Knocklayd

Knocklayd rises above County Antrim as the northernmost peak of the Antrim Hills. Its conical shape reaches 514 metres above sea level, with a prominence of 392 metres, making it the third-highest summit in the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A trig point marks the top, where ten townlands converge near the summit. Clockwise from the north these townlands are Broom-More, Tavnaghboy, Kilrobert, Clare Mountain, Aghaleck, Corvally, Essan, Cleggan, Stroan and Tullaghore. The mountain sits within a designated landscape recognised for its natural and scenic qualities. The geology of Knocklayd is varied and includes Dalradian schists and gneisses beneath layers of chalk and basalt. A mica platform stretches for about ten kilometres between Knocklayd and Tor Point. Limestone underlies the slate and forms a band roughly 2.5 kilometres wide around the mountain, itself capped by basalt. Quartz and chalcedony can be found on the slopes, adding to the variety of stones on the hill. At the summit stands Carn an Truagh, a scheduled monument about four metres high and twenty metres wide. Local tradition calls it the Cairn of Woe, linking it to the legend of three Danish princesses said to be buried there. The structure appears to be a passage tomb, exposed in places by erosion, and built largely from white quartz under a covering of peat and grass. Several standing stones also surround the mountain, adding to the archaeological interest of the area.