Glen Lyon
| Glen Lyon | ||
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 Glen Lyon from the air |
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| location | Highlands , Scotland | |
| Waters | River Lyon | |
| Mountains | Grampian Mountains | |
| Geographical location | 56 ° 35 ′ N , 4 ° 22 ′ W | |
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| length | approx. 50 km | |
The Glen Lyon ( Gaelic Gleann Lìomhann ) is a valley ( Glen ) in the Scottish Highlands . It is located in the Council Area Perth and Kinross west of Aberfeldy .
geography
The valley, which runs largely in a west-east direction, is traversed by the River Lyon, which flows into the Tay at the eastern end of the valley north of Kenmore . At over 50 kilometers in length, Glen Lyon is one of the longest Scottish mountain valleys. With the valley of the Allt Conait, it has only one larger side valley that flows orographically on the left side of the valley. The other side valleys are significantly shorter.
The valley is bordered on both sides by mountain ranges, some of which have peaks over 1000 meters high. In total, around a dozen peaks are classified as Munros around the valley , and more Munros can be found above side valleys.
Glen Lyon is only sparsely populated, the valley has only several smaller settlements. The next larger towns at the eastern end of the valley are Aberfeldy and Kenmore. At the entrance to the valley lies the small town of Fortingall , Parish for Glen Lyon and, according to local legend, the birthplace of Pontius Pilate . The small towns of Inverar, Innerwick, Bridge of Balgie, Cashlie and Pubil follow the valley to the west. In total, the valley has a little over 100 permanent residents. The end of the valley has been closed since the 1950s by the Lubreoch Dam, which dams Loch Lyon . There is also a reservoir in the side valley of the Allt Conait with the Loch an Daimh .
history
The valley was probably already settled at the time of the Picts , various old standing stones and the stone circles of Fortingall indicate a very early settlement. According to legend, the valley was Christianized around the year 700 by Saint Adomnan of Iona , to whom the church near Innerwick commemorates.
In earlier centuries the valley was more densely populated, as in much of the Highlands, the Highland Clearances in Glen Lyon resulted in a significant population decline. At the beginning of the 19th century, over 1000 people lived in the valley. Traditionally, large parts of the valley belonged to the Campbell clan . In the 17th century, large parts of the valley belonged to the 5th Laird , Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, notorious from the Glencoe massacre . Other clans have also left traces in its history, such as Clan MacGregor and Clan Menzies , whose ancestral seat Castle Menzies is a few kilometers east of Fortingall.
The shipowner and politician Donald Currie acquired Glenlyon Estate, the former property of the Campbells of Glenlyon , in 1885 and had Fortingall fundamentally redesigned as the largest settlement in the valley.
In 1935 the valley was used as a filming location for the film The 39 Steps by Alfred Hitchcock .
Tourism and economy
Today the valley lives from agriculture , especially sheep and cattle breeding, from tourism . In addition, the generation of electricity in the two reservoirs at the end of the valley is important.
Already Sir Walter Scott described Glen Lyon at the beginning of the 19th century as "the longest, loneliest and loveliest glen in Scotland" ("the longest, loneliest and loveliest valley in Scotland"). Glen Lyon is a destination primarily for nature lovers, hikers and Munro diggers . Due to the sparse population, the valley has hardly any tourist infrastructure. In addition to some bed and breakfasts, there is a hotel in Fortingall and a small shop with a post office and tea room in Bridge of Balgie. There is a primary school at Innerwick .
Sights include the Fortingall Yew , a 2000 to 5000 year old yew tree in Fortingall, which is considered the oldest tree in Europe, and Carn na Marbh , a burial mound from the Bronze Age . The Roman Bridge is an old bridge from the 16th century over the River Lyon, other destinations are the ruins of Carnbane Castle and an old stone cross at Camusvrachan, which is said to go back to St. Adomnan and is known as "St Adomnán's Cross". Meggernie Castle , the former residence of Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, is privately owned and not accessible.
Glen Lyon is primarily a destination for nature lovers. The River Lyon runs several times through narrow, canyon-like valley sections and forms various pools in the rocks. It is a popular destination for anglers . The mountains on both sides of the valley are destinations for hikers and mountaineers. Particularly popular with mountaineers are the four peaks known as Glen Lyon Horseshoe , Càrn Gorm , Meall Garbh , Càrn Mairg and Meall nan Aighean .
Almost its entire length of the valley is accessible by a single track road from Fortingall. In Bridge of Balgie a narrow road branches off to the south, which meets Loch Tay again at the foot of Ben Lawers . Another narrow road branches off in Pubil at the end of the valley, via which Glen Lochay and Killin can be reached to the south and west of Loch Tay . There is no road crossing to Bridge of Orchy and Tyndrum , which are just a few kilometers to the west .
Personalities
- James MacGregor, Vicar of Fortingall, wrote the Leabhar Deathan Lios Mòir between 1512 and 1526
- Robert Campbell of Glenlyon (1630–1696), officer and involved in the Glencoe massacre
- Robert Campbell (fur traders) (1808-1894), Mountain you and in exploring the Rocky Mountains and the Yukon Territory involved
Individual evidence
- ↑ Glen Lyon: the valley of the Sun God , accessed October 26, 2014
- ^ Duncan Campbell: The Lairds of Glenlyon: historical sketches relating to the districts of Appin, Glenlyon, and Breadalbane, Privately Printed, 1886, on archive.org
- ↑ a b Fortingall Hotel: History , accessed July 9, 2020
- ↑ Glen Lyon on visitscotland.com , accessed October 26, 2014
- ↑ The Fortingall Yew on historicbritain.com , accessed October 26, 2014
