However, the mound/cairn/ruin could also have been a remote shieling, an area of summer grazing sometimes with a very basic seasonally occupied dwelling. All speculation, of course, so other opinions welcome! There was a significant agricultural settlement at Aberarder in the 18th C. which may help support the idea of this area being a summer pasture. (Above) The ‘view’ eastwards from the top of The Window, the bealach high above the Inner Coire of Coire Ardair. Imperfectly named given today’s visibility. Creag Meagaidh (Scottish Gaelic: Creag Mèagaidh)[2] is a mountain on the northern side of Glen Spean in the Highlands of Scotland. The dramatic scenery includes Munro summits, an exposed whaleback ridge and ice-carved gullies. Finlayson (2004) proposed that such a ... cones and bouldery debris mantle the upper slopes immediately below the window. Description. There was public opposition to this plan, and in 1985 the estate was sold to the Nature Conservancy Council (predecessor to NatureScot), who declared the area a national nature reserve in 1986. Creag Meagaidh is designated as both a Special Protection Area and a National Nature Reserve, as the number of grazing animals is controlled. Memorial stone and gate to the Clan Macpherson at Glentruim, near Newtonmore Invnerness-shsire. [11] Snow bunting and golden plover also breed on the higher heaths and summit plateau, while red grouse and greenshank are often seen on the lower slopes. The bealach known as The Window with Lochan a Choire at the foot of Creag Meagaidh's cliffs seen from Sron a Ghoire on the descent to Aberarder. There has been only one sighting of the Scottish wildcat in recent years. Perhaps the local church insisted on a burial outwith the parish/region? The path up to The Window. (Above) The approach to Mad Meg’s cairn from above The Window. [12] Mountain hares are common on the higher parts of the reserve, whilst pine marten and otter can occasionally be found at lower altitudes. The Window on Creag Meagaidh above Lochan a Choire. Ascent of Creag Meagaidh from 'the Window': After circa 150m of height gain, I was onto the flat plateau of Creag Meagaidh. Often mistaken for the summit of Creag Meagaidh by visitors. The commission began the process of evicting the tenants and consolidating the holdings into a single sheep farm, and by 1790 there were around 20,000 sheep in the parish of Laggan. (Above) The other ‘window’, on Cairn Liath side. Creag Meagaidh is one of the SAIS report areas. A National Nature Reserve since 1986 Creag Meagaidh straddles the west and east Highlands and is a popular summer visitor destination. This corrie is popular with climbers. The denser woodland on the lower part of the reserve also provides a home for chaffinch, willow warbler, tree pipit and wren. In addition to possible avalanches the cliff edges all around Coire Ardair can be very heavily corniced, and if … I’ve never been able to find out much about it. The best approach is by Lochan a Choire and The Window which lies between Creag Meagaidh and Stob Poite Coire Ardair. Creag Meagaidh is also designated as a Special Protection Area, and the number of grazing animals is controlled. [10], According to NatureScot, 137 different bird species have been recorded within the Reserve. Park at in car park Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve, clearly signposted off the A88, at Aberarder. Creag Meagaidh is a great swathe of cliffs and deep corries when seen from the A86. From The Window a steep climb on grassy slopes leads up to the plateau, passing Mad Meg's Cairn and on to the summit of Creag Meagaidh at 1,130 metres, Number 30 in the Munro charts. The cliffs of Coire Ardair offer a fabulous view, especially with the loch at the base. A range of exciting species including golden eagles, dotterel, red deer, dragonflies and small pearl-bordered fritillaries are a… In 1784 Creag Meagaidh was restored to the Macpherson family. (Above) Creag Meagaidh’s Inner Coire and the slopes to ‘The Window’ looking fairly lean after an overnight thaw. Ice climber with ice axe ascending Creag Meagaidh, Highlands, Scotland, Great Britain. p. 11. We needed a swift bout of navigation to get off the summit plateau and then had an enjoyable walk back through The Window and down the Glen. The summit is located at the E limit of the plateau at the start of the SW ridge. Hotels near Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve, Fort William on Tripadvisor: Find 20,629 traveler reviews, 11,300 candid photos, and prices for 65 hotels near Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve in Fort William, Scotland. The Window forms the bealach between Creag Meagaidh and Stob Poite Coire Ardair. The Story of Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve. [8] Of these, one particular species of note is the dotterel, which is one of Britain's rarest birds: the upper part of the mountain (above 750 m) is consequently designated as a Special Protection Area for this species. Well that lasted until we got up to the locahan below the Post Face on Creag Meagaidh. NatureScot's Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve feels like the Highlands compressed into one nature reserve. Here at The Window there are still some remnants of a long since collapsed wall, too. [4], The name Creag Meagaidh is also applied to refer to the neighbouring peaks of Stob Poite Coire Ardair and Càrn Liath which together may be termed the Creag Meagaidh range. Looking through The Window. The remains of old stove pipe can still be found there. The reserve covers 3,940 hectares, extending from the shores of Loch Laggan to the high summit plateau of Creag Meagaidh. You can if you wish continue along the path and up the scree slope to The Window – the col between Stob Poite Coire Ardair and Creag Meagaidh. This is the second Munro at 1053 metres. Deer management to reduce numbers takes place at Creag Meagaidh in order to facilitate woodland regeneration. It’s also located very close indeed to a significant local boundary, possibly also a parish boundary. The most direct route to the summit of Creag Meagaidh ascends from the head of the corrie to reach a narrow gap between the crags known as The Window. In 1983 the estate was sold to Fountain Forestry, who proposed to plant much of the area with Sitka spruce plantations. To access the walk follow the Allt Dubh Trail (with a red otter logo) from the information boards for the reserve, from which it is signposted off. The Window forms the bealach between Creag Meagaidh and Stob Poite Coire Ardair. Instability and snow depth are quite variable by aspect but only above 950m and on steeper ground. There’s a interesting soft crust with a weak layer above it buried beneath a few centimetres of new slabby snow. [16], Coordinates: 56°57′06″N 4°36′10″W / 56.95162°N 4.60274°W / 56.95162; -4.60274, An information board at Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve. The Creag Meagaidh plateau A short steep pull led up to the vast summit plateau and then it was over the short grassy ground, boggy from recent snowmelt, to the summit. Happy with reaching the peak of Creag Meagaidh we left our friends to climb the remainder two Munro's while we made our way back down the way we came up. It is a complex mountain, taking the form of a flat summit plateau from which five ridges radiate, and is most famed for the cliffs surrounding the corrie of Coire Ardair on the north-eastern face. It is a complex mountain, taking the form of a flat summit plateau from which five ridges radiate, and is most famed for the cliffs surrounding the corrie of Coire Ardair on the north-eastern face. [13] The Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve is classified as a Category IV protected area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Creag Meagaidh & the 4 tops - 70s girl group? Oh the joy of pathless open moorland. Scmccabe : 05/10/2020: From the Car park via the window. Circuit of Creag Meagaidh and it's tops. Down from Sron a' Choire to track via NE ridge. With Debs & Tali. Great views. Mountain Goat: 02/10/2020 [12], There are three species of deer found at Creag Meagaidh NNR: red, roe and sika. I guess the Min Window example may have been a stalker’s hut, dating from the 19th C.? The reserve was designated in 1986 and is owned and managed by NatureScot. Still large areas of exposed rocks and boulders at the top of, and approach to, this high watershed. Scottish Avalanche Information Service is managed by sportscotland and sportscotland's privacy policy governs this website and the work of Scottish Avalanche Information Service.Please see the Privacy Policy at https://sportscotland.org.uk/generalprivacynotice for more information. Google Map ... >>view map in full window. [6], The earliest historical records for Creag Meagaidh are from the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, when the area was farmed by tenants who grew crops on the lower slopes and grazed cattle on the higher ground during the summer. By the 1970s sheep farming had largely ceased, and deer stalking had become the main activity on the estate. Any ice build up noted from yesterday in the main coire Post Face now re-located to the Lochan a Choire! With well-marked paths, picnic areas and a lively information shelter it has a lot to offer. (Above) This line of old iron fence posts at high point of The Window marks a boundary between two estates, and is possibly even a continuation of the Moy Wall (demarcates the ancient boundary between Badenoch and Lochaber) which peters out a short distance from Creag Meagaidh’s summit. (Above) Taken at approximately 950m: a summer photo of upper Coire Ardair. Old collapsed walls, or a burial cist? Heading up Creag Meagaidh via Carn Liath and Stob Poite Coire Ardair makes for a superb circular route with options of returning down the skyline or heading through 'The … The Story of Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve. (Above) A minor cascade of icicles on the south-facing side of the approach to The Window. (Above) Shooting cracks on a steep Southerly aspect. [10], Creag Meagaidh has several overlapping conservation designations, testament to its diverse range of habitats and important features: it is a National Nature Reserve (NNR), a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Protection Area (SPA) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Often mistaken for the summit of Creag Meagaidh by visitors. The wind then hit us and it started snowing but it was wonderful to feel the cold again and feeling like winter. Park at in car park Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve, clearly signposted off the A88, at Aberarder. Hidden gem: If you're looking for a quiet spot on the mountain, Lochan Uaine is worth seeking out. However, I had the chance to go in from the Braeroy side this week. The views were extensive, sharp and clear to the north and west, haze to the south and east. Of particular note is the sharply-defined downslope limit of well-developed talus on The path uphill climbs quite close to the edge of the cliffs with a really good view down into the corrie. Rare mountain plants like woolly willow and Highland saxifrage battle against the elements, whilst black grouse flourish in the combination of woodland and open moorland. How did the cairn come to be called this? Creag Meagaidh massif and the southern side of the Monadhliath, in the vicinity of the 350 m Glen Roy overflow col (Fig 1C). These crags are a renowned venue for winter and ice climbing, although being somewhat vegetated they are less suited to summer climbing. The route then returns east across the domed plateau and continues the circuit around the southern rim of Coire Ardair. Due to a family bereavement one of the joint leaders had to stand down and the prospect of Richard Taylor’s cooking and some last minute illness meant that only those with strong constitutions (internal and external) ventured on this meet. See here (pages 73 – 90): https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/portal/files/3078042/David_Taylor_PhD_Thesis_full_text.pdf The way down was hellish with trainers, thankfully it was sunny and the ground was dry or … [7][8] The summit of the massif is carpeted in moss heath and stiff sedge, being one of the largest areas of woolly fringemoss heath in the UK. The Story of Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve. Ice is beginning to reform in the colder conditions but overall build up is still very limited indeed. p. 15. The Story of Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve. There’s good evidence to suggest our high and rolling upland pastures above 900m were much more intensively used than had been previously credited. Seeing as you are talking about walls etc can I ask about ‘Mad Meg’s’ cairn, or to be pc, mentally unwell Meg’s cairn? Creag Meagaidh is the complete mountain experience and feels like the Highlands compressed into one reserve. In season daily reports are posted online ( http://www.sais.gov.uk/creag-meagaidh/ ) and pinned up at the NNR building. I could see Mad Meg's cairn ahead and having recently re-watched The Munro Show knew that this was not the summit cairn. It was a full on blast of cold wind and spindrift at the Window and poor visibility. Creag Meagaidh massif is part of Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve (NNR). (Above) The approach to Mad Meg’s cairn from above The Window. Descend south southwest to reach 'The Window', the bealach between the ridge just traversed and Creag Meagaidh itself. Looking back at the Post Face of Creag Meagaidh. The approach to 'The Window' Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve, Glen Spean. The rime on the nearest fence post is on the east-facing side and will have built up (into the wind) yesterday. Not too difficult to imagine that this upland could have supported some rough summer grazing for cattle, sheep or goats, albeit quite limited. This ridge, which has crags on its N and S slopes, branches to give a narrow S ridge and a broad W ridge. A track along the glen with the shoulder of Creag Meagaidh in the distance. The path heads down one side of a meadow then into small section of … Tags: sky, skye guides, skye ice, Skye Munros, skye winter, skye winter climbing p. 16. International Union for Conservation of Nature, "Creag Meagaidh in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland", "The Story of Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve", mountains of Britain and Ireland (the P600s), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Creag_Meagaidh&oldid=978506445, Mountains and hills of the Central Highlands, Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Badenoch and Strathspey, Sites of Special Scientific Interest in North Lochaber, Special Areas of Conservation in Scotland, Protected areas of Highland (council area), Mountains and hills of Highland (council area), Pages using infobox mountain with language parameter, Pages using infobox mountain with grid ref, Pages using infobox mountain with deprecated parameters, Articles containing Scottish Gaelic-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 15 September 2020, at 09:33. The Story of Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve. There’s some good recent research on subsistence transhumance in Badenoch carried out by Dr David Taylor, a local historian (who coincidentally taught History to all my children), which is quite revealing about the role of upland pasture in 18th century subsistence pastoralism. Creag Meagaidh is connected to the ridge containing the Munros Stob Poite Coire Ardair and Carn Liath via an unusually sharp bealach called 'The Window'. A number of nationally important plant species can be found at Creag Meagaidh, including woolly willow, wavy meadow grass, highland saxifrage, bog orchid and Scots pine. Contradictory local winds winds here today: direction over summits was pretty much Southerly but the wind through The Window was a moderate strength Easterly at 1pm. According to local legend it is the burial mound (or cist) of a suicide victim, constructed by the victim’s family. Creag Meagaidh is a vast plateau, and one of the higher mountains of the central Highlands - … A circuit of the glen may be made by returning to Aberarder by way of Creag Meagaidh's east ridge. One species of fly that has been identified at Creag Meagaidh, Spilogona trigonata, is not found anywhere else in Britain, being generally restricted to Scandinavia and North America. A little further on from Mad Meg’s Cairn we reached the true summit cairn of Creag Meagaidh at 1130m or 3,707’. p. 13. This has led to a regrowth of the native woodland of birch, alder, willow, rowan and oak. [15], By the early twentieth century the estate was being managed for sporting interests (deer stalking, fishing and grouse shooting), alongside sheep farming and forestry. Far side wonderful walking creag meagaidh the window wildlife Area woodland on the east-facing side and have. Summit and back took only an hour and twenty minutes of grazing animals is controlled and recently! 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