Am Buachaille facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Am Buachaille |
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Am Buachaille
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 Location in Scotland
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| Location | Scotland |
| OS grid | NC201652 |
| Coordinates | 58°32′15″N 5°05′30″W / 58.5374°N 5.0918°W |
Am Buachaille is a famous sea stack located in Scotland. A sea stack is a tall, thin rock column that stands in the ocean, separate from the coastline. Am Buachaille is made of a type of rock called Sandstone, which is often reddish-brown.
This impressive rock formation is about 1 mile (1.5 kilometers) southwest of Sandwood Bay. It sits at the very end of a piece of land called Rubh' a Bhuachaille headland. You can find it about 5 miles (8 kilometers) north of a town called Kinlochbervie in the Scottish county of Sutherland.
What is Am Buachaille?
Am Buachaille is a towering rock that rises straight out of the sea. It looks a bit like a giant's finger pointing to the sky. The name "Am Buachaille" comes from the Scottish Gaelic language. It means "the herdsman" or "the shepherd." This name might come from how it stands alone, watching over the sea.
Climbing Am Buachaille
Am Buachaille is a very popular spot for mountaineers. It is considered one of the most challenging and famous sea stacks to climb in Scotland.
First Climbers
The first people to successfully climb Am Buachaille were Tom Patey, Ian Clough, and John Cleare. They made their historic climb in 1968.
The Climb
The stack stands about 65 meters (213 feet) tall. There are at least four different climbing paths, or "routes," that climbers can take to reach the top. The easiest route is still very difficult, graded as "Hard Very Severe (HVS)." This means it's only for experienced climbers.
To even start the climb, adventurers often have to swim about 30 meters (98 feet) across the water to reach the base of the stack. This swim is usually done at low tide.
