Barron, H F, Gillespie, M R and Merritt, J W 2011. Geodiversity of the Cairngorms National Park. British Geological Survey Open Report, OR/10/019

A PDF of this report is available from the NORA, the NERC archive

Site no.: Q22

Site name: Dirc Mhór channels

Grid reference: [NN 58866 86634]

Locality: Dirc Mhór and Dirc Bheag, 5 km NW of Dalwhinnie.

GCR Status: N/A

GCR No.: N/A

Type: Natural landforms

Description: Dirc Mhór [NN 590 860] and Dirc Bheag, 600 m to the NW, cut north-eastwards across the col to the west of Dalwhinnie. Both are over 80 m deep with precipitous walls and are partly filled with scree.

Justification: Although marginally outside the National Park, these two clefts enormous are remarkable features in the mountain panorama viewed from the Park. These ice-directed channels would have been scoured out by ice during the last glaciation and re- trimmed by meltwaters, but have a long history spanning several glaciations.

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