Scotland
Orval West Top
528M
1732FT
About Orval West Top
Sitting on the western fringes of Rum, this heathery spur offers a quieter alternative to the island's jagged Cuillin ridge. The terrain is often damp and trackless, leading to a broad summit plateau that overlooks the dramatic sea cliffs of Bloodstone Hill and the shimmering waters of the Atlantic.
Key Statistics
Rank
127th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Data coming soon
Prominence
?
20
Nearest Town
Kinloch
Geology
You are walking on fine-grained granite from the Western Granite formation. This rock formed from molten material that cooled deep within an ancient volcanic system.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NM329989
Latitude
57.0037°N
Longitude
6.4005°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Orval is thought to derive from the Old Norse 'Örfjall', meaning 'arrow hill', a legacy of the Viking presence throughout the Inner Hebrides.
- •The summit provides an exceptional vantage point for looking north across the Sound of Canna toward the distinctive flat-topped silhouettes of Macleod's Tables on the Isle of Skye.
- •Many walkers reach this top as part of a high-level circuit from the remote Guirdil bothy, an isolated stone shelter tucked beneath the nearby cliffs of Bloodstone Hill.
- •While the Rum Cuillin attracts the crowds, the western hills like Orval offer a starker sense of isolation, usually shared only with the island's population of red deer.
- •Navigating the approaches requires a certain stoicism, as the ground between the western tops is famously sponge-like and capable of swallowing a walking pole if you aren't paying attention.