Schiehallion,

how a Scottish mountain weighed the planet

Schiehallion, in Perthshire, is what's often referred to as a whaleback ridge. The mountain runs from east to west – the north and south slopes are extremely steep – with a tricky, precipitous west slope marking the head, and a much longer, gentler eastern slope marking the tail, up which most hikes are attempted.

In the summer of 1774, the United Kingdom's Astronomer Royal, Nevil Maskelyne, stood on the side of a Scottish mountain contemplating something far more profound than the view. He was trying to work out exactly how much the Earth weighed.

Minge Hiiumaale!