Blà Bheinn

Blà Bheinn (also known as Blaven), 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. The name Blà Bheinn is thought to mean "blue mountain", from a combination of Norse and Gaelic. Whereas blå in Modern Norwegian means "blue", the Old Norse word blá could, however, also refer to the colours blue-black and black.

Blà Bheinn
Blaven
Highest point
Elevation929 m (3,048 ft)[1]
Prominence862 m (2,828 ft)
Ranked 19th in British Isles
Parent peakSgurr Alasdair
ListingMunro, Marilyn
Coordinates57°13′11.76″N 6°5′28.03″W
Naming
English translationBlue mountain
Language of nameNorse/Gaelic
PronunciationScottish Gaelic: [ˈpl̪ˠaːveɲ]
Geography
Blà Bheinn
Location on Skye
LocationSkye, Scotland
Parent rangeCuillin (outlier)
OS gridNG530217
Topo mapOS Landranger 32

The normal route of ascent for walkers is from the east. A path leaves the B8083 on the shores of Loch Slapin about 4 km after the village of Torrin. The path follows a burn, the Allt na Dunachie, into the corrie of Coire Uaigneich. From here a short steep route along the ridge leads to the summit. A small amount of scrambling is needed to reach the true top of the mountain.[2]

Alternative routes follow the south ridge, or come from the north having traversed the Clach Glas ridge which links to the Red Cuillin peaks.

The view from the summit is dominated by the Black Cuillin.

Blaven stands in the Strathaird Estate, owned and managed since 1994 by the John Muir Trust.

Blaven is depicted in Mary Stewart's 1956 thriller novel Wildfire at Midnight.

References

  1. "Blà Bheinn (Blaven)". Hill Bagging - the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH). 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  2. Fabian, D.J. (1989). The islands of Scotland including Skye. Scottish Mountaineering Trust. ISBN 0-907521-23-1.
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