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Landslides in Scotland

Moving fast or slow, ranging from truly huge rock face collapses to microscopic movement of soil particles, landslides (also called mass movements) are evidence of slope readjustment to gravity. Scotland has a great variety of examples of land slides such as rock falls, rock slope failures, rotational land slides, translational slides, debris flows, mud flows, solifluction, and soil creep. They range in size from spectacular whole mountain side rock slope failures such as seen on 'Beinn Fhada, Kintail, to really small scale features that move imperceptibly such as soil creep, that can create rumples on grassy slopes.

 

The Storr from Raasay. İNess Kirkbride/SNH For information on reproduction rights contact the Scottish Natural Heritage Image Library on Tel. 01738 444177 or www.snh.gov.uk

Causes of Landslides

Whatever the scale, landslides occur when the forces for movement (gravity) overcomes the strength of the hill slope itself .

Glen Shiel is a major breach of the main Highland watershed. Its glacially steepened sides are lined with extensive deep-seated rock slope failures. These are often sliced by 'antiscarps' such as these across Sgurr a' Bhealiach Dheirg. İDavid Jarman/SNH For information on reproduction rights contact the Scottish Natural Heritage Image Library on Tel. 01738 444177 or www.snh.gov.uk

Different types of landslides

This classification looks at the variety of landslides in rock and landslides in rock and soil debris.