Glenmoriston facts for kids
Glenmoriston, also known as Glen Moriston (which means "Gleann Moireasdan" in Scottish Gaelic), is a lovely river valley in the Scottish Highlands. It stretches from Loch Ness, near the village of Invermoriston, all the way west to Loch Cluanie. Here, it meets another valley called Glen Shiel. You can travel through Glenmoriston using the A887 and A87 roads.
The valley is mostly shaped by the River Moriston. In Scottish Gaelic, its name might mean "river of the waterfalls." This river is a great spot for people who love to fish. It's also popular with birdwatchers who come to see amazing birds like osprey and eagles hunting for fish. The river creates beautiful waterfalls at Invermoriston as it flows into Loch Ness. It even passes under an old bridge built by Thomas Telford way back in 1813.
About five miles from Invermoriston, you'll find Loch Dundreggan. "Dundreggan" comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "Dragon Haugh." Here, the strong force of the river is used to create electricity. A hydro-electric dam helps power the area. On Tuesdays, water is released from the dam. This makes it a super popular place for exciting activities like white water rafting and canoeing! In November 2009, a charity called Trees for Life brought wild boar back to a large fenced area of the Dundreggan Estate. This happened after they studied if it would work in a nearby valley called Glen Affric.
The Mysterious Glenmoriston Footprints
Not far east of Torgoyle Bridge, you can find the Glenmoriston Footprints. If you head from the bridge towards Invermoriston, you'll see a short stone wall on your right. This is about a quarter of a mile past some houses. You can park your car here. Across the road, there's a small gate and a path. Follow this path for about thirty yards, and you'll reach a stone cairn. Right behind it are two "footprints." These are bare patches of earth that look like the size and shape of footprints. Nothing seems to grow on them.
People say these are the footprints of Finlay Munro. He was also known as the Highland Evangelist and came from Tain. After working on the Isle of Lewis, he traveled through the southern Highlands. In 1827, he gave a sermon in Glenmoriston. His sermon was about "Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel." Most people liked what he said. But some people from Glengarry disagreed and called him names. It is said that Munro closed his Bible and declared that the ground he stood on would prove his words were true until the Day of Judgment. That's why these marks on the ground are believed to be his footprints, where nothing will ever grow.
A Glimpse into Glenmoriston's Past
Glenmoriston also has a rich Jacobite history. After the Battle of Culloden in 1746, Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped through Glenmoriston to safety. He was a prince who wanted to be the king of Scotland. The Prince hid in a cave up in the hills where the River Doe flows into the valley.
He was famously protected by a group called the Seven Men of Glenmoriston. This was amazing because there was a huge reward of £30,000 for his capture! (That's like £4.2 million or US$6 million today). By the side of the road, you can see Roderick Mackenzie's cairn. This monument honors a loyal supporter of the Stuart Prince. Roderick pretended to be Charlie and let himself be caught and killed by the soldiers chasing the Prince. This brave act gave the real Prince time to escape to safety. Sometimes, Glenmoriston is spelled incorrectly as Glenmorriston, especially in old history books.
