Cnoc Iochtair [Skregmore West Top]

About Cnoc Iochtair [Skregmore West Top]

Set on the western fringes of the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, this rugged Hewitt serves as the lower western shoulder of Skregmore. It offers a spectacular introductory perspective of the Coomloughra Horseshoe, looking directly across the glacial depths of the glen toward the sharp arêtes of Beenkeragh and Ireland’s highest peak, Carrauntoohil.

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Did You Know?

• •The Irish name Cnoc Iochtair translates as "Lower Hill," a functional title reflecting its position as the subordinate western top of Skregmore. In modern climbing logs, it is often referred to simply as Skregmore West Top.
• •It is most frequently visited as part of the Coomloughra Horseshoe. For walkers tackling the circuit clockwise from the hydro-road, this summit provides the first real taste of the high Reeks after the arduous initial pull up from the valley floor.
• •The summit offers an exceptional vantage point looking east across the deep glacial hollow of Lough Coomloughra toward the "Big Three": Beenkeragh, Carrauntoohil, and Caher, revealing the full scale of the horseshoe's ridgeline.
• •The hill's terrain is defined by Old Red Sandstone, with its northern slopes showing the dramatic effects of the glaciation that carved the nearby U-shaped valleys and the jagged Eagle's Nest corrie.
• •Calling a 746-metre peak the "Lower Hill" is a classic piece of Kerry understatement; it remains taller than any mountain in England south of the Scafell massif.