Cuillin Harta Corrie and Coire Na Creich in the Cuillin: Boswell and Johnson visited Skye during their tour of the Western Isles in 1773, and observed snow falling on the summits of the range in September. Boswell described the Cuillin as "a prodigious range of mountains, capped with rocks like pinnacles in a strange variety of shapes". Uniquely for a group of Scottish mountains there are no records of the majority of the Cuillin summits having been climbed prior to the start of mountaineering as a leisure activity in the Victorian era, a situation reflected in the fact that around half
Cuillin one of 40 such areas in Scotland. A Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) review of the special qualities of the national scenic area stated: There are a number of theories about the derivation of the name "Cuillin". It is often suggested that it comes from the Old Norse word "kjölen" meaning ridges. This derivation gave rise to debate as to whether the hills should be referred to collectively as the Cuillin, rather than Cuillins. "Kjöllen" may also refer to the keel of a boat, suggesting a similarity with an upturned Viking longship. Gaelic derivations of the name suggest a link to