Great Sugar Loaf
| Great Sugar Loaf | |||
| County Wicklow | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 The Great Sugar Loaf, from the west | |||
| Range: | Wicklow Mountains | ||
| Summit: | 1,644 feet O237130 53°9’18"N, 6°9’0"W | ||
The Great Sugar Loaf is a mountain in the east of County Wicklow.
This hill is also known as the Big Sugar Loaf and often as simply the Sugar Loaf,and in Gaelic is named Ó Cualann or Beannach Mhór or, anciently, Sliabh na Gealta.[1])
Geography
The mountain is located between Delgany and Kilmacanogue, and just to the north of the Glen of the Downs Nature Reserve. The smaller Little Sugar Loaf lies to the east (on the other side of the N11 road.
Though only 1,644 feet high, the Great Sugar Loaf's isolation from other hills, steep slopes and volcanic appearance makes it stand out in the landscape. Due to its height relative to the surrounding landscape, the hill qualifies as a 'Marilyn'.
Geology
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.
Gallery
The rocky, steep slopes of the Great Sugar Loaf
The Little Sugar Loaf from the summit of the Great Sugar Loaf
Sunrise over the Great Sugar Loaf from Glencullen
The Great Sugar Loaf from Powerscourt Estate
From the top of Great Sugar Loaf to the sea
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Great Sugar Loaf) |
References
- ↑ 'A Week at Killarney' by Samuel Carter Hall, p. 56
