Roineabhal [Roineval]

Rising from the southern end of the island chain, this rugged Marilyn offers a coastal panorama far exceeding its modest elevation. The terrain is a classic mix of rough heather and ice-scoured Lewisian gneiss, providing a short but bracing ascent with views across the island-studded Sound of Barra.

• •The name Roineabhal is derived from the Old Norse Hraun-fjall, meaning 'stony mountain', a reference to the weathered, rocky landscape of Lewisian gneiss that dominates this part of the islands.
• •From the summit, the view south is exceptional, looking directly over Eriskay to the mountains of Barra and the smaller islets of Hellisay and Gighay scattered across the sound.
• •The hill sits directly above Coilleag a' Phrionnsa (the Prince's Cockleshell), the white sandy beach where Bonnie Prince Charlie first set foot on Scottish soil in July 1745.
• •At nearly three billion years old, the rock underfoot is some of the most ancient geological material in Europe, having survived the immense tectonic pressures that shaped the North Atlantic.
• •Because the approach begins at sea level, you are required to earn every one of its 281 metres, a task made considerably more character-building by the unfiltered Atlantic wind.