Suaineabhal [Suainaval]

Rising steeply above the vast sands of Uig on the Isle of Lewis, this prominent Marilyn offers character far beyond its modest height. The ascent over rough heather and rock leads to a summit with a truly coastal feel, overlooking the Atlantic shoreline and the rugged mountains of North Harris.

• •The name is a Gaelicised form of the Old Norse Sveinn-fjall, translating as 'Sveinn's Hill,' a linguistic relic of the long Viking occupation of the Outer Hebrides.
• •From the summit, you can look directly down upon the white sands of Uig, where the iconic 12th-century Lewis Chessmen were famously unearthed from a sand dune in 1831.
• •On a clear day, the view extends far west across the Atlantic towards the remote Flannan Isles, the site of the famous 1900 lighthouse keeper disappearance.
• •The ascent from Ardroil involves a steep, pathless pull over rough moorland, though the sight of the turquoise waters of the Atlantic below provides ample excuse for frequent 'breather' stops.
• •The hill’s modest stature might suggest a gentle afternoon stroll, but the Lewis terrain ensures that every one of its 428 metres is paid for in bog-water and sweat.