Conival

Conival
Conival seen from Ben More Assynt.
Highest point
Elevation	987 m (3,238 ft)
Prominence	101 m (331 ft)
Listing	Munro
Naming
Translation	Adjoining Hill” or “Hill of Meeting” (Gaelic)
Pronunciation	Scottish Gaelic: [ˈkʰɔn̪ˠəvjalˠ̪]
Geography
Location	Assynt,  Scotland
Parent range	Northwest Highlands
OS grid	NC303199
Topo map	OS Landranger 15, OS Explorer 442

Conival (Scottish Gaelic: Cona Mheall) is a Scottish mountain situated in Assynt in the Sutherland area of the Highland Council Area, 30 kilometres north-northeast of the town of Ullapool.

Conival is a distinct landmark when viewed from the A837 road to the west from where its conspicuous 600 metres high western face is well seen, this flank is made up of light coloured and distinctive Cambrian quartzite rock thickened by geological thrusting. The mountain reaches a height of 987 metres (3238 feet) and is classified as a Munro. It is connected to the adjoining and better known Munro of Ben More Assynt which lies 1.5 kilometres to the east by a high, rough quartzite ridge. Conival has a rich diversity of attractions on its slopes making it popular not just with walkers but also geologists, biologists and speleologists.

The mountain's name is slightly enigmatic in its meaning. The name does not originate from the Norse language like many of the hills in the Assynt area; it does in fact derive from Gaelic. It was called Conamheall in the original 1891 publication of Munro's Tables, which translates as “adjoining hill” or “hill of meeting” (a reduced form of Gaelic coinneamh "meeting", and in prepositional constructions "opposite, facing", plus meall "round hill") which is probably the correct translation as it describes its close connection to Ben More Assynt. Between 1921 and 1969 the mountain was called Cona-mheall which translates as “enchanted hill”. Since 1974 it has been called by its anglicised name of Conival.

Conival is part of the Ben More Assynt Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its outstanding geological features, it displays the Moine Thrust Belt clearly on its slopes, this is an upthrust of rocks caused by tectonic plate collision during the Silurian period. There are good examples of limestone pavement on the lower western flank of the mountain in the valley of the River Traligill. Conival also lies within the UNESCO endorsed North West Highlands Geopark and the Inchnadamph National Nature Reserve. The underlying limestone within the reserve creates ideal conditions for rare plants like mountain avens, frog orchid and holly fern.