Sàil Mhòr

Sàil Mhòr stands on the watershed between Loch Maree and Loch Broom in the northern Highlands. It is a grassy dome that rises above the surrounding moorland and bog. The mountain lies within a long, narrow glen where red deer graze on the lower slopes. Paths from Kinlochewe and Poolewe converge on the col below the summit. The view from the top stretches over the two lochs and the Torridon peaks. The mountain belongs to three hill lists at once: it is a Marilyn for its relative height, a Corbett for its height of 908 metres, and a HuMP for its prominence. Hill-walkers use these lists to plan routes and measure progress. Local clubs keep the lists up to date and post them on the Database of British and Irish Hills. The name Sàil Mhòr comes from Gaelic and means ‘big seat’, describing the broad summit. A visitor reaches the summit by a steady climb from the Bealach na Bà road. The final section is a broad, grassy ridge that needs no scrambling. On clear days the eye follows the line of Loch Maree to the sea and back. The summit itself is a flat, peaty area marked by a small cairn. In winter the mountain carries snow patches that linger into spring. The silence on the summit is broken only by the wind and the occasional call of a raven.