Knocklayd
| Knocklayd | |
|---|---|
| Cnoc Leithid | |
 Knocklayd from the west | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,686 ft (514 m) |
| Prominence | 1,286 ft (392 m) |
| Parent peak | Trostan |
| Coordinates | 55°09′44″N 6°15′04″W / 55.16209°N 6.25109°W |
| Geography | |
  Knocklayd | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| County | Antrim |
| Civil parish | Armoy |
| Parent range | Antrim Hills |
| OSI/OSNI grid | D115 364 |
Knocklayd (Irish name: Cnoc Leithid, "hill of the slope/expanse"[1]) is a peak in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, about 3 miles (5 km) due south from Ballycastle. The Irish Grid reference is D115 364.
Geography
Knocklayd is the northernmost peak of the Antrim Hills, of conical shape with a height above sea level of 1686 ft (514 m) and a prominence of 1286 ft (392 m), and lies within the Antrim Coast and Glens AONB in which it is the third-highest summit. It is the second highest mountain in County Antrim after Trostan.[2]
A trig point has been erected on the summit.
Knocklayd is remarkable for the fact that ten townlands meet in a multipoint near its summit.[3] Clockwise from the north, these are Broom-More, Tavnaghboy, Kilrobert, Clare Mountain, Aghaleck, Corvally, Essan, Cleggan, Stroan, and Tullaghore.
Geology
Knocklayd consisty chiefly of Dalradian schists and gneisses and is covered by chalk and basalt.[4] A mica platform extends between Knocklayd and Tor Point over a distance of about 6 miles (10 km). Limestone overlay the slate and surrounds the mountain in a diameter of about 1 1/2 miles (2.5 km) and is itself covered by basalt. Quartz and chalcedony may be found on the mountain. [5]
Archaeology
Carn an Truagh ("Cairn of Woe" or "Cairn of Sorrow", also called "cairn of the three", as according to legend three Danish princesses are presumed to be buried there[6]) surrounds the summit. It is about 4 m high and 20 m in diameter[7] and a scheduled monument. The structure is almost certainly a passage tomb; it has never been excavated, but it is exposed in places through erosion.[8] It consists of white quartz and is covered by peat and grass.
Knocklayd is further surrounded by several standing stones.[9]
References
- ^ Paul Tempan. Irish Hill and Mountain Names (PDF).
- ^ Knocklayd. On: Peakvisor.com
- ^ Antrim - Sheet 8 (Map). Ordnance Survey. 1935.
- ^ . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). 1911. pp. 152–154.
- ^ John Kelly, James Wardhaugh. "On the Geology of the County Antrim, &c". Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (1836-1869). 10 (1866 - 1869): 235–327.
- ^ Leitch Ritchie (1838). Ireland Picturesque and Romantic. London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longmans.
- ^ "Selected sites in County Antrim". Irish Megaliths. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
- ^ "Ancient History". glenshesk.org. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
- ^ "Knocklayd, county Antrim". Irish Megaliths. Retrieved 24 January 2026.