Glen Docherty facts for kids
Glen Docherty is a beautiful valley, also known as a 'glen', located in a part of Scotland called Wester Ross. It stretches between two large lakes, Loch Maree and Loch a'Chroisg. The nearby towns are Kinlochewe and Achnasheen.
What is Glen Docherty?
Glen Docherty is a long, narrow valley found in the Scottish Highlands. It is surrounded by mountains. To the north is Càrn a' Ghlinne, which is about 539 meters (1,768 feet) tall. To the south is Carn Loisgte, about 446 meters (1,463 feet) tall.
The Road Through the Glen
A main road, called the A832, runs right through Glen Docherty. For a long time, this road was quite narrow. It was a 'single track road', meaning only one car could pass at a time. There were special spots called 'passing places' for cars to pull over. Recently, about 5.8 kilometers (3.6 miles) of the road has been made wider. Now, it is a 'double track' road, which means cars can easily pass each other.
How Glen Docherty Was Formed
The amazing landscape of Glen Docherty was shaped over millions of years. About 50 million years ago, there was a lot of volcanic activity in this area. This means volcanoes were erupting and lava was flowing. After the volcanoes became quiet, something else started to change the land.
This change was caused by 'glaciers'. Glaciers are huge, slow-moving rivers of ice. They started to form about 1.8 million years ago. These giant ice sheets slowly carved out the valleys. The last big Ice Age ended about 10,000 years ago. The U-shaped valley of Glen Docherty is a perfect example of how glaciers can shape the land. They act like giant bulldozers, scraping away rock and soil to create these deep, wide valleys.
