Scotland
Ben Meabost
346M
1134FT
About Ben Meabost
Rising above the wild moors of northern Skye, this modest heather-clad Marilyn offers a tranquil alternative to the island's busier peaks. Despite its humble height, the summit provides an expansive, unobstructed perspective across Loch Snizort toward the Waternish peninsula and the distant Outer Hebrides, set against a backdrop of rugged peatland.
Key Statistics
Rank
251st Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Isle of Skye
Prominence
?
232m
Nearest Town
Elgol
Geology
You are walking across ancient layers of cooled lava and volcanic rock. These dark formations were shaped by massive eruptions and molten flows trapped underground.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NG536159
Latitude
57.1681°N
Longitude
6.0765°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is a Gaelic and Old Norse hybrid; 'Beinn' is Gaelic for hill, while 'Meabost' derives from the Norse 'mjó-bólstaðr', meaning a narrow farm or stead, reflecting the Viking influence on Hebridean coastal settlements.
- •From the summit cairn, there is a clear, commanding view of the flat-topped silhouettes of Healabhal Mhòr and Healabhal Bheag, famously known as MacLeod’s Tables, which dominate the horizon to the southwest.
- •The ascent from the east near Edinbane involves navigating significant stretches of pathless moorland where the local peat hags and hidden moss springs require careful footwork.
- •While the hill lacks the jagged, alpine drama of the Cuillin to the south, it offers a traditional Skye welcome: terrain so consistently damp that a walker's boots will likely weigh significantly more by the time they return to the road.