Snow patches in Scotland facts for kids
Imagine snow that stays on mountains all year long! These special areas are called snow patches, and they've been noticed in Scotland since at least the 1700s. People have seen snow patches on Ben Nevis, Scotland's highest mountain, lasting well into summer and autumn. An old observatory on Ben Nevis, which was open from 1883 to 1904, even reported that snow stayed on the north-east cliffs more often than it melted away completely.
More recently, scientists like Dr Adam Watson have studied these snow patches carefully. Most of their work focused on the mountains of north-east Scotland, especially the Cairngorms. But now, we know about many other places across Scotland where snow lasts a long time. Thanks to observers gathering information for over 50 years, Scotland's snow patches are now some of the best-studied in the world!
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Where Can You Find Snow Patches in Scotland?
Many places in the Scottish mountains have snow that lasts into July, August, and even September. But the two main areas where snow almost always stays longest are the Cairngorms and the Lochaber mountains. These areas are home to all of Scotland's mountains that are taller than 1,219 metres (4,000 feet), including Ben Nevis.
In some years, snow can stay all summer, even lasting until the next winter! For example, in 2015, 73 snow patches were still around in late November when the new winter snows had already started falling. The last time so many patches survived all year was in 1994.
Other places where snow has been known to last a long time include:
- Creag Meagaidh hills: Snow survived here in 1994 and 2015.
- Glen Affric/Strathfarrar hills: Snow usually melts by mid-August, but it has lasted on Sgurr na Lapaich, An Riabhachan, and Toll Creagach as recently as 2015.
- Ben Wyvis: Snow normally melts in July or August, but it has been seen to survive.
- Grey Corries: Snow usually lasts until July or August. It survived at least once on Stob Coire Easain and in 2015 on Stob Coire an Laoigh.
- Ben Alder range: Snow has survived at Geal-Charn many times, most recently in 2015.
Since 2009, for 120 months in a row, someone has been able to find snow for skiing somewhere in Scotland!
The Cairngorms: Home to Lasting Snow
The Cairngorms mountain range has five of the highest mountains in the United Kingdom. It's also where snow lasts the longest and in the most places. Mountains like Ben Macdui, Cairn Gorm, and Braeriach all have snow patches that have been watched for many years.
On Ben Macdui, snow has sometimes lasted from one winter to the next. The most common spot for this is near the Garbh Uisge Beag, which flows into Loch Avon. This snow patch is about 1,060 metres (3,478 feet) high.
On the north-eastern side of Cairn Gorm is a hollow called Ciste Mhearad. This spot used to have snow that lasted many years. However, since 2000, it has only lasted all year once (in 2015). In 2007 and 2008, the snow here melted completely in September. This patch is about 1,095 metres (3,593 feet) high.
Braeriach's Garbh Choire Mòr is where you'll find Britain's most long-lasting snow patches. Snow has only been completely gone from this area nine times in the last century. These patches are about 1,140 metres (3,740 feet) high. The two longest-lasting patches are called "the Pinnacles" and "the Sphinx," named after the rock climbs above them. Some people even think that Garbh Choire Mòr might have had a small glacier as recently as the 1800s!
In 1994, the Cairngorms and nearby mountains had an amazing 55 snow patches that lasted all year.
Ben Nevis Range: High Peaks, Lasting Snow
The Ben Nevis range includes Scotland's highest mountain, Ben Nevis. It also has three other mountains taller than 1,219 metres (4,000 feet): Aonach Mòr, Aonach Beag, and Càrn Mòr Dearg.
As we mentioned, Ben Nevis has been known for a long time to hold snow late into the year. While old stories from the 1800s say snow was always there, it's hard to prove. But it's definitely true that snow often lasts from one winter to the next. Ben Nevis's snow hasn't been studied as much as the Cairngorms', but recent observations show that Ben Nevis has only been completely snow-free once since 2006 (in 2017). The biggest patch, at Observatory Gully, is about 1,130 metres (3,707 feet) high. Another patch, slightly lower at Point 5 gully, has also been known to last from one winter to the next.
Aonach Mòr has a special area called Coire an Lochain where snow lasts from one year to the next. One of these patches, sitting behind a natural barrier of rocks and dirt, sometimes lasts longer than a patch higher up on the cliffs.
Below the cliffs of the north-east ridge on Aonach Beag, there's a snow patch that isn't very well known. Even though it's at a lower height (about 955 metres or 3,133 feet), it was Scotland's largest patch when the new winter snows arrived in 2007 and 2008. This patch isn't often written about, possibly because it's hard to see, even from the tops of Aonach Mòr or Aonach Beag.
See also
- Corrie
- Newman's Lady-fern – a plant that likes snow and is only found in Scotland.
- Icy Rock-moss – a type of moss found in Cairngorms National Park, usually on rocks in streams fed by snow patches.
- Younger Dryas
