Beinn na Caillich (Red Hills) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beinn na Caillich |
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Beinn na Caillich and Goir a' Bhlàir from Broadford
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 732 m (2,402 ft) |
| Prominence | 696 m (2,283 ft) |
| Listing | Graham, Marilyn |
| Naming | |
| English translation | Hill of the Old Woman |
| Language of name | Gaelic |
| Geography | |
 Beinn na Caillich
Location in Isle of Skye
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| Parent range | Red Hills |
| OS grid | NG601233 |
Beinn na Caillich (732 metres), west of Broadford on the Isle of Skye, is one of the Red Hills, or Red Cuillin. Its name is translated into English as Hill of the Old Woman. It is often referred to locally simply as The Beinn.
The summit is adorned by an especially large cairn, reputedly marking the site where Saucy Mary, a Norwegian princess and former resident of Castle Moil in Kyleakin, is buried. Local legend claims that she was buried at the top of the mountain so that she could face the land of her birth forever. An alternative version of events suggests the monument was dedicated to "a gigantic woman in the days of Fingal". Thomas Pennant climbed the hill while staying with Mackinnon of Corriechatachan (or Corry); Samuel Johnson and James Boswell did not.
History
On the eastern slopes is Goir a' Bhlàir, "the field of battle" . The battle concerned was apparently a decisive action by the Gaelic Clan Mackinnon against the Norsemen
In 2004 the mountain was ascended 10 times in a single day by Broadford local Alan Cope. The cumulative distance covered in ten vertical ascents brought the total trekked to just 5,000 feet (1,500 metres) short of scaling the equivalent of Mt Everest (and surpassing that distance if descents are included). Starting at 3.15 am on 15 July he completed 10 ascents and descents of Beinn na Caillich by 7.30 pm. His efforts raised more than £2000 for the action group Broadford 2000, who were seeking to improve leisure facilities in South Skye. For a time his name could be found imprinted in stones on the summit.
