• DOI:10.1144/GSL.JGS.1869.025.01-02.50
• Corpus ID: 128693684

On the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy

@article{NicolOnTP,
  title={On the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy},
  author={James Nicol},
  journal={Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London},
  volume={25},
  pages={282 - 291}
}

• J. Nicol
• Published 1 February 1869
• History
• Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London

The general characters and appearance of these celebrated roads are so well known as scarcely to require to be mentioned. Running apparently with perfect horizontality and complete parallelism along the two sides of a long Highland glen, turning up every lateral valley and encircling every hill, they form a spectacle altogether unique in this country, and which, when once seen, can never be forgotten. Their mode of origin, on the other hand, still remains one of the open, undecided questions in Scottish geology. Various theories have been proposed, each enjoying popularity for a time, but no one permanently remaining master of the field. The horizontality, parallelism, and general character of the lines leave no doubt that they have been formed by water standing at the level of each line or road for a very considerable period, and then suddenly subsiding to the level of the next lower road. Thus far all recent observers seem agreed. But fresh water and salt—mountain loch and sea-firth—have still each their own supporters; and some who once advocated the one of these views, may now be found supporting the other. It is thus evident that no facts very decisively in favour of either theory have yet been adduced. But that such facts do exist I hope to be able to show in the following observations, and thus to contribute some evidence tending to decide this question. As the general aspect and characters of these lines or roads are so well known, and have been so