Skregbeg [Screig Bheag]

About Skregbeg [Screig Bheag]

Guarding the western approach to the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks near Glencar, this rugged sandstone outlier offers a grandstand perspective of the range’s highest summits. While often overlooked for the 1,000-metre peaks to the east, it provides an excellent vantage point over the Coomloughra Horseshoe and the sprawling Kerry coastline.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Irish Screig Bheag, which translates to 'small rocky crag' or 'small stony place,' a fitting description for its grit-and-grass terrain compared to the shattered rock found on the main ridge.
• •It serves as a vital navigational waypoint for walkers tackling the full Macgillycuddy’s Reeks traverse from the west, marking the transition from the lower Glencar moors to the high sandstone massifs.
• •The summit provides a spectacular, earned view of the Coomloughra Horseshoe; from here, the scale of Ireland’s three highest peaks—Carrauntoohil, Beenkeragh, and Caher—is most apparent as they tower over the deep corrie lakes below.
• •Despite its modest height in comparison to its neighbours, it is classified as a Tump, meaning it has at least 30 metres of topographic prominence from the surrounding landscape.
• •Calling it 'small' is a relative term used by Kerry locals familiar with the 1,000-metre giants nearby; at 571 metres, Skregbeg is still higher than any point in eleven of Ireland's thirty-two counties.