Uisgneabhal Mor [Uisgnaval Mor]

About Uisgneabhal Mor [Uisgnaval Mor]

Rising as a rugged, craggy neighbor to the Clisham, this significant Graham dominates the North Harris skyline. Its steep, gneiss-strewn slopes provide a wilder, more solitary alternative to its famous neighbor, offering a true sense of Hebridean isolation. Reaching the stony summit reveals an expansive panorama of the Atlantic and the Lewis moors.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is a linguistic relic of the Viking age; the suffix ‘-abhal’ is a Gaelic adaptation of the Old Norse ‘fjall’, meaning mountain, likely combined with 'vatn' (water) to describe the lochan-studded landscape below.
• •It is frequently ascended as part of the 'Mhorgaidh' horseshoe, a rugged high-level route that links several peaks around the head of Gleann Mhòr.
• •On a clear day, the summit cairn offers one of the best vantage points in the Hebrides for spotting the distant, jagged outlines of St Kilda on the western horizon.
• •The mountain is formed from Lewisian Gneiss, some of the oldest rock on the planet; its billion-year-old surfaces are notoriously abrasive on boot leather and unforgiving on the knees.
• •It holds the distinction of being the second highest point in the Outer Hebrides, though it is often bypassed by those hurrying to tick off its slightly taller neighbor.