Schiehallion

Etymology

The name Schiehallion is an anglicised form of the Gaelic name Sìdh Chailleann, which translates as "Fairy Hill of the Caledonians". It is also known to some as "The Maiden's Pap", or "Constant Storm". It is pronounced ''she-hally-on''

Location

Schiehallion lies between Loch Tay, Loch Rannoch and Loch Tummel, about 10 miles (16 kilometres) to the west-north-west of Aberfeldy in Perthshire. The mountain, with an elevation of 3,553 feet (1,083 metres), is isolated from other peaks and has an almost perfectly conical shape from the west. The view of the broad eastern flank attracts many visitors to the shores of Loch Tummel.

Schiehallion is sometimes described as the centre of Scotland. The folk group Garberlunzie sung a song "The Back of Shiehallion", meaning Scotland.

Botany

The slopes of Schiehallion are rich in botanical life, with heathers, mosses and blaeberry. Blanket bog and heather moorland change colour with the seasons. The limestone pavement provides nutrients, supporting plants including dog's mercury, lily of the valley and wood anemone.

History

The slopes of Schiehallion have been inhabited and cultivated since the first millennium BC until approximately two hundred years ago. Schiehallion has been used for grazing sheep and stalking red deer.

Since 1999 the eastern side of the mountain has been owned by the John Muir Trust.

The Schiehallion experiment

Schiehallion's isolated position and regular shape led it to be selected by Charles Mason for a ground-breaking experiment to estimate the mass of the Earth in 1774. The deflection of a pendulum by the mass of the mountain provided an estimate of the mean density of the Earth, from which its mass and a value for Newton's Gravitational constant G could be deduced. Mason turned down a commission to carry out the work and it was instead coordinated by Astronomer Royal, Nevil Maskelyne. He was assisted in the task by mathematician Charles Hutton, who devised a graphical system to represent large volumes of surveyed heights, later known as contour lines.

Footpath

A Munro, Schiehallion is popular with walkers due to its accessibility, ease of ascent and spectacular views. An estimated 17,500 to 20,000 walkers made the ascent in 2000. Most walkers start from the Forestry Commission car park at Brae of Foss, which lies just outside the boundary of the John Muir Trust estate. The route, which initially heads southwest before turning west to follow the main ridgeline of the hill, is about 4.5 km in length.

Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles, can be seen to the north from the summit of Schiehallion.

By 1999, when the John Muir Trust bought the estate, the main path had become exceedingly eroded by the passage of many thousands of walkers. The scar was visible from quite a distance. The organisation therefore decided to construct a new path, following a different line, better able to handle the pressure of visitors.

In culture

The Schiehallion oilfield is named after the mountain. One of the major oilfields on Great Britain's continental shelf, it is operated by BP and situated in the North Atlantic approximately 180 mi (290 km) west of Shetland.

Schiehallion was the setting for the final showdown in Grant Morrison's comic series Zenith. The Harviestoun Brewery produce a cask-conditioned lager called Schiehallion. A Scottish Country Dance ("Schiehallion") and figure, the Schiehallion Reel are both named after the mountain. Song "Schiehallion" featured on the 1994 album Time For A New Day by the independent band King Rizla.

Pipe Major Donald Shaw Ramsay composed a 3/4 march entitled "Schiehallion".

The England-based band "Schiehallion Pipes and Drums" (named for the Munro) led by Drum Major Jim (Jaimie) Gibb, has adopted the march as their signature tune, and is indeed the lead-in tune on their album Hail! Schiehallion.