Mountain feature
Stob
Definition
Stob is a Gaelic term for a pointed summit or peak — similar in meaning to sgurr but more typical of central-Highland names than west-coast ones. Pronounced approximately 'STOPP' (rhymes with 'stop'). Common in Glen Coe and Mamores hill names.
Etymology & origin
From the Gaelic stob, meaning a stake, point, or pinnacle. The word shares an etymological root with the English 'stub'. In hill names it usually denotes a distinct summit on a longer ridge — Stob Coire Sgreamhach is one of several stobs on the Bidean nam Bian massif; Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin is one stob on the Easains ridge.
Context & usage
Stobs are concentrated in the central Highlands. Glen Coe's iconic peaks include Stob Dearg (the highest summit of Buachaille Etive Mor), Stob na Doire, Stob Coire Altruim; the Mamores have Stob Ban, Stob Coire a' Chairn, Stob Coire Easain; the Grey Corries have a string of stobs along their crest.
The Stob prefix often signals that the summit is one of several on a longer ridge — useful information for trip planning because Stob-prefix summits often pair into multi-Munro days. Stob Coire Easain and Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin pair into the Easains traverse; Stob Coire Sgreamhach pairs with Bidean nam Bian.
Where Sgurr names are concentrated in the rugged west (Cuillin, Knoydart, Glen Shiel), Stob names are concentrated in the somewhat-less-rugged centre (Glen Coe, Mamores, Grey Corries, Black Mount, Ben Nevis group). The distinction is broad and there are exceptions — but the geographic pattern holds well enough to be a useful rule of thumb.
Related terms
Sgurr
Sgurr is a Gaelic term for a sharp pointed mountain summit — usually narrower, more rugged and more dramatic than the rounded summits described as 'meall' or 'cnoc'. Pronounced approximately 'SKOOR' (one syllable). The accented form 'Sgùrr' indicates a long vowel sound but the meaning is identical.
Meall
Meall is a Gaelic term for a rounded, broad-shouldered hill — typically grassy, less dramatic than Sgurr or Stob summits. Pronounced approximately 'MYAOWL' (one syllable, the 'eall' is a diphthong). Common in central and eastern Highland names.
Coire
A coire (anglicised as 'corrie') is an armchair-shaped hollow scooped into a mountainside by glacial action. Steep walls on three sides, an open downhill side, often holding a lochan. The same feature is called a cwm in Welsh and a cirque in French.
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Reviewed 2026-05-28