A narrow valley, especially in Scotland or Ireland. Often characterized by steep sides and formed by glacial action.
From Scottish Gaelic 'gleann' and Irish Gaelic 'gleann,' meaning valley. The word entered English through contact with Celtic languages in the British Isles.
Scottish glens like Glen Coe are often U-shaped rather than V-shaped because they were carved by glaciers, not rivers - the ice acted like a giant bulldozer, scooping out wide, flat-bottomed valleys. Many glens are now popular tourist destinations, though historically they were remote refuges for Highland clans.
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