Glen Kingie facts for kids

Glen Kingie is a beautiful valley, also called a 'glen', located in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. It opens up into another valley called Glen Garry at its northeastern end, near a place called Kingie. A river called the River Kingie flows through the valley. It starts high up, about 650 meters (2,130 feet) above sea level, in a dip between two mountain peaks named An Eag and Sgurr Cos na Breachd-laoidh. Many smaller streams, called 'burns' in Scotland, flow into the River Kingie from both the north and south sides of the valley. Some of these streams include Allt a' Chinn Bhric, Allt a' Choire Ghlais, Allt Coir' an Stangain Mhoir, Allt a' ùRiabhaich, and Allt Torrain Dharaich. The waters of the River Kingie eventually join the River Garry at a spot known as Kingie Pool.

Mountains of Glen Kingie

Glen Kingie is surrounded by impressive mountains.

Northern Mountains

The northern side of the valley is formed by the slopes of two very tall mountains:

• Sgurr Mor: This mountain is 1,003 meters (3,291 feet) high.
• Gairich: This mountain stands at 919 meters (3,015 feet) high.

Both Sgurr Mor and Gairich are known as Munros. A Munro is a Scottish mountain that is over 914.4 meters (3,000 feet) tall. Climbing all the Munros is a popular challenge for hikers!

Southern Mountains

The southern side of Glen Kingie has a more rugged landscape. In its upper parts, it is dominated by three mountains known as Corbetts:

• Sgurr Cos na Breachd-laoidh: This mountain is 835 meters (2,740 feet) high.
• Fraoch Bheinn: This mountain reaches 858 meters (2,815 feet) high.
• Sgurr Mhurlagain: This mountain is 880 meters (2,887 feet) high.

A Corbett is a Scottish mountain between 762 meters (2,500 feet) and 914.4 meters (3,000 feet) tall.

Geology of the Valley

The rocks that make up Glen Kingie are very old! They were formed during the late Precambrian period, which was a very long time ago, even before dinosaurs existed.

Ancient Rocks

The valley is made of rocks called psammites and pelites. These rocks belong to something called the Moine Supergroup. Imagine a thick stack of different rock layers that have been changed over millions of years.

Metamorphic Rocks

These rocks have gone through a process called metamorphism. This means they were changed by intense heat and pressure deep inside the Earth. It's like baking a cake – the ingredients change into something new! In the middle part of the glen, these ancient rocks are also joined by another type of rock called the West Highland Granite Gneiss. Gneiss is another type of rock that has been changed by heat and pressure.

Access and Forestry

Glen Kingie is a quiet place without public roads.

Getting Around

There are no public roads that go through Glen Kingie. However, there is a private track for vehicles that runs through a planted forest area, starting from Glen Garry. An old path, known as a 'right of way', continues westwards from near the end of this track.

Forest Plantations

Much of the lower part of Glen Kingie is covered by a large commercial forest. This forest is connected to other similar forests in Glen Garry. These plantations are often used to grow trees for timber.