Beinn Dearg (Ullapool)
Encyclopedia
Beinn Dearg is a mountain
in the Inverlael area of the Highlands
of Scotland
. It is most frequently climbed by following the River Lael up Gleann na Sguaib. Starting from near the head of Loch Broom
a path follows the glen
to a bealach about a kilometre north of the summit. From this bealach, the neighbouring peaks of Con a' Mheall and Meall na Ceapraichean may also be climbed. Eididh nan Clach Geala, which lies about 3 km north of Beinn Dearg is also added in to complete a round of 4 Munros.
During early 2005, strong wind
s caused much damage to tree
s in the Inverlael Forest, almost completely blocking the route described.
Beinn Dearg is designated as a Special Protection Area
. The area encompasses a diverse range of habitats, including woodland
, mire
, open water, dwarf-shrub heath
, and cliff
s. Most significantly, the summit areas support specialist montane birds such as breeding Dotterel
Charadrius morinellus and Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the Inverlael area of the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is most frequently climbed by following the River Lael up Gleann na Sguaib. Starting from near the head of Loch Broom
Loch Broom
Loch Broom is a sea loch located in northwestern Ross and Cromarty, in the former parish of Lochbroom, in the west coast of Scotland. The small town of Ullapool lies on the eastern shore of the loch...
a path follows the glen
Glen
A glen is a valley, typically one that is long, deep, and often glacially U-shaped; or one with a watercourse running through such a valley. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower than a strath."...
to a bealach about a kilometre north of the summit. From this bealach, the neighbouring peaks of Con a' Mheall and Meall na Ceapraichean may also be climbed. Eididh nan Clach Geala, which lies about 3 km north of Beinn Dearg is also added in to complete a round of 4 Munros.
During early 2005, strong wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
s caused much damage to tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s in the Inverlael Forest, almost completely blocking the route described.
Beinn Dearg is designated as a Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
. The area encompasses a diverse range of habitats, including woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, mire
Miré
Miré is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France....
, open water, dwarf-shrub heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
, and cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s. Most significantly, the summit areas support specialist montane birds such as breeding Dotterel
Eurasian Dotterel
The Eurasian Dotterel , or in Europe just Dotterel, is a small wader in the plover family of birds.It breeds in the Arctic tundra of northern Eurasia, from Norway to eastern Siberia, and on suitable mountain plateaus such as the Scottish highlands and the Alps...
Charadrius morinellus and Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
Aquila chrysaetos.