Meall Imireach
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Quaternary of Scotland | Favourable | — | 2005-03-31 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Feature: Moraine
Landscape processes: Glacial
Description
Meall Imireach Meall Imireach Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is located roughly 3 km north west of Gairloch. The site extends in a north-south direction across the peninsula between Loch Gairloch and Loch Ewe. It contains a representative part of the Gairloch Moraine which forms part of an extensive series of ice margin features providing the clearest geomorphological evidence for a readvance of the Late Devensian ice sheet in Scotland, some 14,000 to 13,000 years ago. This readvance has been named the Wester Ross Readvance. The evidence for the Wester Ross Readvance is particularly well developed in the area of the Gairloch Moraine. It includes the best assemblage of landforms marking the readvance ice limit, notably a discontinuous moraine ridge extending over a distance of 10 km, drift limits, boulder ridges and till ridges which were deposited by the ice sheet. Eskers also occur as part of the landform assemblage. These are linear ridges of sand and gravel deposited by glacial rivers, often in tunnels underneath the ice. When the ice melted, the sand and gravel was left upstanding in distinct ridges.