What is a Glen?

What is a Glen?
Part 1 of 2 for our Overview Series

This is a simple question on the surface but it has vast implications in this day and age.  Put simply, a glen is a long valley nestled between two gentle sloping structures such as mountains or hills.  Glens are also often defined as a secluded narrow valley.  This is in contrast to ravines that is long valley that have steep slopes.  Both are types of valleys, although most people think of valleys as surrounded on three to four sides by hills or mountains. 

Glens come in various shapes and sizes.  Here at Secludedglen.com, a glen is any quite place set in nature.  A secluded glen is a remote and quite place where you can go to think clearly, to unwind, and pontificate big ideas. We scour the world for our secluded glens to give you inspirational places to visit.  They can be actual glens, quiet islands, remote beaches, interesting forest locales, and inspirational mountainside hideouts.  The top ones will get our Secluded Glen Choice Awards.  

In this post we are going to discuss the types of natural glens.  Next post we are going to discuss the types of secluded glens that is our namesake.  

Forest Glens With Water:
The Forest Glen with Water is often what comes to mind for most people when they think of a glen.  It is also what we at SecludedGlen.com was founded on.  A small valley that you really can not see as it is filled with forest with a stream running through it.  You can hear the gentle sounds of the trcikling water.  Summer fireflies glide gently, you can imagine and picture faeries and pixies floating about this enchanted glen. 

These Forest Glens with Water tend to look smaller because people usually just photograph a picturesque photo up close.  With the forest canopy it is not as exciting to takes photos from a distance.  Plus when you are up close the forest covers the horizon and part of the skyline so you tend to get upclose shots.  Most of these glens are also smaller by nature as opposed to their arrid glen cousins.

Forest Glens:
These are the same as above but without the water running through the glen.  Without the stream, the forest canopy tends to take over.  If you find out, best to find one that has path through it such as the one below.  Otherwise, it will tough to get through it unless you have a machete or some form of cutting tool.  These glens tend to look darker as there is no clearing from the water so the trees could cover more of the sky.

Dry and Arrid Glens
These are typically higher in altitude and have very little flora and fauna cover.  The slopes are often tan or brown in color.  The most famous country for glens is Scotland and many of their most well known glens are these dry and arrid glens in contratst to popular belief that they are forest glens. Because there is no forest cover, these tend to look larger as you can see the whole glen as opposed to forest glens.  People tend to take photos from a distance since you can see the whole landscape.

Here is the glen called Glencoe, often rated as the best glen in Scotland.

Grassland Glens with No Forest
These are grass covered glens that you can see the whole panoramic scene as there are no trees and tall shrubs to obstruct your view.  These are often found in locales with sufficient rain throughout the year.  They are midland elevation.  Kind of like goldilocks terrain for height, not too high and not two of an elevation is where you will find most Grassland Glens With No Forest.

Grassland Glens with Water and No Forest
Yes, you can also find these grass fed glens without forest but with a stream, creek, or river running through it.  No lakes because glens are long narrow valleys as opposed to lakes that form at the through of regular valleys.

Here is Scotland's second most famous glen and it fits this glen category.  This is Glen Trool located in the Scottish highlands.  This one is not as secluded as mountain bikers and hikers have cut a variety of trials down this famous glen.

Of course not all terrific glens are in Scotland, or Europe from that matter.  Check out this one near UlaanBaatar in Mongolia.  Home of the famous Genghis Khan and his grandson Kublah Khan.  

Glens with Lakes
These are the most rare of glens, a Glen with a Lake.  These glens are more unique since glens are long narrow gentle sloping valleys.  But occasionally the conditions are right where two ends are conjouned by just enough upward slopes that a lake can form.   These are typically small.  However, a monster sized one can develop.  It like a super blue giant star that is even larger than the typical blue giant, which is already rare for stars, less than 1%.  Behold, the rares of breeds is also one of the most famous in the world.  The Loch Ness, is a large lake that happens to be in the middle of a glen.  Perhaps that is why a large dinosaur, the Loch Ness Monster, has enough room to live and grow.  Take a look below from afar.  You can see the contours of the gentle sloping mountain sides descending into the Loch Ness lake.

Check back again to see part of 2 of 2 of our Overview Series - What is a Secluded Glen?  In that part we will drill down on what a Secluded Glen mean to us here at SecludedGlen.com.