Wales
Dinas
331M
1087FT
About Dinas
Rising above the confluence of the Tywi and Doethie rivers near Rhandirmwyn, this steep, wooded hill offers a rugged character far beyond its modest height. Part of an RSPB reserve, its oak-cloaked slopes lead to a rocky summit overlooking the Mynydd Mallaen plateau and the remote upper Tywi valley.
Key Statistics
Rank
830th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Cambrian Mountains
Prominence
?
147m
Nearest Town
Rhandirmwyn Bridge
Geology
Dinas is built on layers of hardened mud and gritty sandstone. These rocks formed as fine silt and sand settled onto an ancient, deep seafloor.
Nearby Fells
Cnapyn Melyn [Pen Rhiwbie]
Cnapyn Melyn [Pen Rhiwbie]
Rhuddallt
Rhuddallt
Pen Craig Alltyberau
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SN782466
Latitude
52.1050°N
Longitude
3.7794°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Dinas is Welsh for 'fort' or 'city', referring here to the hill’s natural defensive position and the probable site of an Iron Age hillfort on its rocky upper reaches.
- •The hill is famously home to Twm Sion Cati's Cave, a natural rock cleft on the steep western slopes where the legendary 16th-century 'Welsh Robin Hood' is said to have hidden from the law.
- •Managed as part of the Gwenffrwd-Dinas RSPB reserve, the hill is a significant site for ancient sessile oak woodland, providing a habitat for specialist birds including the red kite, wood warbler, and common redstart.
- •The summit offers an excellent vantage point to view the dramatic entrance to the upper Tywi Valley, with the sprawling moorland of Mynydd Mallaen rising sharply to the west.
- •While the name translates as 'City', the only permanent residents here are the local sheep and the occasional peregrine falcon, making it one of the least crowded urban centres in the Cambrian Mountains.