Hill list · United Kingdom

The Historic county tops

All 88 of them, tallest first. The highest point of each pre-1974 county — a round that spans the whole country.

Data compiled by Ryan — sources and method

On the list: 88
Highest: Ben Nevis 1,345 m
Lowest: Boring Field 81 m
Mean height: 602 m
Total re-ascent: 31,469 m
Hill regions: 46
In a national park: 21

Total re-ascent adds up the drop to each hill's key col — the climbing you cannot avoid if you visit every summit on the list. It is a floor, not a round total: it counts nothing for walking in, and nothing for the ground between one hill and the next.

What counts as a county top

The highest point of each historic county of the United Kingdom, using the pre-1974 boundaries rather than modern administrative areas.

Historic counties are used because they are stable: modern council areas have been redrawn repeatedly, and each redrawing invents and abolishes summits. The historic list runs from Ben Nevis down to hills of a few hundred metres, and unlike every other list here it is deliberately spread across the entire country rather than concentrated in the uplands — which makes it the one round that takes you almost everywhere.

OpenFell holds every GB member of this list. Heights, drops and grid references are the surveyed figures from the Database of British & Irish Hills, not the round numbers printed in older guidebooks — so a hill occasionally sits a metre either side of where you expect it.

What else the historic county tops count for

Most British hills appear on more than one list, so a single walk often ticks several boxes at once. Of the 88 Historic county tops:

18 also appear on Hewitts.
16 also appear on Nuttalls.
10 also appear on Munros.
7 also appear on Grahams.
7 also appear on Donalds.
6 also appear on Deweys.
5 also appear on Corbetts.
3 also appear on Wainwrights.
3 also appear on Furths.

Counted against the other lists OpenFell holds in full. Lists the site carries only part of — Marilyns, HuMPs, Simms and the rest — are left out rather than reported as a fraction of themselves.

Where they are

They span England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with one sitting astride the England–Scotland border itself. The list spreads across 46 hill-survey regions, concentrated in Central and Eastern England.

Historic county tops by hill-survey region
Region	Historic county tops	Share
Central and Eastern England	16	18.2%
The River Tweed to the English Border	5	5.7%
South East England	5	5.7%
Llandovery to Monmouth	4	4.5%
Firth of Forth to the River Tweed	4	4.5%
Bala to Welshpool	3	3.4%
Carrick and Galloway	3	3.4%
Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose	3	3.4%
Lancashire, Cheshire and S Pennines	3	3.4%
Braemar to Montrose	2	2.3%
North Pennines	2	2.3%
South West England	2	2.3%

Twelve busiest regions shown, of 46 — browse them all.

21 sit inside a national park: Lake District (3), Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) (3), Peak District (3), Cairngorms (2), Eryri (Snowdonia) (2), Loch Lomond & The Trossachs (2), Northumberland (2), Dartmoor (1), Pembrokeshire Coast (1), Exmoor (1), South Downs (1). Park byelaws can restrict camping and access beyond the general position for the nation.

How the heights fall

Historic county tops grouped into 200 m height bands
Height band	Hills	Share of the list
1,200–1,400 m	3	3%
1,000–1,200 m	5	6%
800–1,000 m	16	18%
600–800 m	21	24%
400–600 m	16	18%
200–400 m	19	22%
0–200 m	8	9%

All 88 Historic county tops, tallest first

Every county top, sorted by height descending
#	Hill	Height	Drop	Region	Also	Grid ref
1	Ben Nevis · Beinn Nibheis	1,345 m	1,345 m	Fort William to Loch Treig & Loch Leven	MunroTrail 100+3	NN166712
2	Ben Macdui · Beinn Macduibh	1,309 m	950 m	Cairngorms	MunroTrail 100+3	NN988989
3	Ben Lawers	1,214 m	914 m	Glen Lyon to Glen Dochart & Loch Tay	MunroTrail 100+3	NN635414
4	Carn Eighe	1,183 m	1,147 m	Loch Duich to Cannich	MunroMarilyn+2	NH123261
5	Bidean nam Bian	1,149 m	844 m	Loch Linnhe to Loch Etive	MunroTrail 100+3	NN143542
6	Sgurr Mor	1,109 m	914 m	The Fannaichs	MunroMarilyn+2	NH203718
7	Snowdon - Yr Wyddfa	1,085 m	1,039 m	Snowdonia	HewittNuttall+5	SH609543
8	Glas Maol	1,068 m	195 m	Braemar to Montrose	MunroMarilyn+2	NO166765
9	Ben More Assynt	999 m	836 m	Scourie to Lairg	MunroMarilyn+2	NC318201
10	Scafell Pike	978 m	912 m	Lake District C&W	WainwrightHewitt+6	NY215072
11	Ben Lomond	974 m	820 m	Loch Lomond to Strathyre	MunroTrail 100+3	NN367028
12	Helvellyn	950 m	713 m	Lake District E	WainwrightHewitt+6	NY342151
13	Ben Vorlich	943 m	632 m	Inveraray to Crianlarich	MunroMarilyn+2	NN295124
14	Aran Fawddwy	906 m	673 m	Bala to Welshpool	HewittNuttall+4	SH862223
15	Pen y Fan	886 m	672 m	Llandovery to Monmouth	HewittNuttall+4	SO012215
16	Goatfell · Goat Fell	875 m	875 m	Arran and Holy Island	CorbettTrail 100+3	NR991415
17	Slieve Donard	850 m	825 m	Mourne Mountains	HewittTrail 100+3	J358276
18	Merrick	843 m	705 m	Carrick and Galloway	CorbettDonald+4	NX427855
19	Broad Law	840 m	654 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	CorbettDonald+3	NT146235
20	Cadair Berwyn	832 m	347 m	Bala to Welshpool	HewittNuttall+3	SJ071323
21	Moel Sych	827 m	34 m	Bala to Welshpool	HewittNuttall+1	SJ066318
22	White Coomb	822 m	375 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	CorbettDonald+3	NT163150
23	The Cheviot	816 m	558 m	Northumberland	HewittNuttall+4	NT907205
24	The Old Man of Coniston · Coniston Old Man	802 m	417 m	Lake District S	WainwrightHewitt+5	SD272978
25	Mickle Fell	790 m	212 m	North Pennines	HewittNuttall+3	NY806245
26	Kirriereoch Hill (boundary)	782 m	2 m	Carrick and Galloway		NX419871
27	Fan Foel	781 m	4 m	Llandovery to Monmouth		SN821223
28	Mount Battock	778 m	286 m	Braemar to Montrose	CorbettMarilyn+2	NO549844
29	Pumlumon Fawr · Plynlimon	752 m	526 m	Aberystwyth to Welshpool	HewittNuttall+4	SN789869
30	Culter Fell	748 m	350 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	GrahamDonald+3	NT052290
31	Burnhope Seat - Trig Point	747 m	0 m	North Pennines		NY787375
32	Dun Rig	744 m	243 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	GrahamDonald+3	NT253315
33	Cairn Hill West Top · Hangingstone Hill	743 m	5 m	The River Tweed to the English Border		NT895193
34	Ben Cleuch	721 m	595 m	Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose	GrahamDonald+3	NN902006
35	Carn a' Ghille Chearr	710 m	179 m	Tomintoul to Banff	GrahamMarilyn+2	NJ139298
36	Morven	706 m	576 m	Tongue to Wick and Helmsdale	GrahamMarilyn+2	ND004285
37	Black Mountain	704 m	155 m	Llandovery to Monmouth	HewittNuttall+3	SO255353
38	Chwarel y Fan	679 m	72 m	Llandovery to Monmouth	HewittNuttall+1	SO258294
39	Cuilcagh · Binn Chuilceach	666 m	605 m	Leitrim and W Cavan	HewittMarilyn+2	H123280
40	Great Rhos	660 m	379 m	Welshpool to Hay-on-Wye	HewittNuttall+3	SO182638
41	Carn Glas-choire	659 m	251 m	Inverness to Strathspey	GrahamMarilyn+2	NH891291
42	Blackhope Scar	652 m	283 m	Firth of Forth to the River Tweed	GrahamDonald+3	NT315483
43	Kinder Scout	636 m	497 m	Lancashire, Cheshire and S Pennines	HewittNuttall+4	SK084875
44	High Willhays	622 m	537 m	South West England	HewittNuttall+3	SX580892
45	Craig y Llyn	600 m	393 m	Neath to Chepstow	MarilynHuMP+1	SN906031
46	Black Hill	581 m	165 m	Lancashire, Cheshire and S Pennines	MarilynHuMP	SE078047
47	Slieve Gullion	576 m	454 m	County Armagh	MarilynHuMP	J024203
48	Moel Famau	555 m	282 m	Llandudno to Wrexham	MarilynHuMP	SJ161626
49	Brown Clee Hill	541 m	375 m	Shropshire	MarilynHuMP	SO593867
50	Foel Cwmcerwyn	537 m	346 m	South-West Wales	MarilynHuMP	SN094311
51	Meikle Says Law	535 m	267 m	Firth of Forth to the River Tweed	MarilynHuMP	NT581617
52	Meikle Says Law (boundary)	532 m	—	Firth of Forth to the River Tweed		NT581616
53	West Lomond	522 m	405 m	Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose	MarilynHuMP	NO197066
54	Hill of Stake	522 m	486 m	Ayr to the River Clyde	MarilynHuMP	NS273630
55	Dunkery Beacon	520 m	414 m	South Central England	MarilynHuMP	SS891415
56	Cheeks Hill (boundary)	519 m	—	Lancashire, Cheshire and S Pennines		SK026699
57	Innerdouny Hill	497 m	228 m	Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose	MarilynHuMP	NO032073
58	Ward Hill	481 m	481 m	Orkney Islands	MarilynHuMP	HY228022
59	Ronas Hill	450 m	450 m	Shetland Islands	MarilynHuMP	HU305834
60	Worcestershire Beacon	425 m	336 m	Welsh Borders S	MarilynHuMP	SO768452
61	Brown Willy	420 m	322 m	South West England	MarilynHuMP	SX158799
62	Cleeve Hill	330 m	237 m	Central and Eastern England	MarilynHuMP	SO996245
63	Craigairie Fell · Craig Airie Fell	321 m	109 m	Carrick and Galloway	HuMP	NX236736
64	Ballencrieff Hill · Cairnpapple Hill	312 m	168 m	Firth of Forth to the River Tweed	MarilynHuMP	NS987711
65	Walbury Hill	297 m	189 m	South East England	MarilynHuMP	SU373616
66	Milk Hill	294 m	147 m	Central and Eastern England	HuMP	SU104643
67	Leith Hill	294 m	247 m	South East England	MarilynHuMP	TQ139431
68	Walbury Hill (boundary)	293 m	—	South East England		SU374618
69	Black Down	281 m	192 m	South East England	MarilynHuMP	SU919296
70	Bardon Hill	280 m	172 m	Central and Eastern England	MarilynHuMP	SK460131
71	Lewesdon Hill	279 m	187 m	South Central England	MarilynHuMP	ST437011
72	Wendover Woods · Haddington Hill	268 m	180 m	Central and Eastern England	MarilynHuMP	SP890089
73	Ebrington Hill	261 m	112 m	Central and Eastern England	HuMP	SP187426
74	Bald Hill	257 m	125 m	Central and Eastern England	HuMP	SU728957
75	Betsom's Hill	251 m	15 m	South East England		TQ435563
76	Pavis Wood	244 m	—	Central and Eastern England		SP914091
77	Dunstable Downs	243 m	105 m	Central and Eastern England	HuMP	TL008194
78	Arbury Hill	224 m	103 m	Central and Eastern England	HuMP	SP540587
79	Holyhead Mountain · Mynydd Twr	220 m	220 m	Anglesey and the Lleyn Peninsula	MarilynHuMP	SH218829
80	Newtonwood Lane (boundary)	205 m	—	The River Tees to The Wash		SK456606
81	Cold Overton Park	197 m	11 m	Central and Eastern England		SK827085
82	Normanby Top · The Wolds	168 m	162 m	The River Tees to The Wash	MarilynHuMP	TF121964
83	Bushey Heath	153 m	80 m	Central and Eastern England		TQ151939
84	Chrishall Common	147 m	15 m	Central and Eastern England		TL443361
85	Great Wood	129 m	38 m	Central and Eastern England		TL788558
86	Castle Camps airfield	128 m	21 m	Central and Eastern England		TL632418
87	Beacon Hill	105 m	79 m	Central and Eastern England		TG183414
88	Boring Field	81 m	—	Central and Eastern England		TL047711

Hill data from the Database of British & Irish Hills v18.3 (CC BY 4.0). Drop is the descent to the hill's key col; a dash means it is not recorded in our dataset. Follow any name for grid references to ten figures, access rights, live summit weather and today's daylight.

Before you go

Plan

The Historic county tops

What counts as a county top

What else the historic county tops count for

Where they are

How the heights fall

All 88 Historic county tops, tallest first

Before you go

Walking-time calculator

Daylight safety planner

Can I walk or camp here?

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