Brandon Far North Top

About Brandon Far North Top

Sitting at the northern extremity of the spectacular Brandon ridge, this high summit offers a wild, airy atmosphere. It overlooks the sheer cliffs dropping into the Atlantic at Brandon Head. Most walkers reach it during a full ridge traverse, transitioning from the main massif of Mount Brandon toward the rugged coastline.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Irish Cnoc Bréanainn, named for Saint Brendan the Navigator, who is said to have fasted on the main summit for forty days before his legendary voyage. This specific top serves as a clear northern boundary for the high-altitude section of the range.
• •From this northern vantage point, the view looks directly down into Sauce Creek (An Sas), a spectacular glacial cirque that has been breached by the Atlantic, resulting in a dramatic horseshoe of 400-metre sea cliffs.
• •This summit is a key waypoint on the Brandon Ridge traverse, widely considered one of Ireland’s finest high-level walks, connecting the 952-metre main peak with the steep northern slopes above the sea.
• •The Brandon range has been the site of numerous aviation accidents; during World War II, several aircraft from both Allied and Axis forces crashed into these slopes, often because the ridge is the first high ground encountered by weather systems moving in from the Atlantic.
• •While technically a subsidiary top, its 840-metre elevation means it stands higher than any mountain in England or Northern Ireland, though it is often relegated to a mere 'waypoint' status by those focused on the main summit to the south.