Scotland
Guaineamol
405M
1329FT
About Guaineamol
Situated on the wild Atlantic fringe of Lewis, this modest Marilyn offers a pathless ascent through classic Hebridean moorland. Despite its height, the summit provides a commandingly open perspective over the indented coastline of West Loch Roag and the sprawling peatlands that define the island's remote interior.
Key Statistics
Rank
65th Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Northern Isles
Prominence
?
167m
Nearest Town
Àirigh a' Bhruthaich
Geology
You are treading on the Lewisian Complex, a foundation of tough, banded rock called gneiss. Its distinct layers form the rugged core of this landscape.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NB260133
Latitude
58.0249°N
Longitude
6.6417°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is a Gaelic adaptation of Old Norse, likely deriving from 'hvammr' (a grassy hollow) and 'fjall' (hill), a linguistic footprint left by Viking settlers in the Outer Hebrides.
- •From the summit, the view west extends across the ocean toward the remote Flannan Isles, while the southern horizon is dominated by the sharper, more mountainous silhouettes of the North Harris hills.
- •As a Marilyn, its isolation is its most prominent feature, standing as the highest ground for several miles and acting as a natural grandstand for the complex geography of the Uig district.
- •On a clear day, the panoramas of the Atlantic are genuinely impressive; on a more typical Lewis day, the hill's main contribution to the landscape is acting as a giant, 400-metre-high sponge.