What's the difference between a Simm and a Munro?

A Simm is any summit over 600 metres with at least 30 metres of prominence, covering Britain and Ireland. Munros are specifically Scottish mountains over 3,000 feet (914 metres), so all Munros are Simms, but there are roughly 2,500 Simms compared to only 282 Munros.

How many Simms are there in total?

There are roughly 2,500 Simms across Britain and Ireland. The exact number can change slightly when new survey data reveals hills have been re-measured and either gain or lose their status.

Do Simms include hills in England and Wales or just Scotland?

Yes, Simms cover all of Britain and Ireland with no regional restrictions. That's actually one of their main advantages—they treat hills the same way regardless of which country they're in, unlike older lists that were Scotland-only.

The Classification Index

Simms: the hill category that tidied up the lists

If you've ever wondered why British hill lists seem unnecessarily complicated, Simms offer a rare moment of clarity. Introduced by Alan Dawson in 2010, a Simm is any summit over 600 metres with at least 30 metres of drop all round – a definition that consolidated several older, overlapping lists like Murdos, Corbett Tops, Graham Tops and Hewitts into something more coherent.

28 September 20267 min read