Often simply known as the Sugar Loaf (Irish: Ó Cualann also Beannach Mhór), this hill is located in the east of County Wicklow, in Ireland, south of Bray and to the north of the Glen of the Downs Nature Reserve. It is also known as the Big Sugar Loaf, to distinguish it from the Little Sugar Loaf to the east on the other side of the N11 dual carriageway from Dublin to Wicklow.
Though only 501 metres (1,644 ft) high, its isolation from other hills, steep slopes and volcanic appearance makes it appear much taller than it is. Due to its height relative to the surrounding landscape the hill qualifies as a Marilyn.
The Great Sugar Loaf is composed of Cambrian quartzite, in contrast to the rounded mountains to the west, which are made of Devonian granite. Popularly mistaken for a volcano, it is in fact an erosion-resistant metamorphosed sedimentary deposit from the deep sea.
Famous quotes containing the words sugar and/or loaf:
“The Management Area of Cherokee
National Forest, interested in fish,
Has mapped Tellico and Bald Rivers
And North River, with the tributaries
Brookshire Branch and Sugar Cove Creed:
A fishy map for facile fishery....”
—Allen Tate (1899–1979)
““A loaf of bread,” the Walrus said,
“Is what we chiefly need:”
—Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)