Corraun Hill [Cnoc an Chorrain]

About Corraun Hill [Cnoc an Chorrain]

Occupying the rugged peninsula that serves as the gateway to Achill Island, this 524m peak offers a wilder alternative to the mainland’s Nephin Begs. Its quartzite slopes are famously rough underfoot, rewarded by an immense maritime perspective over Clew Bay’s islands and the looming dark bulk of Croagh Patrick to the south.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Irish Cnoc an Chorrain, meaning 'Hill of the Sickle,' which likely refers to the hooked shape of the Corraun Peninsula as it curves into the Atlantic.
• •Standing as the high point of the peninsula between Mulranny and Achill Sound, the summit provides a unique vantage point over the hundreds of drumlin islands in Clew Bay and the dramatic sea cliffs of Croaghaun to the west.
• •Much like the neighbouring peaks of Achill, the hill is composed largely of ancient quartzite; while this makes for distinctive pale, shimmering slopes, it also creates notoriously uneven and abrasive terrain for those moving off-trail.
• •Categorised as a Hump—a hill with at least a hundred-metre prominence—it is isolated enough from the main Nephin Beg range to feel like an independent coastal mountain rather than a mere outlier.
• •The local terrain is so consistently rugged that 'taking a shortcut' across the heather and scree usually takes twice as long as the sensible route.