| Cuillin Hills National Scenic Area | |
|---|---|
 | |
  The location of the Cuillin within Highland (map centred onSgùrr Alasdair) | |
| Location | Isle of Skye,Highland, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 57°12′N6°12′W / 57.20°N 6.2°W /57.20; -6.2 |
| Area | 227 km2 (88 sq mi)[1] |
| Established | 1981 |
| Governing body | NatureScot |
TheCuillin (Scottish Gaelic:An Cuiltheann)[2] is a range of mostly jagged rocky mountains on theIsle of Skye inScotland. The main Cuillin ridge is also called theBlack Cuillin[3] to distinguish it from theRed Cuillin (na Beanntan Dearga), which lie to the east of Glen Sligachan.[4]
The peaks of the Black Cuillin are mainly composed ofgabbro, a very roughigneous rock which provides a superb grip formountaineers; andbasalt, which can be very slippery when wet.[3] The rocks forming the ridge of the Black Cuillin (and outliers suchBlà Bheinn) are dark, particularly in the shade, but when in sunlight the Black Cuillin can appear grey to brown.[5] The main ridge forms a narrow crest, with steep cliffs andscree slopes.[6] The ridge is about 14 kilometres (8+1⁄2 miles) long (from Gars-bheinn in the south toSgùrr nan Gillean in the northeast), and curves in an irregular semi-circle aroundLoch Coruisk, which lies at the heart of the range.[7][6] The highest point of the Cuillin, and of the Isle of Skye, isSgùrr Alasdair in the Black Cuillin at 992 m (3,255 ft).[3]
The Red Cuillin are mainly composed ofgranite, which is paler than the gabbro (with a reddish tinge from some angles in some lights) and has weathered into more rounded hills with vegetation cover to summit level and long scree slopes on their flanks. These hills are lower and, being less rocky, have fewer scrambles or climbs.[5] The highest point of the red hills isGlamaig at 775 m (2,543 ft), one of only twoCorbetts on Skye (the other being Garbh-bheinn, part of the small group of gabbro outliers surrounding Blà Bheinn).[8]
The scenic beauty of the Cuillin has led to it being designated anational scenic area,[9] one of forty such areas in Scotland.[10] AScottish Natural Heritage review of the special qualities of the Cuillin stated:
The mountains rise up dramatically from the sea creating formidable, enclosed sea lochs, with the absence of foothills enhancing their vast scale. Many iconic views of Scotland are centred here, whether Sgurr nan Gillean soaring above Sligachan, Loch Scavaig and the Cuillin ridge from Elgol, or Bla Bheinn above Torrin.
— Scottish Natural Heritage[5]
There are several theories about the derivation of the name 'Cuillin'. One suggestion is that it comes from theOld Norse wordkjölen, which literally means thekeel of a boat, suggesting a similarity with an upturnedVikinglongship. Peter Drummond, inScottish Hill and Mountain Names (1991), noted that this is also a name of theScandinavian Mountains and says it can mean 'high rocky mountain'.[11] Drummond later considered theIrish placename elementcuilleann, meaning 'a steep slope', which is found in mountain names such asSlieve Gullion. However, he pointed out that the element is rare, and that most mountain names around Skye come from Norse.[12] Another suggestion is that it comes fromGaeliccuilionn, meaning 'holly', because of the mountains' jagged shape.[11] The name has also been linked toGaelic mythology, with the hills being the place whereCúchullin learntarchery from the female warriorScáthach.[5]
The Cuillin are a diverse and complex geological landscape, and there is a clear distinction visible between the two mountain types.[5] The mountains formed from the remains of themagma chambers which fed volcanic eruptions.[13] In the Black Cuillin the rocks cooled to formgabbro, the coarse-grained rock that makes up much of the range. Cracks and fissures in the rock provided pathways for latermagma intrusions, leading todykes ofbasalt which are commonly seen across Skye.[13] The Red Cuillin also have volcanic origins, being formed from a later intrusion of acidic,granitic rock.[5] This granite was more uniformly eroded by wind and water than the gabbro and basalt, causing the red hills to have smoother outlines.[13]
The Cuillin provide classic examples ofglacial topography and were the subject of an early published account byJames Forbes in 1846 (who had become a fellow of theRoyal Society of Edinburgh aged only nineteen).[14][15] He partneredLouis Agassiz on his trip to Scotland in 1840 and although they subsequently argued, Forbes went on to publish other important papers on Alpine glaciers.[16]In 1904Alfred Harker publishedThe Tertiary Igneous Rocks of Skye, the first detailed scientific study of an extinct volcano.[17][18]
The Cuillin encompasses a wide range of habitats, changing with altitude. At the base there areconifer plantations, coastalwoodlands and areas ofheathermoorland and rough grassland. The lower slopes are covered by various different types of bog, with grassland on the better-drained slopes that are found above 400 m (1,300 ft). Higher up, the rocky hills are largely bare, with exposed rock and scree.[6] The entire area is designated as aSpecial Protection Area under theNatura 2000 programme due particularly for its importance togolden eagles. The site is of European importance for these birds, and holds one of the highest-density populations in Britain, having an unusually high breeding productivity.[6] Eleven pairs were estimated in 1992; this representing about 3% of the breeding population in Great Britain at that time.[6]
The Cuillin are protected as anational scenic area, defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development.[10] The areas protected by the designation are considered to represent the type of scenic beauty "popularly associated with Scotland and for which it is renowned".[19] TheCuillin Hills National Scenic Area covers 27,320 hectares (67,500 acres), of which 22,726 ha (56,160 acres) is on land, with a further 4,594 ha (11,350 acres) being marine (i.e. belowlow tide level).[1]
Due to the rocky nature of the Cuillin they have historically been of little use for agriculture: this contrasts with the majority of the highlands, where the hills were used to provideseasonal grazing forcattle andsheep. Despite the lack of earlier human presence in the hills themselves, there is much evidence of historic settlement in the surrounding glens, with prehistoric hut circles found in Glenbrittle,[20] and astone circle identified in Glen Sligachan.[21]Rubha an Dùnain, an uninhabited peninsula to the south of the main ridge, has a variety of archaeological sites dating from theNeolithic onwards. There is a 2nd or 3rd millennium BCchambered cairn, anIron Age promontory fort and the remains of another prehistoric settlement dating from theBronze Age nearby. Loch na h-Airde on the peninsula is linked to the sea by an artificial "Viking" canal that may date from the later period ofNorse settlement.[22][23]
The Norse held sway throughout the Hebrides from the 9th century until after theTreaty of Perth in 1266. In the post–Norse period the most powerful clans on Skye wereClan MacLeod, originally based inTrotternish, andClan Macdonald of Sleat. Following the disintegration of theLordship of the Isles, the Mackinnons also emerged as an independent clan, whose substantial landholdings in Skye were centred on Strathaird.[24] The MacDonalds and the MacLeods were bitter rivals, and two major battles of this period were fought between the clans at Harta Corrie and Coire Na Creich in the Cuillin:
Boswell andJohnson visited Skye during theirtour of the Western Isles in 1773, and observed snow falling on the summits of the range in September.[29] Boswell described the Cuillin as "a prodigious range of mountains, capped with rocks like pinnacles in a strange variety of shapes".[29]
Uniquely for a group of Scottish mountains there are no records of the majority of the Cuillin summits having been climbed prior to the start ofmountaineering as a leisure activity in theVictorian era,[30] a situation reflected in the fact that around half the summits had no recorded name prior to this period, although names for corries and other features were in existence.[31] Many of the summits are thus named after early climbers such asJohn MacKenzie (Sgùrr MhicChoinnich),Alexander Nicolson (Sgùrr Alasdair), andNorman Collie (Sgùrr Thormaid).[3]
The Cuillin now consists of two estates divided by Glen Sligachan.[32] The hills on the west side of Glen Sligachan (the Black Cuillin) remained the property of Clan MacLeod despite the long history of conflict between them and Clan MacDonald. The earliest formal record of MacLeod ownership was in a land grant fromthe Crown in 1611.[33] In 2000 the Cuillin were put on sale for £10 million by the clan chief,John MacLeod of MacLeod, in a scheme of land in exchange for repairs toDunvegan Castle,[34] however there was a dispute over ownership, as opponents of the sale argued that the charter referred to the MacLeod's Tables which stand across the loch from Dunvegan Castle and not to the Cuillin themselves. A deal was cut for the property to be gifted in return for repairs to the clan castle,[34] although it later fell through, with opponents arguing that the cost was out of proportion compared to other equivalent land sales.[33] Following the death of John MacLeod in 2007 his successor,Hugh Magnus MacLeod of MacLeod, found alternative funding sources, and as of 2017 ownership of the main range remains in the MacLeod family.[33]
TheStrathaird,Torrin andSconser Estate lies on the eastern side of Glen Sligachan, encompassing the Red Cuillin andBla Bheinn: it is owned by theJohn Muir Trust,[35] a charity that seeks to protect and enhance wild places.[36] Strathaird Estate was formerly owned by musicianIan Anderson, the frontman forJethro Tull, who sold the estate to the trust in 1994, for around £750,000.[37]
The summits of the Cuillin are bare rock, jagged in outline and with steep cliffs and deep cutcorries and gullies. Twelve Black Cuillin peaks are listed asMunros, though one of them,Blaven, is part of a group of outliers separated from the main ridge by Glen Sligachan.[3]
Thescrambler can access most of the individual peaks by their easiest routes. Only theInaccessible Pinnacle is agraded rock climb (Moderate) by its simplest line but several of the other summits require scrambling skills. Navigation on the ridge is difficult due to jagged terrain and magnetic abnormalities that make compass reading unreliable.[3] The majority of scramblers heading on to the Black Cuillin do so via routes from Glenbrittle (where there is a campsite and ayouth hostel) or Sligachan for the northern peaks: due to the remoteness of Loch Coruisk, which can only be reached by boat or ac. 10 km (6.2 mi) walk fromElgol, routes starting from this side are less frequented.[3]
In addition to climbing individual peaks, there is the challenge of a fullmountain traverse of the main Black Cuillin ridge. Although only 11 km (7 mi) in length, the average traverse is likely to take 15–20 hours from sea level atGlenbrittle to the bar of theSligachan Hotel, owing to the difficulty of the terrain and route-finding problems. The first recorded traverse in under 24 hours was on 10 June 1911 by Leslie Shadbolt and Alastair C. McLaren, in 12 hours 18 minutes top to top[38] (16.75 hours in total[39]). The record for the full traverse, set byFinlay Wild in October 2013, stands at 2 hours, 59 minutes and 22 seconds[40] (though this time is from Gars-bheinn toSgùrr nan Gillean and does not include the initial ascent fromGlenbrittle or the final descent to Sligachan).[41] A further issue for those attempting the full traverse is the fact that there are no natural sources of water on the ridge (except for winter snows and melt water), although there are a few high burns just off the main ridge from which water can be obtained.[42]
Some believe the ultimate mountaineering experience of the UK is the full traverse of the Cuillin Ridge, especially under winter conditions.[43][44] The Isle of Skye's position in the warmGulf Stream makes genuine winter conditions rare, and the very short winter days probably make a 24-hour traverse impractical. The first recorded, over two days, was in 1965 by D. Crabbe, B. Robertson,T. Patey andH. MacInnes.[45]
A longer challenge, known as the "Greater Traverse" includes all the Skye Munros, though omitting some gabbro outliers: this involves continuing on toClach Glas andBlaven totalling some 20 km (12 mi) distance and 4,000 m (13,000 ft) ascent. This traverse was first done independently by two parties, in the summer of 1939, with I. Charleson and W. Forde claiming precedence over W. H. Murray & R. G. Donaldon a few weeks later (seeW. H. Murray's book[46] for details of his traverse).[47]
Extending the Greater Traverse even further is the Cullin Round. This takes in most of the major peaks of the Black and Red Cullin, totalling 54 km (34 mi), 7,000 m (23,000 ft) ascent and 12 Munros. The fastest time of 16 hours 46 minutes was set by Mark Shaw in 2002.[47]
The Trans Cullin Challenge is yet to be completed in under 24 hours. It is an east-west traverse of every Cullin top between Gars-bheinn andBeinn na Caillich, totalling some 61 km (38 mi), 9,000 m (30,000 ft) ascent and 70 tops.[47]
The list below shows all theMunros,Corbetts andGrahams of the Cuillin. It, therefore, excludes peaks such asClach Glas, which do not meet the criteria for these hill listings.
| Summit | Range | Classification | Absolute height (m) | Relative height (m) | Grade of easiest route | Easiest route(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sgùrr nan Gillean | Black Cuillin | Munro | 964 | c. 204 | Grade 3 scramble | South-east ridge[3] |
| Am Basteir | Black Cuillin | Munro | 934 | c. 55 | Grade 2 scramble | East ridge avoiding the "Broken Step" on the left[3] |
| Bruach na Frìthe | Black Cuillin | Munro | 958 | c. 125 | Walk | Ascent via Fionn Choire[3] |
| Sgùrr a' Mhadaidh | Black Cuillin | Munro | 918 | c. 71 | Grade 2/3 scramble | North-west or south ridges[3] |
| Sgùrr a' Ghreadaidh | Black Cuillin | Munro | 973 | c. 123 | Grade 3 scramble | North ridge[3] |
| Sgùrr na Banachdaich | Black Cuillin | Munro | 965 | c. 114 | Walk | Ascent via Coire nan Eich[3] |
| Inaccessible Pinnacle (Sgùrr Dearg) | Black Cuillin | Munro | 986 | 182 | Moderate rock climb | East ridge of Inaccessible Pinnacle[3] |
| Sgùrr MhicChoinnich | Black Cuillin | Munro | 948 | c. 56 | Grade 2 scramble | North ridge[3] |
| Sgùrr Alasdair | Black Cuillin | Munro | 992 | 992 | Grade 2 scramble | North-east ridge from top of Great Stone Chute[3] |
| Sgùrr Dubh Mòr | Black Cuillin | Munro | 944 | c. 89 | Grade 2 scramble | From Coir' a' Ghrunnda[3] |
| Sgùrr nan Eag | Black Cuillin | Munro | 924 | c. 127 | Grade 1/2 scramble | From Coir' a' Ghrunnda[3] |
| Blà Bheinn | Outlier (Blaven group) | Munro | 928 | 301 | Walk | Ascent via Coire Uaigneis[3] |
| Garbh-bheinn | Outlier (Blaven group) | Corbett | 808 | 172 | Walk | From head of Loch Ainort[8] |
| Glamaig | Red Cuillin | Corbett | 775 | c. 480 | Walk | From Sligachan[8] |
| Marsco | Red Cuillin | Graham | 736 | 413 | Walk | From Sligachan[4] |
| Beinn Dearg Mhòr | Red Cuillin | Graham | 731 | 152 | Walk | From Sligachan[4] |
| Belig | Red Cuillin | Graham | 702 | 246 | Walk | From head of Loch Ainort[4] |
| International | |
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| National | |
