Scotland
Maovally
302M
991FT
About Maovally
Rising above the coastal hamlet of Tarbet in Sutherland, this rugged little Hump offers a classic Northwest Highland experience. Despite its modest height, the terrain is characteristically rocky and broken, serving as a spectacular vantage point for the cliffs of Handa Island and the jagged inland silhouettes of Foinaven and Arkle.
Key Statistics
Rank
419th Highest in Region
Parent Range
North West Highlands
Prominence
?
135m
Nearest Town
An Innis Odhar
Geology
Maovally is formed from Cape Wrath Sandstone. This durable rock is made of coarse sand tightly packed with small pebbles and gravel.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NC306693
Latitude
58.5792°N
Longitude
4.9145°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is an anglicisation of the Gaelic Meall a' Bhallaidh; while 'meall' refers to a rounded hill or lump, 'bhallaidh' is derived from 'balladh', meaning a wall, likely referring to the steep, craggy nature of the slopes.
- •The summit offers an exceptional perspective of Handa Island across the sound, providing a bird's-eye view of the Great Stack and the Torridonian sandstone cliffs that host one of the UK's largest seabird colonies.
- •Looking inland to the east, the hill provides a clear sightline across the ancient Lewisian Gneiss landscape toward the distinctive quartzite-capped peaks of Ben Stack, Arkle, and Foinaven.
- •Navigating the slopes requires more care than the modest 302-metre height suggests, as the area is a maze of 'cnoc and lochan' topography—a chaotic mix of small rocky knolls and hidden peat bogs.
- •Standing at 991 feet, the hill sits just nine feet short of the 1,000ft mark; a geographical near-miss that is deeply irritating to certain hikers, yet seemingly of no concern to the local deer.