Cnoc na Steige [Staigue Top]

About Cnoc na Steige [Staigue Top]

Rising behind the historic stone fort that shares its name, this Tump offers a rugged ascent above the Ring of Kerry. From its 459-metre summit, you gain a clear, earned view across the Kenmare River toward the Beara Peninsula, with the bulk of Coomcallee dominating the skyline to the west.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Irish Cnoc na Steige, meaning 'Hill of the Step.' This refers to the nearby Staigue Stone Fort, a massive dry-stone ringfort at the hill's base which is famous for its intricate internal stairways.
• •The summit provides an excellent vantage point to observe the glaciated geography of the Kenmare River—actually a long, drowned valley or ria—and the jagged profiles of the Caha Mountains across the water.
• •Hillwalkers often include this peak as the eastern anchor of a ridge walk that includes the higher summit of Coomcallee, crossing the characteristic rough heath and blanket bog of the southern Iveragh.
• •While the 'steps' of the namesake fort below are expertly engineered from stone, the ascent to this 1,506ft top involves significantly more peat-hags and a great deal less architectural precision.