Parallel Roads of Lochaber
| Glen Roy National Nature Reserve | |
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The Parallel Roads of Glen Roy, highlighted by recent snowfall
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| Location | Roybridge, Lochaber, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 56°58′N 4°46′W / 56.97°N 4.76°WCoordinates: 56°58′N 4°46′W / 56.97°N 4.76°W |
| Governing body | Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) |
| Glen Roy National Nature Reserve | |
Glen Roy (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Ruaidh meaning "red glen") in the Lochaber area of the Highlands of Scotland is a National Nature Reserve and is noted for the geological puzzle of the three roads ("Parallel Roads"). The "Parallel Roads" of Glen Roy are lochterraces that formed along the shorelines of an ancient ice-dammed loch. The loch existed during a brief period (some 900-1,100 years in duration) of climatic deterioration, during a much longer period of deglaciation, subsequent to the last main ice age (The Devensian). From a distance they resemble man-made roads running along the side of the Glen, hence the name.
The glen runs north from Glen Spean which takes the main A86 trunk road and the railway of the West Highland Line, both running about a further 14 miles southwest via Spean Bridge to Fort William. The village of Roybridge and Roy Bridge railway station are sited where the River Roy joins the River Spean, and from there a narrow single track road runs north up the glen for almost 10 miles to Brae Roy Lodge.
Glen Roy National Nature Reserve is managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). Glen Roy was acquired by the then Nature Conservcany in 1970 and declared a National Nature Reserve in order to protect the site against proposed afforestation. While Glen Roy was protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at this time, this accolade offered much weaker protection than it does today, however now the protection comes from both its SSSI and NNR status.
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Wikipedia