Ribbon of Wilderness by Peter Wright sampler

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Ribbons of Wildness_2016_Layout 1 24/05/2016 19:26 Page 32 ribbon of wildness which either serve to contribute to, or indeed define, the wilder characteristic of the Watershed, so the argument for its distinctive contribution to the geography of Scotland is expanded too. And the notion of a Ribbon of Wildness moves on from being a rather subjective observation to a case that bears much wider scrutiny. Although it is the hills and mountains that form the milestones along the Watershed, because they are the higher ground and establish the divide, it is the major rivers and their catchments that truly place the Watershed in its wider Scottish context. They describe the direction which water will take to Ocean or Sea; they are part of the bigger picture and provide the route for that watery journey. The author Neil Gunn, evocatively describes the life of a river: Going from the mouth to the source, may well seem to be reversing the natural order, to be going from the death of the sea, where individuality is lost, back to the source of the stream, where individuality is born. The major rivers and their tributaries to the east of the Watershed include the Tweed, Forth, Tay, Spey, Ness, Affric, Oykel and Shin; these are all bound for the North Sea, and their combined catch - ment areas constitute a sizeable proportion of central and eastern Scotland. The major river systems on the Atlantic side include the Liddel, Esk and Moffat, which flow into the Solway Firth in the south. These are followed by the Clyde, Orchy, and Etive, and then the various shorter waters which drain into Loch Linnhe, including the Coe, Leven, Spean, Lochy and Dessary. The next rivers all typify the character of this part of the northwest Highlands, where the Watershed is well towards the western sea-board. Indeed there are short stretches in which the line of the Watershed swings even fur - ther west than some of these sea lochs’ eastward penetration. For example, Sgurr na Ciche and the remote section within the Rough Bounds, lies some 20km west of Loch Eil at Banavie, and is almost 5km west of Kinloch Hourn to the north. Much of the line of the Watershed in the northwest runs parallel or close to the line of the Moine Thrust, a geological feature created when two tectonic plates collided, with the one over-riding the other – thus pushing up a long 32
Ribbons of Wildness_2016_Layout 1 24/05/2016 19:26 Page 33 introduction ragged mountain formation. Moving further northwards, these short swift rivers include the Shiel, Ling, Carron, Ewe, Broom, Canaird, and Laxford, whilst the slower eastern run towards Duncansby Head includes the Strathmore, Naver, Halladale and Thurso. From this it can be seen that the place of the Watershed and its related river systems within the wider Scottish landscape is vast. Only the relatively small area to the east in Aberdeenshire and Angus, bounded by a line from near Arbroath to Carn na Fhidhleir in the southern Cairngorms, and then running north to meet the Moray coast near Portsoy, is not an integrated part of this picture. The Watershed has a defining place in the geography of all but a small proportion of the entire Scottish mainland. Land designation for wildlife, conservation, scientific or scenic purposes has seen some 25 per cent of Scotland given some form of protection in recent years. This serves to demonstrate the high quality of landscape and wildlife which we enjoy on our own door - step, and as will be seen, adds weight to the argument concerning the wilder character of the Watershed. The key forms of designation which have a direct bearing on the line of the Watershed are: Designation Abbrev Summary Sites of Special sssi Areas protected for their geological, Scientific Interest botanical or zoological importance – covering 11 per cent of Scotland. National Nature nnr Now over 70 of these areas in Reserve Scotland, in additional to smaller Local Nature Reserves. Special Areas of sac Areas cover a range of valuable non- Conservation bird habitats. Special Protection spa The conservation of wild birds is the Areas main purpose in this form of protection, with over sites 70 throughout Scotland. 33
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Ribbon of Wilderness by Peter Wright sampler

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