Cuillin
Encyclopedia
This article is about the Cuillin of Skye. See Rùm
for the Cuillin of Rùm.
The Cuillin (Scottish Gaelic: An Cuilthionn or An Cuiltheann) are a range of rocky mountains located on the Isle of Skye in Scotland
. The true Cuillin are also known as the Black Cuillin to distinguish them from the Red Hills (Am Binnean Dearg) across Glen Sligachan. The Red Hills are lower and, being less rocky, have fewer scrambles or climbs.
The highest point of the Cuillin, and of the Isle of Skye, is Sgurr Alasdair
in the Black Cuillin at 992 m (3,255 ft). The Cullin Hills is one of 40 National Scenic Area
s in Scotland.
The Black Cuillin is mainly composed of basalt
and gabbro
, the latter being a very rough rock which makes for superb grip for mountaineers
. It is from the dark colour of the gabbro that the Black Cuillin receives its name. The summits of the Cuillin are bare rock, jagged in outline and with steep cliffs and deep cut corries and gullies. All twelve Munros on Skye are Black Cuillin peaks, though one of them, Blaven
, is part of a group of outliers separated from the main ridge by Glen Sligachan.
The scrambler
can access most of the individual peaks by their easiest routes. Only the Inaccessible Pinnacle
is a graded rock climb (moderate) by its simplest line but several of the other summits require scrambling
skills.
There are no sources of water on the ridge (unless winter snow is considered); all water has to be carried by the visitor.
Hotel owing to the difficulty of the terrain and route finding problems. The first recorded traverse in under 24 hours was in 1911 by L Shadbolt and A McLaren. The record for the full traverse, set by Es Tresidder in May 2007, stands at 3 hours 17 minutes (though this time is from Gars-bheinn to Sgurr nan Gillean
and does not include the initial ascent from Glenbrittle or the final descent to Sligachan).
A longer traverse of the Black Cuillin, (including all the Munro
s, though omitting some gabbro outliers) is the Greater Traverse; this involves continuing on to Clach Glas
and Blaven
. 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. - (see Bill Murray's book for details of his traverse).
Some believe the ultimate mountaineering experience of the UK
is the full traverse under winter conditions. The Isle of Skye
's position in the warm Gulf 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
and H MacInnes
.
The Cuillin is perhaps the only range in the United Kingdom
to approach in sheer jagged rawness (though not of course in height) the mountain experience of such ranges as the Alps
or Rockies
.
) are sometimes known as the Red Cuillin. They are mainly composed of granite
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.
The highest point of the hills is Glamaig
, one of only two Corbetts on Skye (the other being Garbh-bheinn, part of the small group of gabbro outliers surrounding Blaven).
s, Corbetts and Grahams of the Cuillin. This listing excludes peaks such as Clach Glas
which in hill walking/mountaineering terms are considered of significance.
battle fought on Skye, in which the Clan MacDonald of Sleat
defeated the Clan MacLeod
after a bitter feud.
In 2000 the Cullins were put on sale for £10 million by the Laird in a scheme of land in exchange for repairs to Dunvegan castle. Following a dispute over ownership, a deal was cut for the property to be gifted in return for repairs to the clan castle.
Rùm
Rùm , a Scottish Gaelic name often anglicised to Rum) is one of the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, in the district of Lochaber, Scotland...
for the Cuillin of Rùm.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The true Cuillin are also known as the Black Cuillin to distinguish them from the Red Hills (Am Binnean Dearg) across Glen Sligachan. The Red Hills are lower and, being less rocky, have fewer scrambles or climbs.
The highest point of the Cuillin, and of the Isle of Skye, is Sgurr Alasdair
Sgurr Alasdair
Sgurr Alasdair is the highest peak of the Black Cuillin, and the highest peak on the Isle of Skye. Like the rest of the range it is composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineering.-Ascent:...
in the Black Cuillin at 992 m (3,255 ft). The Cullin Hills is one of 40 National Scenic Area
National Scenic Area
National Scenic Area is a designation for areas of natural beauty used by more than one nation.* National Scenic Area * National Scenic Area * National scenic areas in Taiwan* National Scenic Area...
s in Scotland.
Black Cuillin
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
and gabbro
Gabbro
Gabbro refers to a large group of dark, coarse-grained, intrusive mafic igneous rocks chemically equivalent to basalt. The rocks are plutonic, formed when molten magma is trapped beneath the Earth's surface and cools into a crystalline mass....
, the latter being a very rough rock which makes for superb grip for mountaineers
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
. It is from the dark colour of the gabbro that the Black Cuillin receives its name. The summits of the Cuillin are bare rock, jagged in outline and with steep cliffs and deep cut corries and gullies. All twelve Munros on Skye are Black Cuillin peaks, though one of them, Blaven
Blaven
Blà Bheinn , is a mountain on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is usually regarded as an outlier to the Black Cuillin. It is mainly composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineers and scramblers...
, is part of a group of outliers separated from the main ridge by Glen Sligachan.
The scrambler
Scrambling
Scrambling is a method of ascending rocky faces and ridges. It is an ambiguous term that lies somewhere between hillwalking and rock climbing. It is often distinguished from hillwalking by defining a scramble as a route where hands must be used in the ascent...
can access most of the individual peaks by their easiest routes. Only the Inaccessible Pinnacle
Inaccessible Pinnacle
Sgurr Dearg is a mountain in the Cuillin on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It is topped by the Inaccessible Pinnacle , a fin of rock measuring 150 feet along its longest edge...
is a graded rock climb (moderate) by its simplest line but several of the other summits require scrambling
Scrambling
Scrambling is a method of ascending rocky faces and ridges. It is an ambiguous term that lies somewhere between hillwalking and rock climbing. It is often distinguished from hillwalking by defining a scramble as a route where hands must be used in the ascent...
skills.
| Munro | Grade of easiest route | Easiest route(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sgurr nan Gillean Sgurr nan Gillean Sgurr nan Gillean is a mountain in the northern section of the Cuillin range on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. With a height of 964 m it is one of eleven Munros on the Cuillin ridge.... |
Grade 3 scramble | West or south-east ridges |
| Am Basteir Am Basteir Am Basteir is a mountain in the northern Cuillin range on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is 934 metres high and classed as a Munro... |
Grade 2 scramble | East ridge avoiding the "Broken Step" on the left |
| Bruach na Frithe Bruach na Frithe Bruach na Frìthe is one of the principal summits on the Black Cuillin ridge. Like the rest of the range it is composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineering... |
Walk | Ascent via Fionn Choire |
| Sgurr a' Mhadaidh Sgurr a' Mhadaidh Sgurr a' Mhadaidh is a Munro summit on the Black Cuillin ridge. Like the rest of the range it is composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineering.... |
Grade 2/3 scramble | North-west or south ridges |
| Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh is the highest summit on the northern half of the Black Cuillin ridge. Like the rest of the range it is composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineering.This is one of the trickier main Black Cuillin peaks to ascend... |
Grade 3 scramble | North ridge |
| Sgurr na Banachdaich | Walk | Ascent via Coire nan Eich |
| Sgurr Dearg | Moderate rock climb | East ridge of Inaccessible Pinnacle |
| Sgurr Mhic Choinnich Sgurr Mhic Choinnich Sgurr Mhic Choinnich is a mountain on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is in the Black Cuillin range of mountains and is classified as a Munro. Like all the other Black Cuillin mountains it is made predominantly of gabbro rock and has little vegetation... |
Grade 2 scramble | North ridge |
| Sgurr Alasdair Sgurr Alasdair Sgurr Alasdair is the highest peak of the Black Cuillin, and the highest peak on the Isle of Skye. Like the rest of the range it is composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineering.-Ascent:... |
Grade 2 scramble | North-east ridge from top of Great Stone Shoot |
| Sgurr Dubh Mor | Grade 2 scramble | West ridge |
| Sgurr nan Eag | Grade 1/2 scramble | South ridge |
| Blaven Blaven Blà Bheinn , is a mountain on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is usually regarded as an outlier to the Black Cuillin. It is mainly composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineers and scramblers... |
Walk | Ascent via Coire Uaigneis |
There are no sources of water on the ridge (unless winter snow is considered); all water has to be carried by the visitor.
Black Cuillin Traverse
In addition to climbing individual peaks, there is the challenge of a full traverse of the ridge. Although only seven miles in length, the average traverse is likely to take 15–20 hours from sea level at Glenbrittle to the bar of the SligachanSligachan
Sligachan is a small settlement on Skye, Scotland. It is close to the Cuillin mountains and provides a good viewpoint for seeing the Black Cuillin mountains.-Amenities:...
Hotel owing to the difficulty of the terrain and route finding problems. The first recorded traverse in under 24 hours was in 1911 by L Shadbolt and A McLaren. The record for the full traverse, set by Es Tresidder in May 2007, stands at 3 hours 17 minutes (though this time is from Gars-bheinn to Sgurr nan Gillean
Sgurr nan Gillean
Sgurr nan Gillean is a mountain in the northern section of the Cuillin range on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. With a height of 964 m it is one of eleven Munros on the Cuillin ridge....
and does not include the initial ascent from Glenbrittle or the final descent to Sligachan).
A longer traverse of the Black Cuillin, (including all the Munro
Munro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
s, though omitting some gabbro outliers) is the Greater Traverse; this involves continuing on to Clach Glas
Clach Glas
Clach Glas is a mountain on the Black Cuillin of Skye - its elevation is 2590 ft and the name translates as The Grey Stone. It is often traversed as a sustained scrambling route to Blaven, mostly at a standard between Easy and Moderate, depending on the line followed...
and Blaven
Blaven
Blà Bheinn , is a mountain on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is usually regarded as an outlier to the Black Cuillin. It is mainly composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineers and scramblers...
. 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. - (see Bill Murray's book for details of his traverse).
Some believe the ultimate mountaineering experience of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
is the full traverse under winter conditions. The Isle of Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
's position in the warm Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
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
Tom Patey
Tom Patey was a Scottish climber, mountaineer and writer. Although he was a leading Scottish climber of his day, particularly excelling on winter routes, he his probably best known for his humorous songs and prose about climbing, many of which were published posthumously in the collection One...
and H MacInnes
Hamish MacInnes
Dr Hamish MacInnes is a Scottish mountaineer, leading mountain search and rescuer, author and advisor. He is the leading Scottish winter mountaineer of the generation following W. H. Murray....
.
The Cuillin is perhaps the only range in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to approach in sheer jagged rawness (though not of course in height) the mountain experience of such ranges as the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
or Rockies
Rockies
Rockies can mean the following:* Rocky Mountains, a North American mountain range* Colorado Rockies, a Colorado Major League baseball team* Colorado Rockies , a former NHL hockey team that became the New Jersey Devils...
.
The Red Hills
The Red Hills (Am Binnean Dearg in GaelicScottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
) are sometimes known as the Red Cuillin. They are mainly composed of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
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.
The highest point of the hills is Glamaig
Glamaig
Glamaig is the northernmost of the Red Hills on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It lies immediately east of Sligachan. It is one of only two Corbetts on Skye....
, one of only two Corbetts on Skye (the other being Garbh-bheinn, part of the small group of gabbro outliers surrounding Blaven).
Major peaks
Here are listed the MunroMunro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
s, Corbetts and Grahams of the Cuillin. This listing excludes peaks such as Clach Glas
Clach Glas
Clach Glas is a mountain on the Black Cuillin of Skye - its elevation is 2590 ft and the name translates as The Grey Stone. It is often traversed as a sustained scrambling route to Blaven, mostly at a standard between Easy and Moderate, depending on the line followed...
which in hill walking/mountaineering terms are considered of significance.
| Peak | Absolute height (m) | Relative height (m) | Cuillin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sgurr Alasdair Sgurr Alasdair Sgurr Alasdair is the highest peak of the Black Cuillin, and the highest peak on the Isle of Skye. Like the rest of the range it is composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineering.-Ascent:... |
992 | 992 | Black |
| 2 | Inaccessible Pinnacle Inaccessible Pinnacle Sgurr Dearg is a mountain in the Cuillin on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It is topped by the Inaccessible Pinnacle , a fin of rock measuring 150 feet along its longest edge... - Sgurr Dearg |
986 | 182 | Black |
| 3 | Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh is the highest summit on the northern half of the Black Cuillin ridge. Like the rest of the range it is composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineering.This is one of the trickier main Black Cuillin peaks to ascend... |
973 | c. 123 | Black |
| 4 | Sgurr na Banachdich Sgurr na Banachdich Sgurr na Banachdich is one of the main summits on the Black Cuillin ridge. Like the rest of the range it is composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineering.... |
965 | c. 114 | Black |
| 5 | Sgurr nan Gillean Sgurr nan Gillean Sgurr nan Gillean is a mountain in the northern section of the Cuillin range on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. With a height of 964 m it is one of eleven Munros on the Cuillin ridge.... |
964 | c. 204 | Black |
| 6 | Bruach na Frìthe Bruach na Frithe Bruach na Frìthe is one of the principal summits on the Black Cuillin ridge. Like the rest of the range it is composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineering... |
958 | c. 125 | Black |
| 7 | Sgurr Mhic Choinnich Sgurr Mhic Choinnich Sgurr Mhic Choinnich is a mountain on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is in the Black Cuillin range of mountains and is classified as a Munro. Like all the other Black Cuillin mountains it is made predominantly of gabbro rock and has little vegetation... |
948 | c.56 | Black |
| 8 | Sgurr Dubh Mòr | 944 | c. 89 | Black |
| 9 | Am Basteir Am Basteir Am Basteir is a mountain in the northern Cuillin range on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is 934 metres high and classed as a Munro... |
934 | c. 55 | Black |
| 10 | Blà Bheinn - Blaven | 928 | 301 | Outlier |
| 11 | Sgurr nan Eag | 924 | c. 127 | Black |
| 12 | Sgurr a' Mhadaidh Sgurr a' Mhadaidh Sgurr a' Mhadaidh is a Munro summit on the Black Cuillin ridge. Like the rest of the range it is composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineering.... |
918 | c. 71 | Black |
| 13 | Garbh-bheinn | 808 | 172 | Outlier (Blaven group) |
| 14 | Glamaig Glamaig Glamaig is the northernmost of the Red Hills on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It lies immediately east of Sligachan. It is one of only two Corbetts on Skye.... |
775 | c. 480 | Red |
| 15 | Marsco Marsco Marsco is a peak in the Red Hills on the Scottish Isle of Skye. It lies on the east of Glen Sligachan, and may be climbed from the right-of-way through the glen from Sligachan to Loch Coruisk... |
736 | 413 | Red |
| 16 | Beinn Dearg Mhòr | 731 | 152 | Red |
| 17 | Belig | 702 | 246 | Outlier (Blaven group) |
History
The Battle of Coire Na Creiche was fought on the slopes below Bruach na Frithe in 1601. It was the last Scottish clanScottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
battle fought on Skye, in which the Clan MacDonald of Sleat
Clan MacDonald of Sleat
Clan Macdonald of Sleat, sometimes known as Clan Donald North and in Gaelic Clann Ùisdein , is a Scottish clan and a branch of Clan Donald — one of the largest Scottish clans. The founder of the Macdonalds of Sleat is Ùisdean, 6th great-grandson of Somhairle, a 12th century Rì Innse Gall...
defeated the Clan MacLeod
Clan MacLeod
Clan MacLeod is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the Macleods of Harris and Dunvegan, whose chief is Macleod of Macleod, are known in Gaelic as Sìol Tormoid ; the Macleods of Lewis, whose chief is Macleod of The Lewes, are known in...
after a bitter feud.
In 2000 the Cullins were put on sale for £10 million by the Laird in a scheme of land in exchange for repairs to Dunvegan castle. Following a dispute over ownership, a deal was cut for the property to be gifted in return for repairs to the clan castle.
Cultural references
- The Cuillin is a key thematic device in the Gaelic-language family film Seachd: The Inaccessible PinnacleSeachd: The Inaccessible PinnacleSeachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle is a 2007 Scottish Gaelic feature film by first-time director, Simon Miller from a story by Simon Miller and Joanne Cockwell...
. - One of Sorley MacLeanSorley MacLeanSorley MacLean was one of the most significant Scottish poets of the 20th century.-Early life:He was born at Osgaig on the island of Raasay on 26 October 1911, where Scottish Gaelic was the first language. He attended the University of Edinburgh and was an avid shinty player playing for the...
's best known poems is the epic, "The Cuillin". - The band RunrigRunrigRunrig are a Scottish Celtic rock group formed in Skye, in 1973 under the name 'The Run Rig Dance Band'. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included songwriters Rory Macdonald and Calum Macdonald. The current line-up also includes longtime members Malcolm Jones, Iain Bayne, and more...
recorded the song, "Nightfall on MarscoMarscoMarsco is a peak in the Red Hills on the Scottish Isle of Skye. It lies on the east of Glen Sligachan, and may be climbed from the right-of-way through the glen from Sligachan to Loch Coruisk...
". - According to legend, the Cuillin take their name from the Gaelic hero, CúchulainnCúchulainnCú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
, although this is probably a folk etymology. Legend has it that Cúchulainn learned martial arts from the warrior woman, ScáthachScáthachScáthach is a figure in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She is a legendary Scottish warrior woman and martial arts teacher who trains the legendary Ulster hero Cú Chulainn in the arts of combat...
, who was said to have a school in Skye. - The song The Road to the IslesThe Road to the Isles"The Road to the Isles" is a famous Scottish traditional song. It is part of the Kennedy-Fraser collection and it appeared in a book entitled 'Songs of the Hebrides' published in 1917, with the eponymous title by the Celtic poet Kenneth Macleod. The poem is headed by the statement 'Written for the...
mentions the Cuillin in the first verse and in each chorus. - The murder mystery novel "Wildfire at Midnight" by Mary StewartMary StewartMary Florence Elinor Stewart is a popular English novelist, best known for her Merlin series, which straddles the boundary between the historical novel and the fantasy genre.-Career:...
is set in and around the Cuillin. - The spy novel "Mr. Standfast" by John Buchan has a chapter set around The Cuillin ("Coolins" in the book).