Scotland
Dun Caan
444M
1457FT
About Dun Caan
This distinctive, flat-topped basalt peak is the highest point on the Isle of Raasay. Its unmistakable profile dominates the view from Portree across the Sound. The steady climb culminates in a vast, level summit plateau that serves as a spectacular grandstand for the Cuillin ridge and the Torridon giants.
Key Statistics
Rank
178th Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Isle of Skye
Prominence
?
444m
Nearest Town
Balmeanach
Geology
Dun Caan is built from volcanic rock and layers of hardened mud, sand, and limestone. This mixture of cooled magma and old sediment forms the hill beneath you.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NG579394
Latitude
57.3813°N
Longitude
6.0293°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Gaelic Dùn Cana. While Dùn signifies a fort or hill, Cana is likely a personal name, though some etymologists suggest a link to an Old Gaelic word for a young whale or porpoise.
- •During their 1773 tour of the Hebrides, James Boswell and Samuel Johnson climbed to the summit. Boswell was so caught up in the spirit of the place that he famously danced a Highland reel on the level top.
- •The summit offers a peerless maritime panorama. To the west, the full length of the Black Cuillin on Skye is visible across the water, while to the east, the mainland peaks of Applecross and Torridon rise directly from the Inner Sound.
- •Geologically, the hill is a classic 'mesa'—a remnant of a volcanic lava flow. A thick cap of Tertiary basalt sits atop much older Jurassic sandstone, which accounts for the dramatic change in terrain as you reach the final crown.
- •The summit plateau is so remarkably flat and spacious that it is perhaps the only peak in the Hebrides where you could comfortably host a game of cricket, assuming you brought enough spare balls to account for the surrounding cliffs.