Great Sugar Loaf

This page is about the hill in East Wicklow. For its smaller neighbour, see Little Sugar Loaf. For the similarly named hill in West Wicklow, see Sugarloaf, West Wicklow. For other mountains of the same name, see Sugarloaf (mountain).
Great Sugar Loaf
Ó Cualann

The Great Sugar Loaf, from the west
Elevation 501 m (1,644 ft)
Listing Marilyn
Location
Great Sugar Loaf

Location in Ireland

Location Wicklow, Ireland
Range Wicklow Mountains
Coordinates 53°9′18″N 6°9′0″W / 53.15500°N 6.15000°W
Topo map OSi Discovery 56

Often simply known as the Sugar Loaf (Irish: Ó Cualann also Beannach Mhór), this hill is located in the east of County Wicklow, in Ireland, south of Bray and to the north of the Glen of the Downs Nature Reserve. It is also known as the Big Sugar Loaf, to distinguish it from the Little Sugar Loaf to the east on the other side of the N11 dual carriageway from Dublin to Wicklow.

Though only 501 metres (1,644 ft) high, its isolation from other hills, steep slopes and volcanic appearance makes it appear much taller than it is. Due to its height relative to the surrounding landscape the hill qualifies as a Marilyn.

The Great Sugar Loaf is composed of Cambrian quartzite, in contrast to the rounded mountains to the west, which are made of Devonian granite. Popularly mistaken for a volcano, it is in fact an erosion-resistant metamorphosed sedimentary deposit from the deep sea.

See also

Gallery