Benwiskin

About Benwiskin

Rising as a dramatic, wave-like prow above the Gleniff Horseshoe, this distinctive Tump offers a sharp profile against the Sligo skyline. While its summit is a broad, grassy plateau, the northern edge drops away in a spectacular limestone cliff, providing immense views across Mullaghmore Head and Donegal Bay.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is likely derived from the Irish Binn Uisceáin, meaning 'the peak of the little water,' though its visual identity is dominated by its shape, often described as a massive, breaking wave of rock.
• •It forms a key part of the Gleniff Horseshoe, overlooking the ruins of old barytes mines which were active in the valley below until the mid-20th century.
• •From the 514m summit, the vista includes the distant sea-cliffs of Slieve League in Donegal and the vast, flat-topped bulk of Benbulbin to the west.
• •Like much of the Dartry range, the hill is composed of 300-million-year-old Carboniferous limestone, capped with a layer of gritstone that creates its characteristic flat-topped appearance.
• •From the valley floor, the peak appears to be an impossible, overhanging cliff edge, though the summit itself is actually a remarkably flat and welcoming expanse of mountain grass.