Meall a' Mhaoil

About Meall a' Mhaoil

Rising above the limestone pavements of Suardal, this rounded Marilyn offers a tranquil alternative to Skye’s jagged peaks. The ascent through rough heather is short but rewarding, revealing an expansive view over Loch Eishort and the Sleat peninsula, with the Red Hills providing a dramatic backdrop to the north.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic Meall a' Mhaoil, meaning 'rounded hill of the bare brow', an apt description for its smooth, grass-and-heather summit.
• •The summit provides an excellent vantage point for viewing the abandoned ruins of Boreraig and Suisnish across Loch Eishort, communities that were famously evicted during the Highland Clearances in the mid-19th century.
• •The hill sits on the edge of the Strath Suardal limestone belt, a rare geological feature in the Highlands that supports a distinct variety of wildflowers compared to the acidic soil of the nearby Cuillin.
• •To the north, the summit provides an unusually clear perspective of the Red Hills, specifically the massive eastern face of Beinn na Caillich above Broadford.
• •At 284 metres, it qualifies as a Marilyn by a mere nine-metre margin of prominence, proving that in the world of hill-bagging, every centimetre of descent counts.