Schiehallion

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For the oil field, see Schiehallion oilfield.

Schiehallion
The north-west ridge of Schiehallion in April
Elevation	1083 m (3554 ft)
Location	Perth and Kinross, Scotland
Prominence	c. 718 m
Parent peak	Ben Lawers
Topo map	OS Landranger 51
OS grid reference	NN714548
Listing	Munro, Marilyn
Translation	Fairy Hill of the Caledonians (Gaelic)
Pronunciation	[ʃihaʎən]

Schiehallion is a prominent mountain in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is popular with walkers due to its accessibility, ease of ascent and spectacular views; in 2000 it was estimated that between 17,500 and 20,000 walkers a year made the ascent.^[1] Since 1999 the eastern side of the mountain has been owned by the John Muir Trust.

The name Schiehallion is an anglicised form of the Gaelic Sidh Chailleann, which is usually translated as 'Fairy Hill of the Caledonians' but may also be translated as 'The Maiden's Pap'.

1 The Schiehallion experiment
2 Ascent
3 Trivia
4 External links

[edit] The Schiehallion experiment

Schiehallion's isolated position and regular shape led Nevil Maskelyne to use the deflection caused by the mass of the mountain to estimate the mass of the earth in a ground-breaking experiment carried out in 1774. Following Maskelyne's survey, Schiehallion became the first mountain to be mapped using contour lines. The experiment was repeated in 2005 as an educational initiative led by scientific consultants Counting Thoughts.

[edit] Ascent

View from the summit of Schiehallion looking over Loch Rannoch into the setting sun

View from summit of Schiehallion towards Loch Tummel - rock in foreground gives an approximation of the general shape of Schiehallion.

Schiehallion viewed across the River Tay

By far the most commonly used route starts from the Brae of Foss car park, which is maintained by the Forestry Commission, and 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. It had become exceedingly eroded by the passage of many thousands of walkers by the time the estate came into the hands of the JMT, and the scar was visible from quite a distance. The organisation therefore decided to construct a new path, following a slightly different line, that would be better able to handle the pressure of visitors.

[edit] Trivia

Schiehallion is sometimes described as the centre of Scotland. The justification is that the line of latitude midway between the most northerly and southerly points on the Scottish mainland, and the line of longitude midway between the most easterly and westerly points, intersect very near the summit of Schiehallion.

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.

One of the major oilfields on the UK's continental shelf is named after the mountain Schiehallion. Operated by BP it is situated in the North Atlantic approximately 180 miles west of the Shetland Islands.