Scotland
Stac Lee
172M
565FT
About Stac Lee
Rising vertically from the North Atlantic, this formidable sea stack in the St Kilda archipelago is more a mountaineering challenge than a hike. Its sheer, guano-streaked cliffs host a massive seabird colony, offering a raw, remote experience for the very few who manage the treacherous boat landing and technical ascent.
Key Statistics
Rank
14th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Outer Hebrides
Prominence
?
172.2
Nearest Town
Leverburgh
Geology
Stac Lee is the eroded remnant of a Palaeogene volcano, primarily composed of intrusive igneous rocks such as gabbro, dolerite, and microgranite that formed approximately 55 to 60 million years ago.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NA142049
Latitude
57.8664°N
Longitude
8.5100°W
Did You Know?
- •The name likely derives from the Gaelic Stac Lì, meaning 'coloured' or 'bright' stack—a reference to the thick coating of white gannet guano that makes the rock gleam from a distance.
- •St Kilda's inhabitants famously climbed these vertical faces without ropes or shoes to harvest gannets; Martin Martin recorded in 1698 that they would even spend nights huddled on the narrow ledges.
- •Reaching the summit earns a dramatic perspective of the neighbouring Stac an Armin and the jagged, dark peaks of Boreray, set against the vast, empty horizon of the Atlantic.
- •It holds the distinction of being perhaps the most inaccessible Marilyn in the British Isles, as any attempt depends entirely on rare, calm sea conditions and significant climbing skill.
- •Labelling this vertical 172-metre wall of rock as a 'Hump' is a triumph of technical classification over common sense.