Monadhliath Mountains

The Monadhliath Mountains form a grey upland range in the Scottish Highlands. They stretch northeast to southwest west of Strathspey, south-east of Loch Ness, and include four Munros: Càrn Dearg, A'Chailleach, Geal Chàrn and Càrn Sgulain. Blanket bog covers large parts, recognised as a Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The River Spey’s headwaters here hold salmon, otters, sea lamprey and freshwater pearl mussel. The Findhorn valley cuts sinuously through the heart of the range, an incised meander little changed by ice. The interior remains rarely visited, an elevated moorland without ridges or corries except near the Munros. Glen Killin is one of the few short glaciated troughs, carved as thin plateau ice thickened and warmed around 12,000 years ago. The land surface slopes gently northwest towards the Great Glen, its ancient form dating back over 400 million years. Human activity over the last thousand years has removed most native trees through deforestation and overgrazing by sheep and deer. Visitors find open moorland and sweeping views across the empty interior. Access roads built for hydro and wind schemes now cross parts of the range, opening views dominated by large wind turbines. The contrast between wild land and modern energy projects shapes the skyline for many kilometres around.