![Beinn Sgritheann [Ben Scrien]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Beinn_Sciathan.jpg)
Scotland
Beinn Sgritheann [Ben Scrien]
186M
610FT
About Beinn Sgritheann [Ben Scrien]
Dominating the skyline of Eriskay, this modest Marilyn is the highest point on the island. The ascent over rough grass and rocky outcrops is short but steep, leading to a summit that feels far more significant than its 186 metres. It is an essential vantage point for surveying the Southern Isles of the Outer Hebrides.
Key Statistics
Rank
218th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Data coming soon
Prominence
?
186
Nearest Town
An Rubha Bàn
Geology
You are trekking across tough, banded rocks called gneiss. These mountains also feature rare glassy streaks formed when the heat from massive earthquakes melted the stone.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NF795112
Latitude
57.0800°N
Longitude
7.2915°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is Gaelic in origin, where 'Sgrithean' refers to a stony slope or scree-covered hillside, reflecting the weathered Lewisian gneiss that breaks through the thin island soil.
- •Just below the hill's northern slopes lies 'Coilleag a' Phrionnsa' (The Prince’s Strand), the beach where Bonnie Prince Charlie first stepped onto Scottish soil in July 1745 to begin the Jacobite Rising.
- •The summit provides a clear perspective of the southern Outer Hebrides, looking across the Sound of Barra to the hills of Heaval on Barra and the peaks of Vatersay, with the silhouettes of Rum and Canna visible to the east.
- •You are likely to share the slopes with the rare Eriskay Pony; they are a hardy, ancient breed that roams the hill in a semi-feral state and generally treats human walkers with a look of mild, stoic boredom.