Ballyteige

Rising above the quiet valleys of south Wicklow, this 447-metre summit offers a tranquil alternative to the crowded peaks further north. Characterised by a blend of forestry and open moorland, the top provides clear, earned views toward the Irish Sea and the distant silhouette of the Blackstairs Mountains to the south.

• •The name is derived from the Gaelic 'Baile Taidhg', translating to 'Tadhg’s townland'; Tadhg is an ancient Irish name traditionally meaning 'poet' or 'philosopher'.
• •Its position in the southern reaches of the range offers a distinct perspective of Croghan Kinsella, a hill famous for the 18th-century 'Gold Rush' that occurred on its slopes.
• •The hill sits within a transitional landscape where the high granite peaks of the central Wicklow Mountains begin to soften into the rolling, fertile farmland of the Wexford border.
• •The primary navigational challenge on these slopes isn't the modest elevation, but the local forestry tracks, which possess a peculiar ability to lead the unsuspecting hiker in a perfect, unintended circle.