View source for Canisp

{{short description|Mountain in Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Canisp
|other_name = ''Canasp''
| photo = Canisp_from_Conival.jpg
| photo_caption = Canisp seen from [[Conival]], nine kilometres to the east.
| elevation_m = 847
| elevation_ref = 
| prominence_m = 691
| prominence_ref = <small>[[List of mountains of the British Isles by relative height|Ranked 65th]] in [[British Isles]]</small>
| parent_peak = [[Ben More Assynt]]
| listing = [[List of Corbetts|Corbett]], [[Marilyn (hill)|Marilyn]]
| translation = White Mountain
| language = [[Old Norse]]
| location = [[Assynt]], [[Scotland]]
| range = [[Northwest Highlands]]
| grid_ref_UK = NC203187
| topo = [[Ordnance Survey|OS]] ''Landranger'' 15, [[Ordnance Survey|OS]] ''Explorer'' 442
| first_ascent = 
| easiest_route = 
}}

'''Canisp''' ([[Scottish Gaelic]]: ''Canasp'')<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/faclair/sbg/lorg.php?facal=Canasp&seorsa=Gaidhlig&tairg=Lorg&eis_saor=on |title=? }}</ref> is a mountain in the far north west of [[Scotland]]. It is situated in the parish of [[Assynt]], in the county of [[Sutherland]], {{Convert|25|km|mi}} north of the town of [[Ullapool]]. Canisp reaches a height of {{Convert|847|m|ft}} and qualifies as a [[List of Corbetts|Corbett]] and [[Marilyn (hill)|Marilyn]] hill. The mountain's name translates from the [[Old Norse]] ''kambsnípa'' or point of the comb/ridge. <ref>{{cite web |title=Suilven|date=27 October 2022 |url=https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2022/10/27/suilven/}}</ref>

== Geography and geology ==
Canisp is an isolated mountain that stands in the Glencanisp Forest, a large rock and water wilderness. It has a [[topographic prominence]] of {{Convert|691|m|ft}}. Canisp has little vegetation, even on its lower slopes large areas of [[Gneiss]] (one of the oldest rocks in the world) are visible on the surface.

Canisp stands in a geologically important area. It is part of the [[Moine Thrust Belt]] and is typical of many of the Assynt hills in that it rises from a base of [[Lewisian complex|Lewisian Gneiss]] and is composed of [[Torridonian]] [[sandstone]] capped by [[Cambrian]] [[quartzite]] giving the hill a distinctive light grey crown. Canisp was formed when surrounding rocks were eroded during an episode of glaciation, while the ridge was left poking above the level of the ice sheet, as a [[nunatak]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Butler|first1=Rob|title=An Essay on the Geology of NW Scotland|url=http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/structure/assyntgeology/geology/geoessay.pdf|publisher=Leeds University|access-date=2014-11-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303185336/http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/structure/assyntgeology/geology/geoessay.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-03|url-status=dead}}</ref> Compared to the other Assynt hills, Canisp does not show any distinct topographic qualities. It has a symmetrical profile with two main ridges running northwest and southeast. Its southwestern flank has crags and [[scree]] and falls steeply into Glen Canisp, while its northeastern slopes also fall precipitously to the [[lochan]] studded [[moorland]].

Canisp is less visited than the nearby smaller mountain of [[Suilven]], with its famous jagged summit ridge, which stands {{Convert|5|km|mi|0|spell=in}} to the west and is {{Convert|116|m|ft}} lower in elevation.

Canisp stands on the lands of the Glencanisp and Drumrunie Estates, a {{Convert|44000|acre|ha|adj=on|abbr=off}} tract of land original owned by the Vestey family. In 2005, the Assynt Foundation, a group of around 900 local residents, purchased the estate for £2,900,000.

== Ascents ==
[[Image:Canisp from the east.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Canisp from the main starting point, to the east]]
[[Image:2011 Schotland Canisp 2-06-2011 16-55-08.png|thumb|left|200px|Canisp from [[Knockan Crag]]]]
The most popular ascent of Canisp starts at the north end of [[Loch Awe, Inchnadamph|Loch Awe]] ({{gbm4ibx|NC249160}}) where there is car parking and a footbridge to cross the River Loanan as it leaves the loch. The route gains the summit by the south east ridge. This is the shortest and quickest route, but it is still {{Convert|6|km|mi|frac=2|spell=in}} long, almost completely devoid of paths, and defended by stones, heather and bog. Another ascent from the east which also uses the southeast ridge starts at Stronchrubie where there is also a footbridge over the Loanan. Longer ascents are also possible from [[Lochinver]] and Ledmore Junction, both these routes utilise the path between the two places that traverses the length of Glen Canisp before leaving the glen to climb the mountain by either its northwest ridge (from Lochinver) or southeast ridge (from Ledmore). The route from [[Lochinver]] gains the northwest ridge by a path from Loch na Gainimh and is regarded by [[Hamish Brown]] as the most pleasing way up the mountain. The summit of Canisp is marked by a large stone built wind shelter. The view from the top of the mountain is regarded as one of the finest in Scotland giving all round views taking in the surrounding loch studded moorland, [[The Minch]] beyond Lochinver and most of the well known mountains of Assynt.

== See also ==
* [[Stac Pollaidh]]
* [[Suilven]]

== References ==
<references/>
* The Corbetts and Other Scottish Hill, (SMC Guide) {{ISBN|0-907521-29-0}}
* Climbing the Corbetts, Hamish Brown, {{ISBN|1-898573-08-5}}

== External links ==
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4605233.stm BBC News on purchase of Glen Canisp Estate]
* [http://aragorn.leeds.ac.uk/assyntgeology/geology/geoessay.pdf Geology of NW Scotland]{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
{{British hills}}

{{Coord|58.120906|-5.052849|display=title}}

[[Category:Corbetts]]
[[Category:Marilyns of Scotland]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of the Northwest Highlands]]