South of Lochinver, a view north-east across Loch Culag to Quinag, 808 metres, in Assynt, Sutherland.
Commentary.
Like the Torridon peaks further south,
the monolithic Sutherland landscape
is made up of three key rocks:-
Lewisian Gneiss, Torridonian Sandstone and Cambrian Quartzite.
However, because of a series of violent mountain-building “thrusts,” and many faults and displacements, as well as igneous intrusion, and rocks being transformed, by heat and pressure, to Metamorphic rocks, the geology, here, is immensely complex.
The base rock, where many of the lochans are, is Lewisian Gneiss, 2-3 billion years old.
Above this is the bulk of Quinag, in the form of reddish-brown Torridonian Sandstone, over 500 million years old.
The peaks are capped by white crystalline Cambrian Quartzite, over 400 million years old.
Quinag has three main summits, all over 2,500 feet.
On its northern side, in the shelter of many foothills and
under the influence of a Maritime micro-climate, from the nearby coastal bay, remnants of ancient forests of Birch, Rowan, Wych Elm, Aspen and Oak can be found.
As with all Sutherland’s monolithic mountains, they seem higher than they are, because they rise from a low, hilly, loch-strewn hinterland.
Quinag resembles a grumpy Stegosaurus rising from its slumbers.
There is nowhere in Europe quite like it.
It is unique and quite fascinating.
Another world……
but a very peaceful and beautiful one.
South of Lochinver, a view north-east across Loch Culag to Quinag, 808 metres, in Assynt, Sutherland.
Commentary.
Like the Torridon peaks further south,
the monolithic Sutherland landscape
is made up of three key rocks:-
Lewisian Gneiss, Torridonian Sandstone and Cambrian Quartzite.
However, because of a series of violent mountain-building “thrusts,” and many faults and displacements, as well as igneous intrusion, and rocks being transformed, by heat and pressure, to Metamorphic rocks, the geology, here, is immensely complex.
The base rock, where many of the lochans are, is Lewisian Gneiss, 2-3 billion years old.
Above this is the bulk of Quinag, in the form of reddish-brown Torridonian Sandstone, over 500 million years old.
The peaks are capped by white crystalline Cambrian Quartzite, over 400 million years old.
Quinag has three main summits, all over 2,500 feet.
On its northern side, in the shelter of many foothills and
under the influence of a Maritime micro-climate, from the nearby coastal bay, remnants of ancient forests of Birch, Rowan, Wych Elm, Aspen and Oak can be found.
As with all Sutherland’s monolithic mountains, they seem higher than they are, because they rise from a low, hilly, loch-strewn hinterland.
Quinag resembles a grumpy Stegosaurus rising from its slumbers.
There is nowhere in Europe quite like it.
It is unique and quite fascinating.
Another world……
but a very peaceful and beautiful one.