Carnanelly

About Carnanelly

Rising above the picturesque Glenelly Valley, this broad, heather-clad summit offers a classic Sperrins experience of remote moorland and soft peat. It serves as an excellent vantage point for surveying the higher peaks of Sawel and Meenard, providing a quieter, more solitary alternative to its busier, more famous neighbours.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Irish Carn an Eallaigh, meaning 'Cairn of the Cattle,' suggesting these high slopes were historically used as summer grazing grounds or 'booley' pastures for livestock.
• •Hikers often tackle the peak from Barnes Gap to the south, a route that involves navigating significant sections of peat hags and marshy ground typical of the central Sperrin range.
• •The summit is marked by both a stone cairn and a trig pillar, offering an unobstructed view across the valley to Sawel Mountain, the highest peak in the Sperrins.
• •While the name promises cattle, the modern visitor is far more likely to find their boots claimed by a deep bog-hole than to see a cow grazing at 562 metres.