Cnoc Glas

Situated in the rugged heart of Shetland’s West Mainland, this green-tinted Marilyn offers a classic island moorland experience. The ascent over peaty, heather-clad slopes leads to a summit trig pillar, providing a remote vantage point over the indented coastline of St Magnus Bay and the distant, jagged profile of Foula.

• •The name is a linguistic outlier in the Northern Isles; while most Shetland place names are Old Norse or Norn, Cnoc Glas is Scottish Gaelic for ‘Green Hill’, likely introduced by mainlanders during the 18th or 19th centuries.
• •The summit trig pillar offers a clear line of sight to the island of Foula, which sits twenty-five miles to the west, as well as the nearby waters of the Loch of Voe and the Kames.
• •As a Marilyn, it is one of the few points in this part of the Shetland Mainland with a prominence of over 150 metres, making it a primary landmark for those navigating the road between Lerwick and the Westside.
• •Despite the name suggesting a verdant climb, walkers are more likely to encounter various shades of brown, as the approach is defined by deep peat hags and boggy troughs that characterize the Shetland interior.