List of Graham mountains facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Graham
Sgurr na Coinnich in Skye, the 33rd highest Graham, and the Graham with the greatest prominence.
Highest point
Elevation	between 600 and 762 metres
Prominence	at least 150 metres (492 feet)
Listing	231
Geography
Location	Scotland

Have you ever heard of the Grahams? They are a special group of Scottish hills. To be a Graham, a hill must be between 600 and 762 metres (about 1,968 to 2,500 feet) high. It also needs a "prominence" of at least 150 metres (492 feet). Prominence means how much a hill rises from the land around it. Imagine it as the height difference from its lowest point to its peak.

The official list of Grahams was put together by Alan Dawson in 2022. He published it in a booklet called Ten Tables of Grahams: The Official List. He also wrote a book, Tales from the Grahams, which tells stories about these 231 hills.

How the Grahams Got Their Name

Before they were called Grahams, these hills had another name. In 1992, a researcher named Alan Dawson called them "Elsies." This was short for "Lesser Corbetts." Corbetts are another type of Scottish hill.

Later that year, Fiona Torbet (whose maiden name was Graham) made her own list of hills. She met with Alan Dawson to talk about their lists. They decided to use Dawson's list but agreed on a new name: Grahams. They both liked this name better than Elsies.

All Grahams are also known as Marilyns. Marilyns are hills that have a prominence of at least 150 metres. Alan Dawson created the original list of Marilyns, which included the Grahams. The Scottish Mountaineering Club also uses this list for their guidebooks.

Changes to the List Over Time

When the list of Grahams first came out in 1992, there were 222 hills. Soon after, two more hills were added, making it 224. These were Beinn Talaidh on Mull and Ladylea Hill. The updated list was officially published in 1995 and 1999.

For nearly 20 years, the list stayed the same. But then, Alan Dawson started using special GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) equipment. This equipment helps to measure hill heights very accurately.

Because of these new measurements, some changes happened:

• In 2014, three Grahams (Ben Aslak, Corwharn, and Ladylea Hill) were removed. They were found to be just under 600 metres high.
• A new Graham, Creag na h-Eararuidh, was added. It replaced Beinn Dearg, which was found to be slightly shorter.
• In 2015, Stob na Boine Druim-fhinn was removed. Its prominence was found to be just under 150 metres.
• In 2016, Cnoc Coinnich was found to be too tall. It was 763.5 metres, which is above the Graham limit.

From 2016 to 2022, there were 219 Grahams. Then, the lower height limit was changed to exactly 600 metres. This meant Ben Aslak, Corwharn, and Ladylea Hill were put back on the list. Nine new Grahams were also added. Now, there are 231 Grahams in total! Most of their heights are known very precisely, down to 0.1 metres.

Notable Grahams

The tallest Graham is Beinn Talaidh on the Isle of Mull. It stands at 761.6 metres (2,499 feet) high. This makes it one of the highest mountains in the British Isles.

The Graham with the biggest prominence is Sgurr na Coinnich. It is 714 metres (2,343 feet) high. It has the largest "drop" from its peak to the land around it.

Becoming a Grahamist

People who climb all the Grahams are called Grahamists. It's a big achievement! The first person thought to have climbed all of them was Colin Dodgson in July 1984. Andrew Dempster followed in June 1997. Even if someone climbed the 219 Grahams that existed before 2022, they are still considered a Grahamist.

Grahams by Height (Top 20 from 2018 Data)

This list shows some of the Grahams, ranked by their height. This information comes from the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH) from October 2018. The DoBIH team keeps their database updated as new measurements are made.

See also

• Lists of mountains and hills in the British Isles
• List of mountains of the British Isles by height
• Lists of mountains and hills in the British Isles
• Lists of mountains in Ireland
• List of Munro mountains
• List of Murdo mountains
• List of Furth mountains in the British Isles
• List of Marilyns in the British Isles
• List of P600 mountains in the British Isles