Marsco

About Marsco

Rising steeply above the floor of Glen Sligachan, this iconic peak is the most celebrated of Skye’s Red Hills. Its narrow summit ridge provides a thrilling, airy platform from which to study the jagged Black Cuillin gabbro across the glen, offering a sharp contrast to its own steep, grassy slopes.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The name is likely derived from Old Norse, combining már (seagull) and skógr (wood or forest). It serves as a linguistic relic of the Viking presence on Skye, though any ancient woodland has long since vanished from its wind-scoured slopes.
• •The hill achieved unexpected pop-culture fame in 1980 when a photograph of its profile and Glen Sligachan featured on the cover of Organisation, the second album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. It also inspired the Scottish rock band Runrig, who recorded the track 'Nightfall on Marsco' in 1981.
• •Despite being a Graham rather than a Munro, the summit offers arguably the best perspective of the Black Cuillin anywhere on the island. The serrated peaks of Sgùrr nan Gillean and the Bhasteir Tooth appear as a continuous wall of dark rock directly across the glen.
• •The ascent usually involves a long trek through Glen Sligachan before a sharp climb via the col of Mam a’ Phobuill. While the Red Hills are generally rounded, Marsco’s final ridge is surprisingly narrow and airy, requiring a steady head in high winds.
• •It is the ideal peak for the walker who wants to study the Black Cuillin’s terrifying, skin-shredding ridges in immense detail without actually having to touch any of that intimidating gabbro.