Scotland
Iorguill
874M
2867FT
About Iorguill
Tucked into the wild Sutherland landscape, this rugged quartzite peak serves as a stony northern sentinel to the Foinaven massif. Its boulder-strewn slopes provide a true sense of Northwest Highland isolation, offering exceptional vistas across the shattered rock of Arkle and out towards the fractured coastline of the Atlantic.
Key Statistics
Rank
24th Highest in Region
Parent Range
North West Highlands
Prominence
?
77m
Nearest Town
Auchlunachan
Geology
Iorguill sits upon the Glascarnoch Psammite Formation. This tough, sandy rock was formed from ancient sediment that compressed into the solid foundation beneath your boots.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NH238816
Latitude
57.7893°N
Longitude
4.9645°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is likely derived from the Gaelic iorghuill, meaning 'strife' or 'tumultuous noise', which is thought to refer to the way wind howls through the fractured rock and steep corries of the surrounding range.
- •Geologically, the hill is part of the Moine Thrust zone, where ancient Cambrian quartzite sits atop even older Lewisian gneiss, creating the stark, white-capped appearance typical of Sutherland’s 'island' mountains.
- •The summit provides a front-row view of the Great Fissure on Ganu Mòr, the massive geological cleft that splits the northern face of the neighbouring Foinaven.
- •Navigating the slopes of Iorguill requires a certain tolerance for 'Sutherland miles'—a local unit of measurement where the map’s promised two kilometres feel like five due to the constant detours around peat hags and quartzite boulders.