Lochnagar
Encyclopedia
Lochnagar or Beinn Chìochan is a mountain
in the Grampians
of Scotland
, located about five miles south of the River Dee
near Balmoral
.
to be found in the mountain's northeast corrie
. Today the lochan is popularly called Lochnagar too. The summit itself is usually referred to as Cac Càrn Beag, meaning "small cairn of faeces" in Scottish Gaelic
.
Beinn Chìochan (mountain of breasts) is an alternative Gaelic name.
The mountain's principal feature is a north-facing corrie
around which most of the subsidiary tops as well as the main peak sit. The mountain is a Munro
and is popular with hillwalkers at all times of the year. The most common route of ascent is from Glen Muick. Care should be taken on the summit in poor visibility; the plateau is mostly devoid of obvious features and has steep cliffs on its northern edge.
Lochnagar is located on the Royal Estate at Balmoral, and the mountain itself has royal links. It is the setting for a children's story, The Old Man of Lochnagar
, originally told by Prince Charles
to his younger brothers, Andrew
and Edward
, and published in 1980 with royalties going towards The Prince's Trust
.
A malt whisky
distillery located near the Balmoral estate on the south side of the River Dee produces the Royal Lochnagar Single Malt
whisky.
It is a site for breeding Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) and this has led it to be designated as a Special Protection Area
.
'Lochnagar
' is the name of a crater in the Somme
created by a massive mine explosion
during the First World War
. The peak also lends its name to a poem by Lord Byron, and the song based on it.
In the movie Mrs. Brown
, John Brown and Benjamin Disraeli hike up Lochnagar to discuss the need for Queen Victoria to return to active involvement with Government.
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 Grampians
Grampian Mountains (Scotland)
The Grampian Mountains or Grampians are one of the three major mountain ranges in Scotland, occupying a considerable portion of the Scottish Highlands in northeast Scotland.-Extent:...
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...
, located about five miles south of the River Dee
River Dee, Aberdeenshire
The River Dee is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through Strathdee to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen...
near Balmoral
Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle is a large estate house in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and east of Braemar. Balmoral has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852, when it was purchased by Queen Victoria and her...
.
Names
Technically, the English name is a misunderstanding, being named after Lochan na Gaire, the 'little loch of the noisy sound', a lochLoch
Loch is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for a lake or a sea inlet. It has been anglicised as lough, although this is pronounced the same way as loch. Some lochs could also be called a firth, fjord, estuary, strait or bay...
to be found in the mountain's northeast corrie
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
. Today the lochan is popularly called Lochnagar too. The summit itself is usually referred to as Cac Càrn Beag, meaning "small cairn of faeces" in Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
.
Beinn Chìochan (mountain of breasts) is an alternative Gaelic name.
Features
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
around which most of the subsidiary tops as well as the main peak sit. The mountain is a Munro
Munro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
and is popular with hillwalkers at all times of the year. The most common route of ascent is from Glen Muick. Care should be taken on the summit in poor visibility; the plateau is mostly devoid of obvious features and has steep cliffs on its northern edge.
Lochnagar is located on the Royal Estate at Balmoral, and the mountain itself has royal links. It is the setting for a children's story, The Old Man of Lochnagar
The Old Man of Lochnagar
The Old Man of Lochnagar is a children's book written by Prince Charles and illustrated by Sir Hugh Casson.The story of the old man of Lochnagar was one Prince Charles had told some years earlier to entertain his brothers, Andrew and Edward, when they were young. The book was published in 1980 in...
, originally told by Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
to his younger brothers, Andrew
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
and Edward
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
, and published in 1980 with royalties going towards The Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1976 by Charles, Prince of Wales to help young people. They run a range of training programmes, provide mentoring support and offer financial grants to build the confidence and motivation of disadvantaged young people...
.
A malt whisky
Single malt whisky
Single malt whisky is a whisky made at one particular distillery from a mash that uses one particular malted grain, which is ordinarily barley.Single malts are typically associated with Scotland, though they are also produced in various other countries...
distillery located near the Balmoral estate on the south side of the River Dee produces the Royal Lochnagar Single Malt
Royal Lochnagar Single Malt
Royal Lochnagar is a single malt Scotch whisky, produced at Lochnagar, Royal Deeside, in the Highland whisky producing area of Scotland.The first Lochnagar distillery was burnt down in suspicious circumstances in 1824 and a replacement again burnt down in 1841. In 1845 John Begg built the "new"...
whisky.
It is a site for breeding Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) and this has led it to be 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...
.
'Lochnagar
Lochnagar mine
The Lochnagar mine was an explosive-packed mine created by the Royal Engineer tunnelling companies, located south of the village of La Boisselle in the Somme département of France, which was detonated at 7:28 am on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme...
' is the name of a crater in the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
created by a massive mine explosion
Lochnagar mine
The Lochnagar mine was an explosive-packed mine created by the Royal Engineer tunnelling companies, located south of the village of La Boisselle in the Somme département of France, which was detonated at 7:28 am on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The peak also lends its name to a poem by Lord Byron, and the song based on it.
In the movie Mrs. Brown
Mrs. Brown
Mrs. Brown is a 1997 British drama film starring Judi Dench, Billy Connolly, Geoffrey Palmer, Antony Sher and Gerard Butler...
, John Brown and Benjamin Disraeli hike up Lochnagar to discuss the need for Queen Victoria to return to active involvement with Government.