Cnoc Lios Uachtair [Lissoughter]

Standing as a rugged sentinel at the southern mouth of the Inagh Valley, this isolated Connemara peak offers a grandstand perspective of the Twelve Bens and Maumturks. While modest in height, its detached position makes for an airy, rewarding climb across rough, pathless slopes to reach a summit overlooking the dark waters of Lough Inagh.

• •The name Cnoc Lios Uachtair translates from Irish as 'hill of the upper ring-fort', a reference to ancient defensive or residential structures situated on the hill's lower, more sheltered slopes.
• •The southern flanks contain the noted Lissoughter-Derryclare quarry, a major source of Connemara marble. This rare green-streaked stone is found only in the west of Ireland and was formed over 600 million years ago.
• •Because it sits independently between two of Ireland's most dramatic mountain chains, the summit provides a unique perspective of the quartzite peaks of Derryclare and Bencorr to the west and the craggy spine of the Maumturks to the east.
• •Despite its modest 400m height, the hill is classified as a Marilyn due to its significant prominence; it drops away so sharply on all sides that it feels much more substantial than the map suggests.
• •The hill serves as a useful ego-check for walkers; it looks like a quick stroll from the N59, but the classic Connemara combination of saturated bog and hidden peat hags ensures you earn every metre of the ascent.