Cuillin

The Cuillin is a range of jagged mountains on the Isle of Skye in the Highlands. The Black Cuillin, made of dark gabbro and basalt, forms a narrow ridge about 14 kilometres long around Loch Coruisk. The Red Cuillin to the east has smoother, rounded hills of granite with vegetation to the summits. The Cuillin’s dramatic rise from the sea creates striking views, such as Sgùrr nan Gillean above Sligachan or Bla Bheinn above Torrin. The range is a national scenic area, protected for its exceptional scenery and importance to wildlife. Golden eagles thrive here, with one of Britain’s highest breeding densities. Visitors find steep cliffs, scree slopes and bare rock on the Black Cuillin, while the Red Cuillin offers gentler, grassy ascents. The surrounding glens hold prehistoric sites like hut circles in Glenbrittle and a stone circle in Glen Sligachan. Loch Coruisk, at the heart of the range, lies enclosed by the jagged peaks.