• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Geographical

Geographical

Official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

  • Home
  • Briefing
  • Science & Environment
  • Climate
    • Climatewatch
  • Wildlife
  • Culture
  • Geopolitics
    • Geopolitical hotspots
  • Study Geography
    • University directory
    • Masters courses
    • Course guides
      • Climate change
      • Environmental science
      • Human geography
      • Physical geography
    • University pages
      • University of Aberdeen
      • Aberystwyth University
      • Cardiff University
      • University of Chester
      • Edge Hill University
      • University of Edinburgh
      • Newcastle University
      • Nottingham Trent University
      • Queen Mary University of London
    • Geography careers
      • Charity/non-profit
      • Education & research
      • Environment
      • Finance & consulting
      • Government
    • Applications and advice
  • Magazine
    • Issue previews
    • Subscribe
    • Manage My Subscription
    • Podcasts
    • Discovering Britain
    • Book reviews
    • Crosswords
    • Quizzes
    • Advertise with us
  • Subscribe

Glen Roy: the high road and the low road

1 November 2023
3 minutes

The Parallel Roads of Glen Roy
The Parallel Roads of Glen Roy. Image: Richard P Long/Shutterstock

Rory Walsh investigates a trio of strange ‘roads’ in the Scottish Highlands


Discovering Britain

View • Rural • Scotland • Web Guide

Landscapes can be read like books. Scenic views stimulate our eyes and imagination, and we usually like to know their story. One example is Glen Roy, a U-shaped glacial valley 24 kilometres north of Ben Nevis. From Roy Bridge on the A86, a twisty road winds through the valley east of the River Roy. The slope-sided mountains provide a vast backdrop of browns and greens. After six kilometres, a small car park appears inside a tight loop of the road that recalls an oxbow lake. Here visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of a strange sight.  

Three parallel lines, one above the other, run horizontally across the rock faces. Some stretches are more distinct than others, but they ring the entire glen. Local legends claimed they were ancient roads, created when the valley was densely wooded. Mythical king Fionn MacCumhail, or Fingal the Giant, supposedly built them so he could ride through the forest on horseback. 

From the 18th century, the ‘Parallel Roads of Glen Roy’ fascinated scientists seeking a more plausible explanation. Among them was Charles Darwin, who visited Glen Roy in 1838. Darwin and others suggested that the Parallel Roads were raised beaches, the remnants of a lost coastline created by a sea that had once reached further inland. There aren’t any seashells or other marine remains here to support this theory, however. 


Stay connected with the Geographical newsletter!

In these turbulent times, we’re committed to telling expansive stories from across the globe, highlighting the everyday lives of normal but extraordinary people. Stay informed and engaged with Geographical.

Get Geographical’s latest news delivered straight to your inbox every Friday!


Then, in 1840, Swiss geologist Louis Agassiz found the solution: the Parallel Roads were the traces of an Ice Age glacial loch. Agassiz realised that a glacier spanning Glen Roy could become a dam, trapping water in the valley. A loch formed that was large enough for the wind to generate waves. It was these lapping waves that cut horizontal ledges into the valley’s sides. As the glacier gradually receded, the water level dropped in three distinct stages, carving the Parallel Roads in descending order. 

Discover more about Britain…

  • The guardians of Scotland’s Glen Etive
  • The peculiar Hardy Tree of St Pancras
  • Discovering Britain: Ravenscar, the holiday resort that never got built
  • Lincolnshire’s silent sentry near RAF Stenigot
  • King of the hill: the Wye crown

Many people stopping at this view already know how the Parallel Roads were created. For those who don’t, interpretation boards in the car park explain the geological and historical details. It’s no coincidence that there are similar panels at so many famous viewpoints. Landscapes are always being subjected to human interpretation. The Parallel Roads of Glen Roy reveal the extent of that interpretation, from popular legends of galloping kings to scientific theories about lost seas. This Highland valley reflects our natural curiosity about the world around us, our place within it and the stories we create when faced with a mystery.


Enjoying this article? We have thousands more for you.

Get immediate access to over 1,000 Geographical magazines in our archive back to 1935.

Sign up today and you will soon be travelling back through time reading all our amazing features of the last eight decades PLUS... you also get to enjoy every new issue of Geographical each month going forward in both print and digital formats.

Simply press the button below to choose the perfect package for you.

Get started


Discovering Britian logo
Go to the Discovering Britain website to find more hikes, short walks, or viewing points. Every landscape has a story to tell!

Filed Under: Culture Tagged With: Discovering Britain, instagram, November 23

Protected by Copyscape

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Geographical Magazine from just £4.99

Geographical subscriptions

Popular Now

Geographical December 2023

Geographical December 2023

December 2023 Geographical crossword

December 2023 Geographical crossword

‘Darwin’s Oak’ to be felled to make way for Shrewsbury Bypass

‘Darwin’s Oak’ to be felled to make way for Shrewsbury Bypass

QUIZ: City Spotlight – Barcelona

QUIZ: City Spotlight – Barcelona

Macro, runner up: Blue by Mary Gudgeon. Starfish shrimp are always found in association with a starfish, in this case a species of Echinaster

Antipodean delights from the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition

Footer

Geographical print magazine cover

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Published in the UK since 1935, Geographical is the official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Informative, authoritative and educational, this site’s content covers a wide range of subject areas, including geography, culture, wildlife and exploration, illustrated with superb photography.

Click Here for SUBSCRIPTION details

Want to access Geographical on your tablet or smartphone? Press the Apple, Android or PC/Mac image below to download the app for your device

Footer Apple Footer Android Footer Mac-PC

More from Geographical

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise with us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Subscriptions

Copyright © 2023 · Site by Syon Media