The Wilderness ARC
The Challenge of the Highlands
09.08.2005
The UK’s highest peak, Ben Nevis, stands above the race venue at Fort William and just to the North is the UK’s largest inland body of water, Loch Ness. To the South East lies the wide-open water logged expanse of Rannoch Moor, and to North East the Cairngorm Plateau, a World Heritage area and one of Scotland’s new National Parks. Further west the rugged coastline has thousands of deserted bays and inlets and the Inner Hebridean islands are close to shore, but the tidal waters separating them from the mainland are treacherous.
Large herds of deer roam the uplands and the area is home to rare species like Golden Eagle and wild cat. Dolphin and seal are commonly seen on the coast, where there are occasional sightings of whale and otter. However, visiting teams (and especially race marshals) should beware of one of Scotland’s smallest creatures … the midge. This tiny biting insect might seem insignificant to visiting teams used to bigger swamp flies, but swarms of biting midges are a great incentive to run fast!
The race venue at Fort William, the Outdoor Capital of the UK, lies on the West Coast, at the head of the 25 mile long Loch Linnhe, and at the Southern End of the Great Glen, the immense fault line which runs for 70 miles northwards to Inverness, and within which lies Loch Ness. The town hosts the Mountain Biking World Cup, and an international mountain race up Ben Nevis, which stands 1334m feet above it.
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