| Address | Lochinver IV27, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 58.1155, -5.1368 |
| Category | Hiking, Hiking, Scenic |
| Nearest city | Regional hub - biggest city in its area |
| Region | Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Sources | geonames |
Suilven Hiking & Travel Guide
Suilven is a mountain in Lochinver, United Kingdom. This guide covers how to visit it, what to expect and how to build a day around it.
Suilven at a Glance
- What it is: mountain (Hiking)
- Where it is: Lochinver IV27, United Kingdom — coordinates 58.1155, 5.1368
- Why it is listed: a source-verified entry in the CollabsTravel master database, matched against official gazetteer and geographic records before publication
- Time needed: two to four hours
- Best season: late spring to early autumn
Quick Facts
| Place type | Mountain |
| Primary category | Hiking |
| Also good for | Hiking, Scenic |
| County / region | Lochinver |
| Region / state | Scotland |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Postal address | Lochinver IV27, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 58.1155, -5.1368 |
Why Suilven Is Worth Visiting
Suilven earns its place in this guide for a simple reason: it is a verified hiking in Scotland, United Kingdom,. With 8 other verified places within 150 km, it anchors a cluster instead of standing alone. Visitors book it for hiking, scenic as much as for hiking. And unlike listicle recommendations, everything on this page - coordinates, category, sources - was checked against official records before publication.
About Suilven
In plain terms, Suilven is a mountain in the Lochinver area of Scotland, United Kingdom that travellers book around hiking trips. Beyond its main draw, the record tags it for hiking, scenic too, so it rewards more than one kind of visit. Postal addressing runs through Lochinver (IV27). Everything stated on this page comes from that verified record; where background history is quoted, the source is named at the end of the section.
The Story of Suilven: History & Background
Suilven (Scottish Gaelic: Sùlabheinn) is a Graham mountain in Scotland. Lying in a remote area in the west of Sutherland, it rises from a wilderness landscape of moorland, bogs and lochans of the region known as Assynt. Suilven forms a steep-sided ridge some two kilometres (1+1⁄4 mi) in length. The highest point, Caisteal Liath ("Grey Castle" in Scottish Gaelic), lies at the northwest end of this ridge. There are two other summits: Meall Meadhonach ("Middle Round Hill") at the central point of the ridge is 723.6 metres (2,374 ft) high, whilst Meall Beag ("Little Round Hill") lies at the southeastern end is 659.7 metres (2,164 ft) high.
Lead passage from the Wikipedia article "Suilven", reused under CC BY-SA 4.0 with a coordinate-verified name match; the source article carries the full referenced history.
The Beauty of Suilven
What people mean when they call Suilven beautiful is usually elevated, unblocked views - the kind of layered landscape that photographs badly from the road and perfectly from the first viewpoint. The light does most of the work: mid-latitude light gives the place two looks: clean blue summer noon and a low amber angle in spring and autumn. The seasons restyle everything around it - wildflower spring, deep-green summer, gold-and-rust autumn and, above the snowline, a winter version of the same scene. And the beauty compounds with context: with 8 other verified places nearby, the Lochinver area reads as one continuous landscape rather than a single viewpoint, which is worth more than any filter on the photos you take here.
Getting There
Suilven sits at 58.1155, 5.1368 in Lochinver, United Kingdom. Most visitors reach it by car, regional rail or local transit; pin the coordinates above rather than only the name - Suilven names repeat across regions, and rural entries often lack street addresses.
The nearest postal locality is Lochinver (IV27), which is what local directions and navigation apps will reference.
Best Time to Visit
Late spring to early autumn (May to September) brings the warmest and most reliable conditions across United Kingdom. Shoulder months just before and after that window trade a little weather for noticeably lower prices and thinner crowds.
Suilven Season by Season
- Summer (Jun-Aug) - peak season: the warmest, longest days and everything open, which also makes it the priciest and busiest window
- Autumn (Sep-Nov) - shoulder season: crowds drain away, the light turns photographic, and lodging rates typically fall
- Winter (Dec-Feb) - off-season: cheapest beds and empty viewpoints, but check for closures, snow or rain before committing
- Spring (Mar-May) - rebuild season: wildflowers, newborn wildlife and reopened facilities - the best balance if the weather holds
Things to Do
Planning what to actually do at Suilven comes down to the setting it sits in:
- Arrive with the exact coordinates (58.1155, -5.1368) pinned in your maps app — rural place names repeat across states
- Walk the shortest signed loop first, then decide how far to push on with the lightest pack
- Check sunrise/sunset times before setting out; carry water for double the distance you plan
- Photography stops at the first viewpoint are usually the best framed ones
- Chain the stop with what is nearby — see the list below before fixing your day route
None of this needs a rigid schedule - the honest pattern at Suilven is one anchor at the trailhead or first viewpoint, one longer stop, and the rest of the time left for whatever looks better from the car window. That flexibility is what separates a good half-day from a rushed one.
A Perfect Day in Suilven
Morning (start early). Have breakfast at Suilven and roll out before mid-morning - the light is softer, parking is open, and Suilven is at its quietest before the day-trippers arrive. Give the main stop its full due first rather than saving it for later.
Midday. From Suilven, River Inver is only 7 km away - pair the two rather than driving home for lunch; a picnic beats a reservation near most of these spots.
Afternoon. Keep going to River Kirkaig (8 km) if the group still has legs; it is the standard second half of this loop.
Golden hour. End at the main viewpoint, waterfront or main street as the light drops; this is the hour Suilven is genuinely famous for locally, and it costs nothing.
Evening. Sleep at Suilven unless the road out is long - leaving at dusk is the one mistake that can flatten an otherwise perfect day.
Know Before You Go to Suilven
- Save the pin (58.1155, -5.1368) offline - reception in Lochinver is exactly as good as it needs to be and no better
- Check the official source listed at the bottom of this page for current hours, fees and closures before driving out
- Carry more water than the plan says; shade is usually optional on these routes
- Tell someone the turnaround time - help arrives slower than it looks from the trailhead
Nearby Places Worth Combining
Suilven does not sit in isolation - these verified places are all within a short hop and combine into a full loop:
- River Inver — waterfront, about 7 km (4 mi) away
- River Kirkaig — waterfront, about 8 km (5 mi) away
- River Loanan — waterfront, about 10 km (6 mi) away
- River Polly — waterfront, about 10 km (6 mi) away
- Polly Bay — waterfront, about 10 km (6 mi) away
- Quinag — hiking, about 11 km (7 mi) away
- Glas Bheinn — hiking, about 13 km (8 mi) away
- Beinn Uidhe — hiking, about 14 km (9 mi) away
Planning More of Your Trip
See everything in United Kingdom on the United Kingdom country hub, browse the full Hiking United Kingdom collection, or take in the whole Scotland region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Suilven worth visiting?+
Yes, if you are in the area for more than a single day. Suilven is a verified mountain in Scotland, United Kingdom that most drive-by lists miss, and the official-record provenance behind this page means the location, name and access facts are checked rather than guessed. Give it two to four hours.
Where exactly is Suilven?+
Suilven sits at Lochinver IV27, United Kingdom, coordinates 58.1155, -5.1368. The postal locality is Lochinver - use the coordinates rather than the name alone, because place names repeat across regions and a map pin beats a keyword search.
How far is Suilven from the nearest city?+
The nearest named base on this guide is close enough that distance is not the constraint; the Quick Facts table lists the exact road-town km, and every place here is reachable as a same-day loop from a regional hub.
What is the best time to visit Suilven?+
late spring to early autumn. Book the shoulder months either side of that window for the same scenery at lower prices, and check seasonal closures before fixing dates.
How long do you need at Suilven?+
Plan on two to four hours for a first visit - the highlights at a normal pace without rushing. Add another half day if you want to combine it with the nearby places listed above.
Is Suilven good for families with kids?+
With kids, judge Suilven by the shortest signed loop rather than the headline route - if the first viewpoint holds their attention, extend; if not, leave early and nobody is disappointed.
Does Suilven cost anything to visit?+
Most public places like this have no entry fee, but parking, guided programs and seasonal shuttles are the usual small costs. Confirm current fees with the official source cited on this page - they change more often than guidebooks do.
What is near Suilven?+
The closest verified neighbour is River Inver; the nearby list above has the full set with distances, and combining two or three of them is the standard way to fill a day around Suilven.
Is Suilven open to visitors, and do you need a permit?+
Public places listed here are visitable by default; the permit exceptions are usually specific activities (backcountry camping, drones, commercial photography) rather than the visit itself. Check the cited official source for anything activity-based.
Should you visit Suilven in bad weather?+
Rain reshapes rather than ruins the day - viewpoints become cloud-scapes and trails get muddy. Keep Suilven as a fair-weather item on your trip and swap in the covered alternatives from the regional list when the forecast turns.
What makes Suilven different from other places like it?+
Its exact combination: a mountain in Scotland, United Kingdom with verified coordinates and, where listed, an official designation. The difference is usually the setting and the access pattern rather than the category label - the facts table on this page shows that specifically.
Can you visit Suilven as a day trip?+
Yes - at two to four hours on site, a day loop is realistic: morning at Suilven, one nearby stop, and home by evening. The Perfect Day section above has the hour-by-hour version.
What is Suilven known for?+
In the wider record, mountain-class place: Suilven (Scottish Gaelic: Sùlabheinn) is a Graham mountain in Scotland. This guide adds the practical layer - verified coordinates, access, seasonality and what to combine it with.
What is the most beautiful thing about Suilven?+
The honest short answer is in The Beauty of Suilven section above, but distilled: what people mean when they call suilven beautiful is usually elevated, unblocked views - the kind of layered landscape that photographs badly from the road and perfectly from the first viewpoint. Come for the light and the setting rather than a single checklist object.
Is Suilven crowded?+
Suilven sits below the headline-name tier in its region, so crowding is an event-and-weekend problem rather than a standing one. Weekday mornings in the shoulder season are the quietest version of the visit.
What is the history of Suilven?+
The History & Background section above quotes the coordinate-verified Wikipedia lead for Suilven, which is the shortest trustworthy path into its past - dates, name origin and the events that shaped it, with the full referenced article linked there. ## Source Verification This guide's facts come from official public datasets: [Geonames record 2636554](https://www.geonames.org/2636554). Location data is reviewed in per-state batches before publication.
Nearby destinations
River Inver
River · Lochinver · Scotland
River Kirkaig
River · Inverkirkaig · Scotland
River Loanan
River · Inchnadamph · Scotland
River Polly
River · Achiltibuie · Scotland
Polly Bay
Waterfront · Achiltibuie · Scotland
Quinag
Mountain · Unapool · Scotland
Glas Bheinn
Mountain · Unapool · Scotland
Beinn Uidhe
Mountain · Moine Ho. · Scotland