Back on the rocks
Posted: Thursday, 26 July 2007 |
Had a very good few days away in the Cairngorms - got some serious walking done including the Lairig Ghru. However it was a case of back to reality on Thursday with another trip to Iona for some serious broadband and networking work. Beautiful day however and I got some rather nice pics on the way back. Weather was really nice and clear. Anyway, heres a few pics:
The view over to Ardmeanach and Burg from Bunessan was very nice:
Heres a closeup showing the really nice layering in the basalt which makes this area so distinctive. What is known as trap topography (from a Swedish word I believe meaning a step - well named) Oh yes, and the famous Fossil tree is on the headland on the left hand side (cant see it though!)
Moving on a bit up the road, Ben More and A'Chioch looked rather nice across Loch Scridain:
Today was one of those days when the hills simply said "Climb us!" Further up the glen there is some interesting stuff near the old quarry at Craig. The rock in the quarry is for the most part a type of gabbro called Allivalite (named after Allival in the Island of Rum) Some of it is seriously coarse and very large crystals can be seen. There are also numerous dykes and other intrusions cutting the rock:
This one gets referred to as what is known as a cone sheet (which are common in Mull) but the orientation of it doesnt seem quite right - I think it is simply a dyke intruded into the gabbro. It is about 2 - 3 feet across
Further down in the quarry is another thin dyke - this one seemed quite shiny in the sun, beside a holly tree:
Just up a bit from the quarry, Ben Buie looked nice and knobbly in the sun:
A lot of Ben Buie is gabbro, a hard dark rock - what the Cuillins of Skye are made from. It is quite easily recognisable - it appears sort of dark and knobbly - easily picked out against the other rocks. In this pic, the view is sort of "side on". Ben Buie from Loch Buie look much more "pointy" Heres a pic I took of it in 97 / 98 from Moy Castle:
OK, it doesnt look all that summery, but hey, I need a fix of snow every now and again.
Further on, I had a good view down to the lochs in Glen More. Lovely spot!
So thats it for today - not a lot of strolling about but a great day for taking pics. Bye for now!
MM
The view over to Ardmeanach and Burg from Bunessan was very nice:
Heres a closeup showing the really nice layering in the basalt which makes this area so distinctive. What is known as trap topography (from a Swedish word I believe meaning a step - well named) Oh yes, and the famous Fossil tree is on the headland on the left hand side (cant see it though!)
Moving on a bit up the road, Ben More and A'Chioch looked rather nice across Loch Scridain:
Today was one of those days when the hills simply said "Climb us!" Further up the glen there is some interesting stuff near the old quarry at Craig. The rock in the quarry is for the most part a type of gabbro called Allivalite (named after Allival in the Island of Rum) Some of it is seriously coarse and very large crystals can be seen. There are also numerous dykes and other intrusions cutting the rock:
This one gets referred to as what is known as a cone sheet (which are common in Mull) but the orientation of it doesnt seem quite right - I think it is simply a dyke intruded into the gabbro. It is about 2 - 3 feet across
Further down in the quarry is another thin dyke - this one seemed quite shiny in the sun, beside a holly tree:
Just up a bit from the quarry, Ben Buie looked nice and knobbly in the sun:
A lot of Ben Buie is gabbro, a hard dark rock - what the Cuillins of Skye are made from. It is quite easily recognisable - it appears sort of dark and knobbly - easily picked out against the other rocks. In this pic, the view is sort of "side on". Ben Buie from Loch Buie look much more "pointy" Heres a pic I took of it in 97 / 98 from Moy Castle:
OK, it doesnt look all that summery, but hey, I need a fix of snow every now and again.
Further on, I had a good view down to the lochs in Glen More. Lovely spot!
So thats it for today - not a lot of strolling about but a great day for taking pics. Bye for now!
MM
Comments
fabulous pictures! Wish I was there! There`s a legend of the Grey Man on the Lairig Ghru who comes out of the mists and scares the cr*p out of climbers and walkers, apparently. :-)
Hermit from homesick
Oh, yes, Fear Liath Mor, the Big Grey Man! There is a good book about him written some time ago by Affleck Gray, called "The Big Grey Man of Ben Macdui" Its still available on Amazon. Never found anything strange myself - maybe the hills are too busy for him these days! All these Munro baggers!
Mountainman from Tobermory
thanks again mountainman good blog and the snaps as usual are fab. maybe hermit could think up another of her tales!
carol from in awe
I too have walked (staggered) the Lairig Ghru, some 50 years ago whilst taking part in a Royal Air Force Survival Course. All I saw was a pink mist.
Septuagent from Memory Lane
Mountainman, thanks agin for the great pictures.
CVBruce from CA, USA
Exploring the hills and coasts of Mull and Iona and occasionally elsewhere, with a close eye on the geology
RSS Feed