Beinn Dhubh

Rising to 506 metres, this Scottish Marilyn is a significant high point within the Northern Isles. Classified as both a Hump and a Tump, the hill offers a sense of genuine isolation and scale. It provides a rewarding objective for hillwalkers looking to explore the rugged, windswept terrain characteristic of the region.

• •The name Beinn Dhubh translates from Scottish Gaelic as 'Black Hill'. While this is one of the most common descriptive names found across the Scottish Highlands, it is a linguistic outlier in the Northern Isles, where the vast majority of landscape features retain names rooted in Old Norse.
• •To be classified as a Marilyn, a hill must have a prominence of at least 150 metres on all sides. This topographic independence ensures the summit of Beinn Dhubh feels like a primary destination, offering unobstructed views that aren't crowded out by higher neighbouring peaks.
• •At 506 metres, the hill also qualifies as a Hump (a hill with a hundred-metre prominence). This makes it a significant undertaking in an island context, where the lack of sheltered valleys often exposes walkers to the full force of the weather coming off the North Atlantic.
• •Naming a Scottish peak Beinn Dhubh is a tradition of staggering commonality; there are dozens of 'Black Hills' across the country, though very few sit at this specific height within the Northern Isles.