Assynt
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|---|---|
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  Assynt Location within the Sutherland area | |
| Population | 1,011 [2] |
| OS grid reference | NC2092 |
| • Edinburgh | 234 mi (377 km) |
| • London | 637 mi (1,025 km) |
| Community council |
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| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Lairg |
| Dialling code | 01571 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Assynt (Scottish Gaelic: Asainn [ˈas̪ɪɲ] or Asainte [ˈas̪ɪɲtʲə]) is a sparsely populated area in the south-west of Sutherland, lying north of Ullapool on the west coast of Scotland. Assynt is known for its landscape and its remarkable mountains, which have led to the area, along with neighbouring Coigach, being designated as the Assynt-Coigach National Scenic Area,[3] one of 40 such areas in Scotland.[4]
The western part of Assynt has many distinctively shaped mountains, including Quinag, Canisp, Suilven and Ben More Assynt, that rise steeply from the surrounding "cnoc and lochan" scenery. These can often appear higher than their actual height would indicate due to their steep sides and the contrast with the moorland from which they rise.[5] Many of the most distinctive peaks such as Suilven were formed during the last Ice Age, when they were left exposed above the ice sheet as nunataks, and they now remain as inselbergs of highly eroded Torridonian sandstone sitting on a bedrock of much older Lewisian gneiss.[6] The Moine Thrust runs through the area, and is most visible at Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve, which includes a visitor centre interpreting the geological features of the landscape. In the east of Assynt lies a region of limestone scenery surrounding Ben More Assynt.[5] This part of Assynt hosts the longest cave in Scotland, Uamh an Claonaite, which lies five miles (eight kilometres) south of Inchnadamph.[7] The geological importance of Assynt is reflected in its inclusion in the North West Highlands Geopark.[8][9]
The name Assynt may derive from an Old Norse word meaning 'ridge end'. There is also a tradition that the name comes from a fight between the two brothers Unt and Ass-Unt, (meaning Man of Peace and Man of Discord). The latter having won the tussle gave his name to the parish.[10]
- ^ "Assynt". Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ "Civil Parish 1930 by Accommodation type by Household tenure by Term-time Address (Indicator)- Table LC4428SC - Assynt". Scotland's Census. National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ "Assynt-Coigach National Scenic Area". NatureScot. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ "National Scenic Areas". NatureScot. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ a b "The special qualities of the National Scenic Areas" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ^ Butler, Rob. "An Essay on the Geology of NW Scotland" (PDF). Leeds University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
- ^ "Peter Glanvill Photography: Claonaite" darkanddeep.co.uk. Retrieved 29 September 2007.
- ^ "North West Highlands Geopark". Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ "Visit Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve" (PDF). www.nature.scot. Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ^ Strang, Tom. (1975) The Northern Highlands. Edinburgh. Scottish Mountaineering Club.