Slieve Binnian North Tor

About Slieve Binnian North Tor

Perched at the northern edge of the broad Slieve Binnian plateau, this impressive granite tor offers a rugged alternative to the main summit. It serves as a dramatic sentinel over the Annalong Valley and the Silent Valley Reservoir, providing a rough, scrambly character quintessential to the Mourne Mountains' high heartland.

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Did You Know?

• •The name Slieve Binnian comes from the Irish 'Sliabh Binneáin', meaning 'mountain of the little peaks', a direct reference to the jagged granite tors that define the skyline here.
• •This tor is a classic example of Mourne granite weathering; horizontal and vertical joints in the rock have eroded over millions of years to create the appearance of stacked stone blocks.
• •The view north from this point is particularly striking, looking directly across the deep trench of the Silent Valley toward the massive slopes of Slieve Donard and Slieve Commedagh.
• •The North Tor marks one end of a spectacular high-level traverse that includes the 'Back Castles', a series of dramatic rock towers that look like a ruined fortress wall.
• •Despite its status as a Hewitt, most walkers treat this summit as a mere scenic obstacle or a convenient lunch spot on the way to the mountain's higher southern peak.