The Significance of Periglacial Activity on Some Scottish Mountains

Abstract

There are differing views on the role of periglaciation in modifying upland landscapes in Scotland. This paper describes the periglacial phenomena in a single massif and discusses their relationships with glacial landforms. It is concluded that there has been relatively little downslope movement of regolith under periglacial conditions since the wasting of the last ice sheet; indeed, periglacial processes have done little more than create distinctive patterns in the regolith. It is suggested that the limited role of periglaciation in slope develop? ment reflects the narrow range of climatic conditions during which periglacial processes can operate. Whenever the temperature falls sufficiently low for active periglaciation, uplands in a humid maritime environment are quickly submerged beneath a protective blanket of permanent snow or ice.