Sawel Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sawel |
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| Samhail or Samhail Phite Méabha | |
Sawel as seen from the southeast.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 678 m (2,224 ft) |
| Prominence | 580 m (1,900 ft) |
| Listing | County Top (Derry and Tyrone), Marilyn, Hewitt |
| Naming | |
| Language of name | Irish |
| Geography | |
 Sawel
Location in Northern Ireland
Sawel
Location in island of Ireland
Sawel
Location in the United Kingdom
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| Location | County Londonderry/County Tyrone, Northern Ireland |
| Parent range | Sperrins |
| OSI/OSNI grid | H618973 |
| Topo map | OSNI Discoverer Series 13 The Sperrins (1:50000), OSNI Activity Map Sperrins (1:25000) |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Psammite & semipellite |
Sawel Mountain is the highest peak in the Sperrin Mountains, and the 8th highest in Northern Ireland. It is also the highest mountain in Northern Ireland outside of the Mourne Mountain range located in County Down.
Geography
To the north of Sawel is County Londonderry, and to the south, County Tyrone. The summit is 678 metres (2,224 ft) high and is composed of crystalline limestone. Around the peak, there is "montane heathland", with plant life including heather, bilberries and cowberries, although this is being damaged by hillwalking and grazing. Sawel is the source of the River Faughan, a 29 miles (47 km) long tributary of the River Foyle.
Naming
The Irish name of the mountain is a reference to a glen or hollow on the side of Sawel. It was also historically called Slieve Sawel, from the Irish word sliabh ("mountain").
