Beinn na h-Iolaire

Rising above the Strathaird peninsula on Skye’s southern coast, this modest Marilyn offers a rugged, pathless ascent through thick heather and crag. What it lacks in height, it makes up for with an uncompromising perspective across Loch Slapin toward the jagged skyline of the Black Cuillin and the massive buttresses of Bla Bheinn.

• •The name Beinn na h-Iolaire is Scottish Gaelic for 'Hill of the Eagle', a nod to the Golden and White-tailed Sea Eagles that are frequently sighted hunting across the cliffs and moorlands of southern Skye.
• •Despite standing at just 254 metres, the hill is classified as a Marilyn because it possesses over 150 metres of topographic prominence, making it a surprisingly distinct landmark when viewed from the Elgol road.
• •The summit serves as an exceptional vantage point for studying the transition of Skye’s geology, looking west from the limestone and sandstone of Strathaird toward the dark, volcanic gabbro of the Cuillin Ridge.
• •The hill sits within the historic Strathaird Estate, which was once the ancestral land of the Clan Mackinnon before being famously owned in the late 20th century by Ian Anderson, the frontman of the rock band Jethro Tull.
• •With a name like 'Hill of the Eagle' and a height of only 254 metres, the local raptors are likely the only ones not left breathless by the short but unforgivingly steep trudge through the Skye bog.