which may have been used as a holding point for the drovers and their cattle. The sites of buildings (including iron workings) found along the Allt á Bhealaich Mhòir are also thought to date from this period.The Story of Ben Wyvis National Nature Reserve. p. 9.

Modern ownership

The southern and western sides of Ben Wyvis are now owned by

NatureScot NatureScot ( gd, NàdarAlba), which was formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and ...

, forming the Ben Wyvis NNR,The Story of Ben Wyvis National Nature Reserve. p. 1. whilst the northern and eastern flanks form part of a privately owned sporting estate, Wyvis Estate. The lower slopes to the west of the NNR are forested, and owned by

Forestry and Land Scotland Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) ( gd, Coilltearachd agus Fearann Alba) is responsible for managing and promoting Scotland's national forest estate: land, predominantly covered in forest, owned by the Scottish Government on behalf of the nation. ...

.Ordnance Survey. 1:50000 Landranger Map. Sheet 20, Beinn Dearg & Loch Broom. As with all land in Scotland, there is a right of responsible access to most of the land on and surrounding Ben Wyvis under the

Scottish Outdoor Access Code The Scottish Outdoor Access Code provides detailed guidance on the exercise of the ancient tradition of universal access to land in Scotland, which was formally codified by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. Under Scots law everyone has the r ...

for people wishing to undertake pursuits such as

walking Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults o ...

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from tw ...

horse-riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding ( Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes t ...

and

wild camping Wild camping or dispersed camping is the act of camping in areas other than designated camping sites. Typically this means open countryside. This can form part of backpacking (hiking), or bikepacking, possibly along a long-distance trail. Coun ...

: this applies regardless of whether the land is in public or private ownership.

Nature and conservation

Ben Wyvis is home to over 170 plant species, including the nationally scarce

dwarf birch ''Betula nana'', the dwarf birch, is a species of birch in the family Betulaceae, found mainly in the tundra of the Arctic region. Description It is a monoecious, deciduous shrub growing up to high. The bark is non-peeling and shiny red-copper ...

, as well as other rare species, such as

alpine foxtail ''Alopecurus'', or foxtail grass, is a common and widespread genus of plants in the grass family. It is common across temperate and subtropical parts of Eurasia, northern Africa, and the Americas, as well as naturalized in Australia and on v ...

. The summit ridge of Ben Wyvis is carpeted

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta ('' sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and ...

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...

, forming one of the longest single tracts of this habitat anywhere in Britain.The Story of Ben Wyvis National Nature Reserve. p. 18. The summit plateau is dominated by the woolly hair-moss ''

Racomitrium lanuginosum ''Racomitrium lanuginosum'' is a widespread species of moss found in montane and arctic tundra, the genus Racomitrium is found across the Northern and Southern hemispheres., however Racomitrium lanuginosum is only found in the Northern hemisphere ...

'', whilst little shaggy moss ''

Rhytidiadelphus loreus ''Rhytidiadelphus loreus'', also commonly known as lanky moss, is a nonvascular "feather moss" species that is a key component of a healthy, thriving forest ecosystem. Lanky moss grows in North America, Canada and Europe. It is primarily a coas ...

'' is found in areas that experience regular snow cover due to drifting.The Story of Ben Wyvis National Nature Reserve. p. 5. The lower slopes of the mountain support dwarf shrub heath and boglands, which are home to a variety of plants including dwarf birch,

cloudberry ''Rubus chamaemorus'' is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae, native to cool temperate regions, alpine and arctic tundra and boreal forest. This herbaceous perennial produces amber-colored edible fruit similar to the blackb ...

dwarf cornel Dwarf cornel may refer to the following plants: *Canadian dwarf cornel, '' Cornus canadensis'' *Eurasian dwarf cornel, '' Cornus suecica'' {{Short pages monitor {{National Nature Reserves of Scotland Mountains and hills of the Northwest Highlands Marilyns of Scotland Munros Mountains and hills of Highland (council area) National nature reserves in Scotland Ross and Cromarty Special Protection Areas in Scotland Sites of Special Scientific Interest in East Ross and Cromarty Protected areas of Highland (council area) One-thousanders of the British Isles