An Tobha [The Hoe]

About An Tobha [The Hoe]

Rising sharply from the Atlantic as the highest point of uninhabited Pabbay in the Outer Hebrides, this summit offers a masterclass in coastal isolation. The climb is short but steep, leading to a vantage point that commands the entire southern chain of the Bishop’s Isles, from Vatersay down to Mingulay.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is a linguistic relic of the Viking age; "An Tobha" is a Gaelicised version of the Old Norse haugr, meaning a hill or burial mound, which also gives rise to the English name "The Hoe."
• •The hill's lower slopes contain the remains of a Celtic chapel and a Pictish symbol stone, signifying that this remote summit has been a landmark for mariners and residents for well over a millennium.
• •The summit provides an exceptional perspective of the dramatic sea cliffs of Mingulay to the south, particularly the towering face of Biulacraig, and the chaotic archipelago of the Barra Isles to the north.
• •As a Marilyn on an uninhabited island, the only crowds you are likely to encounter at the summit are the local Atlantic grey seals watching you from the surf far below.