Uisgneabhal Beag

About Uisgneabhal Beag

Tucked away in the rugged interior of North Harris, this peak offers a quiet alternative to its larger neighbor, Uisgneabhal Mòr. The terrain is typical of the Outer Hebrides: a complex mix of ancient Lewisian gneiss and wet bog. The summit provides clear views across Gleann Uisge toward the jagged Clisham ridge.

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Did You Know?

• •The name reflects the island's Norse-Gaelic heritage; Uisgneabhal is likely derived from the Old Norse 'vats-gnípa-fjall', meaning peak of the water mountain, paired with the Gaelic 'beag' for small.
• •Despite being located in the 'Forest of Harris', you won't find any trees here; the term refers to the ancient deer forest, a royal hunting ground where the 'forest' was defined by mountain crags rather than timber.
• •The hill is composed of Lewisian Gneiss, some of the oldest rock in the world, which has been scoured by glaciers into a 'knock and lochan' landscape of hard ribs and deep, watery hollows.
• •From the summit, walkers can look directly down the length of Gleann Mhiabhaig towards the Atlantic, with the distinctive whale-backed profile of the North Harris hills stretching out in every direction.
• •The local weather is so famously damp and the ground so unforgiving that reaching the summit with dry socks is generally regarded as a sign of divine intervention by the residents of nearby Tarbert.