An Sgùrr (Eigg)
mountain on Eigg, HIghland, Scotland, UK
An Sgùrr, also known as The Sgùrr of Eigg, is the highest point on the island of Eigg in Scotland's Small Isles. It was formed 59 million years ago; the result of one of the last eruptions of a volcano, the core of which now forms the Isle of Rùm. Thick viscous pitchstone lava of rhyodacitic composition flowed out, filling a river valley. The lava cooled and formed column-like structures, similar to those at Giant's Causeway.
The surrounding basalt was softer than the pitchstone, and hence the valley became inverted, with the pitchstone withstanding the erosion far better than the surrounding rock. An Sgùrr is thus an inselberg. The mountain appears most strikingly in the view of the eastern end, known as the Nose of Sgùrr.
The peak is most frequently climbed from the ferry terminal at Galmisdale on the southeast corner of Eigg. A rough track heads west, passing between the northern side of An Sgùrr and the shoreline. About three-quarters of the way along the side of the ridge there is a gully; a fairly easy scramble allows access to the summit ridge.
The public source identifies “An Sgùrr (Eigg)” as mountain on Eigg, HIghland, Scotland, UK. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Sgùrr, Eigg and mountain.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “An Sgùrr (Eigg)”, the useful work is to connect “mountain on Eigg, HIghland, Scotland, UK” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3358819. Authority coordinates are 56.884, -6.166. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “An Sgùrr (Eigg)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow An Sgùrr (Eigg) primary sources, An Sgùrr (Eigg) archive and Sgùrr research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “An Sgùrr (Eigg)”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “An Sgùrr (Eigg)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.