Walk: Littlemill's ice-cool legacy

Highland | Strathnairn | Short walk | ★★★

[Littlemill eskers - the snake-like mounds heading away from the foreground]

The partly-wooded countryside at Littlemill, Strathnairn is a glaciologist's paradise. The glen used to be under the belly of a huge glacier, which left several tell-tale signs after it retreated. Esker ridges - snake-like mounds of earth deposited by meltwater channels underneath the ice - litter the landscape, with paths along their crests making exploration easy. There are also numerous kettleholes: water-filled depressions left over when blocks of ice melted in situ. From higher parts of the route there are some good views of the surrounding hills too, but this is a circuit which will appeal more to ice geeks.

[Kettlehole]

📌 Walk: Littlemill's ice-cool legacy ★★★
▶ 5 km / 3 miles | ▲ 50 metres
Features: Littlemill eskers & kettleholes
Start / finish: Car park on B851 2 miles southwest of the A9 junction, G.R.: NH 701365 ///vines.duos.hello

Route: Car park - path junction at G.R.: NH 702365 - edge of Littlemill quarry at G.R. NH 706368 - gravel pit at G.R.: NH 701354 - first path junction - start. Route combines blue & red routes on map here (no. 5) with further extension to south, though marked only intermittently on the ground.
Terrain: Clear, sometimes narrow paths, some tracks.
Wildlife today: Butterflies, woodland birds, hares.
Weather today: About 20°C with sunny intervals, some large clouds around.

[Esker in the forest]

Route map

Route credit: Forestry and Land Scotland (modified)

More photos

[Esker]

[Loch / flooded quarry]

[The biggest kettlehole]

[Good views from the higher parts of the eskers]

[Esker]

[Woodland track at the south end of the loop]

[Esker]

[Esker]

[Moth]

[Down by the largest of the kettleholes]