Ben Lee

Dominating the skyline south of Portree, this hefty Marilyn offers a wild, pathless ascent through classic Skye heather and bog. Despite its modest height, the broad summit provides a breathtaking vantage point over the Sound of Raasay to the flat-topped Dun Caan and the jagged horizon of the Applecross hills.

• •The name is derived from the Gaelic Beinn Lì, which translates as the 'Shining Hill' or 'Coloured Hill', likely a reference to the way light reflects off its steep eastern face above the sea.
• •The hill played a pivotal role in Scottish social history during the 1882 'Battle of the Braes', a dispute over grazing rights on Ben Lee that became a catalyst for the landmark Crofters' Holdings Act.
• •The summit offers a perfectly framed perspective of the Sound of Raasay, with the volcanic profile of Dun Caan appearing almost at eye level across the water.
• •Despite its proximity to the island's capital, the terrain is characteristically rugged, requiring a steep pull through pathless heather and broken crags from the road at Braes.
• •Given its proximity to the congested trails of the Storr just to the north, Ben Lee remains a sanctuary where you are far more likely to encounter a stray sheep than a tourist with a selfie stick.