Great Glen Project

The Great Glen Project was a geological study of the crustal movement across the Great Glen Fault. This is where two crustal plates meet, with one plate slowly sliding north, while the other slides south. The area experiences numerous earthquakes each year, but as they are small and frequent, they are seldom felt. The Kessock Bridge, which spans the north end of the fault, was designed to cope with these tremors.

The project, designed to measure this movement, ran from 12 June 1972 until 3 July 1979. Fifteen pillars were planned, but only fourteen, comprising a mix of Hotine and Vanessa, seem to have been built. Most of the pillars have flush brackets, with the exception of Stations P and Q, but only one appears on OS maps, it being Station J, situated about 1.5k south of Fort Augustus .

Great Glen Project stations

Trig Name	TP:UK	FB #	County/UA	1:50k	Grid Ref	Easting	Northing	Height	Notes
Great Glen Project Station B	TP10129	11283	Highland	35	Unknown				Station B has never been found, and it is unknown whether it was ever actually built.
Great Glen Project Station D	TP10130	11865	Highland	35	NH 50778 25727				Station D was found on 24th March 2022. Vanessa pillar. The GPS reading taken on site is NH_50778_25727.
Great Glen Project Station E	TP7449	11873	Highland	35	NH 34833 10630				Hotine pillar, behind large rock on edge of fire-break .
Great Glen Project Station F	TP7448	11884	Highland	35	NH 35705 11104				Hotine pillar, easy walk from Station P, visible from both P and G.
Great Glen Project Station G	TP7446	11868	Highland	35	NH 36562 10071				Vanessa pillar, near summit of tussocky small knoll.
Great Glen Project Station H	TP7461	11872	Highland	35	NH 35581 09575				Vanessa pillar, on slope in dense woodland. Originally had views to E, F, G, J and Q.
Great Glen Project Station I	TP7463	NONE	Highland	35	NH 37944 09612				Vanessa pillar, surrounded by gorse.
Great Glen Project Station J / Torr a' Choiltreich	TP6536	10694	Highland	35	NH 36921 07554	236920.94	807553.81	117.576	Hotine pillar, easily accessed via new track for pylons.
Great Glen Project Station K / Tomamhoid	TP7381	11867	Highland	35	NH 38661 08010				Vanessa pillar, easily accessed with tarmac plug.
Great Glen Project Station L	TP7445	11870	Highland	35	NH 37068 06002				Hotine pillar, rock and grass summit.
Great Glen Project Station M	TP7443	11881	Highland	35	NH 38925 06154				Vanessa pillar, rocky summit accessed from north-east.
Great Glen Project Station N	TP7442	11871	Highland	35	NH 38245 04183				Hotine pillar, rough grassy slope.
Great Glen Project Station O	TP7444	11882	Highland	35	NH 39289 05153				Hotine pillar, rough grassy slope. N is close nearby.
Great Glen Project Station P	TP7447	NONE	Highland	35	NH 36709 10896				Vanessa pillar, normally accessed from Station G.
Great Glen Project Station Q	TP7462	NONE	Highland	35	NH 37453 08915				Vanessa pillar, most of the surrounding gorse has been cleared. Close to road but behind electric fences.