| Ben Loyal | |
|---|---|
| Beinn Laghail | |
 Ben Loyal from the north. An Caisteal is the jagged peak second from the left. | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 764 m (2,507 ft) |
| Prominence | 609 m (1,998 ft) |
| Parent peak | Ben Hope |
| Listing | Corbett, Marilyn |
| Naming | |
| Pronunciation | /ˌbɛn ˈlɔɪ.əl/ |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | Sutherland, Scotland |
| OS grid | NC578488 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 10 |
Ben Loyal (from Scottish Gaelic Beinn Laghail)[1] is an isolated mountain of 764 m in Sutherland, the northwestern tip of the Scottish Highlands. It is a Corbett located south of the Kyle of Tongue and offers good views of the Kyle, Loch Loyal to the east, and Ben Hope to the west.
Ben Loyal is composed chiefly of granite, specifically syenite,[2] and has a distinctive shape due to the four rocky peaks, the highest of which is called An Caisteal. To the north of An Caisteal is the 712 m Sgòr Chaonasaid, to the south is Bheinn Bheag (744 m), which cannot be seen in the photograph opposite, and to the west is the ridge of Sgòr a Chèirich, 644 m at its highest point. The fourth peak in the picture is the 568 m Sgòr Fionnaich.
Ben Loyal's name is thought to mean "law mountain", although the derivation via its modern Gaelic name is not certain.[1]
- ^ a b Roddy Maclean (2010). "Gaelic and Norse in the Landscape: Placenames in Caithness and Sutherland" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. p. 33. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2019..
- ^ Gillen, Con (2013). Geology and landscapes of Scotland (2nd ed.). Dunedin. p. 188. ISBN 9781780460093.