Suilven viewed from Stac Pollaidh Scottish Highlands
Stac Pollaidh is a mountain in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The peak displays a rocky crest of Torridonian sandstone, with many pinnacles and steep gullies. The ridge was exposed to weathering as a nunatak above the ice sheet during the last Ice Age, while the ice flow carved and scoured the smooth sides of the mountain.
The modern Gaelic name is a recent invention. The peak is named on the first edition Ordnance Survey maps simply as "An Stac" (the pinnacle) and on later maps as "Stac Polly". The "Polly" element is of Norse origin, derived from "Pollå" meaning "pool river". Due to its relatively low height of just over 2000 feet, fine views and ease of access from a road it has become a very popular peak to climb. It also provides some fine scrambling in the traverse of the summit ridge, including one bad step near the final summit. Consequentially it has suffered from a great deal of erosion, leading to Scottish Natural Heritage constructing a large path.
Suilven (Scottish Gaelic: Sùilebheinn) is one of the most distinctive mountains in Scotland. Lying in a remote area in the west of Sutherland, it rises almost vertically from a wilderness landscape of moorland, bogs, and lochans known as Inverpolly National Nature Reserve.
Suilven forms a steep-sided ridge some 2 km in length. The highest point, known as Caisteal Liath (the Grey Castle in Scottish Gaelic), lies at the northwest end of this ridge. There are two other summits: Meall Meadhonach (Middle Round Hill) at the central point of the ridge is 723 m high, whilst Meall Beag (Little Round Hill) lies at the southeastern end.
Geologically, Suilven is formed of Torridonian sandstone, sitting on a landscape of Lewisian Gneiss. The surrounding rocks were eroded during an episode of glaciation. Suilven was overtopped by the last British and Irish Ice Sheet. Prior research described Suilven and many other mountains in NW Scotland as nunataks, but cosmogenic isotope dating of mountaintop erratics by preeminent quaternary scientists including Ballantyne and McCarroll has since disproved this hypothesis. The flow of ice created the distinctive narrow teardrop plan, while carving and scouring the vertical sides of the mountain.
From the coast to the west Suilven looks like a large grey pillar, hence the name which it was given by sea-borne Vikings[citation needed]. From the inland side the mountain has more of the appearance of a steeply-sided pyramid.
In 2005 Glencanisp estate, of which Suilven forms part and the neighbouring Drumrunie estate, were bought by the local community with the help of the John Muir Trust. The Assynt Foundation aims to create local employment and safeguard the natural and cultural heritage for the benefit of the community and future generations, and for the enjoyment of the wider public.
Suilven viewed from Stac Pollaidh Scottish Highlands
Stac Pollaidh is a mountain in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The peak displays a rocky crest of Torridonian sandstone, with many pinnacles and steep gullies. The ridge was exposed to weathering as a nunatak above the ice sheet during the last Ice Age, while the ice flow carved and scoured the smooth sides of the mountain.
The modern Gaelic name is a recent invention. The peak is named on the first edition Ordnance Survey maps simply as "An Stac" (the pinnacle) and on later maps as "Stac Polly". The "Polly" element is of Norse origin, derived from "Pollå" meaning "pool river". Due to its relatively low height of just over 2000 feet, fine views and ease of access from a road it has become a very popular peak to climb. It also provides some fine scrambling in the traverse of the summit ridge, including one bad step near the final summit. Consequentially it has suffered from a great deal of erosion, leading to Scottish Natural Heritage constructing a large path.
Suilven (Scottish Gaelic: Sùilebheinn) is one of the most distinctive mountains in Scotland. Lying in a remote area in the west of Sutherland, it rises almost vertically from a wilderness landscape of moorland, bogs, and lochans known as Inverpolly National Nature Reserve.
Suilven forms a steep-sided ridge some 2 km in length. The highest point, known as Caisteal Liath (the Grey Castle in Scottish Gaelic), lies at the northwest end of this ridge. There are two other summits: Meall Meadhonach (Middle Round Hill) at the central point of the ridge is 723 m high, whilst Meall Beag (Little Round Hill) lies at the southeastern end.
Geologically, Suilven is formed of Torridonian sandstone, sitting on a landscape of Lewisian Gneiss. The surrounding rocks were eroded during an episode of glaciation. Suilven was overtopped by the last British and Irish Ice Sheet. Prior research described Suilven and many other mountains in NW Scotland as nunataks, but cosmogenic isotope dating of mountaintop erratics by preeminent quaternary scientists including Ballantyne and McCarroll has since disproved this hypothesis. The flow of ice created the distinctive narrow teardrop plan, while carving and scouring the vertical sides of the mountain.
From the coast to the west Suilven looks like a large grey pillar, hence the name which it was given by sea-borne Vikings[citation needed]. From the inland side the mountain has more of the appearance of a steeply-sided pyramid.
In 2005 Glencanisp estate, of which Suilven forms part and the neighbouring Drumrunie estate, were bought by the local community with the help of the John Muir Trust. The Assynt Foundation aims to create local employment and safeguard the natural and cultural heritage for the benefit of the community and future generations, and for the enjoyment of the wider public.