Cookies. This website uses cookies, which are small text files that the website puts on your device to facilitate operation. Cookies help us provide a better service to you. They are used to track general user traffic information and to help the website function properly.

Click to hide this notice for 30 days.
Welcome to MountainViews
If you want to use the website often please enrol (quick and free) at top right.
Overview
Detail
Zoom: ??
For more map options click on any overview map area or any detail map feature.
Detail Map Features
Find Suggested Walks
Find hill, mountain, island, coastal feature.
Videos
Recent Contributions
Get Notifications

Blackstairs Mountain: Good access and a great viewpoint above a patchwork quilt

Longish, but pretty trek to unremarkable Carn.

Carrigroe: Twin tops

Brandon Hill Loop from Graiguenamanagh

Grieve Hill: Summit position recently revised.

Manorhamilton town centre to the summit of Benbo

Leean Mountain: Ireland's Best Small Hill?

Scarr North-West Top: Popular spot in the heart of the mountains

Spain: Circuit of el Dit d'Olta

Silvermines Hydro Project

Brown Mountain: Granite - mica schist boundary

Spanish Coastal Walk: Calpe to Monte Toix

Conditions and Info
Use of MountainViews is governed by conditions and a privacy policy.
Read general information about the site.
Opinions in material here are not necessarily endorsed by MountainViews.
Hillwalking is a risk sport. Information in comments, walks, shared GPS tracks or about starting places may not be accurate for example as regards safety or access permission. You are responsible for your safety and your permission to walk.
See the credits and list definitions.
Video display
Iveragh NW Area   SW: Ballinskelligs Subarea
Place count in area: 18, OSI/LPS Maps: 83, 84 
Highest place:
Knocknadobar, 690m
Maximum height for area: 690 metres,     Maximum prominence for area: 565 metres,

Note: this list of places includes island features such as summits, but not islands as such.
Rating graphic.
Bolus Hill Cnoc Bhólais A name in Irish Ir. Cnoc Bhólais [logainm.ie], poss. 'hill of the round lump’ [PDT] Kerry County in Munster Province, in Carn List, Purple sandstone & siltstone Bedrock

Height: 410m OS 1:50k Mapsheet: 83 Grid Reference: V39918 63563
Place visited by 37 members. Recently by: chelman7, Emiliamain, maoris, Colin Murphy, thomas_g, annem, eamonoc, JohnAshton, liz50, Deise-Man, learykid, Bernieor, madfrankie, Fergalh, TommyV
I have visited this place: NO (You need to be a logged-in member to change this.)

Longitude: -10.321459, Latitude: 51.801969 , Easting: 39918, Northing: 63563 Prominence: 385m,  Isolation: 3.8km,   Has trig pillar
ITM: 439903 563627,   GPS IDs, 6 char: Bolus, 10 char: Bolus
Bedrock type: Purple sandstone & siltstone, (Ballinskelligs Sandstone Formation)

This peak is on a headland which runs out between St. Finan's Bay and Ballinskelligs Bay. It is possible that the name originally applied to Bolus Head, which is recorded as Canboles in 1595 on Mercator's map of Ireland. Canboles probably represents Ir. Ceann Bhólais. The element bolus is probably the English word denoting a round mass, ultimately from medieval Latin. Such a learned name is plausible given that Bolus Head was a landmark for seafarers with an importance beyond its immediate locality.   Cnoc Bhólais is the 901st highest place in Ireland.

Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/782/
COMMENTS for Bolus (Cnoc Bhólais) 1 of 1  
Follow this place's comments
MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Bolus (<i>Cnoc Bhólais</i>) in area Iveragh NW, Ireland
Picture: The reason why you should leave your car at the artists Cottages.
 
Art full Attractions
Short Summary created by three5four0  28 Sep 2011
Park your Car at Cill Rialaig as the road narrows from here, see picture. Here eight ruined cottages were demolished and then reconstructed by the architect Alfred Cochrane with studios to create an International Artists retreat. The promoters ambition was to have an Irish equivalent of the Tate gallery at St Ives in Cornwall. The artists wares are available for purchase at the shop / gallery in Ballinskelligs. You won't miss it, as it is sign posted well!

Starting from Cill Rialaig does add nearly 4km to your walk for Bolus Hill, along a road at that. But the views are good, there is grass along the road and adding a trip out to the barracks & Bolus Head as well makes a fine walk. This is being developed into a way marked way. Info on this & other walks, coffee and postcards are all available from the small cafe & shop on Ballinskelligs beach. (whose location is right on the B in Ballinskelligs Pt on map 83) Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/782/comment/5541/
 
MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Bolus (<i>Cnoc Bhólais</i>) in area Iveragh NW, Ireland
Picture: Looking west from Bolus.
A view in a million!
by markmjcampion  1 May 2015
Park at the new car park [OS Sheet 83, V388650 starA] at the start of the new Bolus Loop route. The loop itself is worth doing and is what I had in mind until…well more on that later. Anyway, head south for about 1.5 km until you come to a Y junction…you'll have magical views of Puffin Island and the Skellig rocks as you amble along.
The signage for the loop is set up for an anti-clockwise direction so the arrows are pointing to the right at this junction. However, if you want to get up Bolus quickly, take the left road and follow its zig zags until you reach teh obvious saddle. Head left, following the fence and jumping it when it intersects with another one. From here it's a very short skip and a hop to the summit from where there are magnificent views looking east into Ballinaskelligs Bay and the islands off derrynane and west to the Skelligs and puffin islands.
If you're doing the loop retrace your steps to the col and cross a style to continue to the old barracks at the top of the next minor hill. There is also a WW2 lookout nearby - at the time this was manned around the clock by a party of 6 according to the local farmer I spent a few pleasant minutes with. His quip "If a farmer from Carlow or Kilkenny came down here, he'd starve" is one that I'll not forget in a hurry.
I had ascended in the late evening and was planning on sleeping in the shelter. As my stew was cooking on my stove, I figured I'd save time and set up my bed only to discover that I'd left my sleeping mat in the car! It was a breezy, cool evening and a sleeping bag on the concrete floor would not have been conducive to sleep (even if I had a bottle of whiskey with me) so, after eating, I headed despondently back to the car. It took less than an hour to get there but by then it was dark and, despite being back in the presence of my sleeping mat, I drove back home to Killarney instead. Tthe moment had passed!
For info on the loop walk see
http://www.discoverireland.ie/Activities-Adventure/bolus-head-looped-walk/88297 Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/782/comment/17967/
Your Score: Very useful <<  >>Average
 
MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Bolus (<i>Cnoc Bhólais</i>) in area Iveragh NW, Ireland
Picture: Trig with the Skelligs in the background
 
Fine views
by TommyV  12 Jun 2019
Bolus out on the tip of the Iveragh peninsula provides great views of Scariff island and Denish island and the now world famous Skelligs. Due to time constraints we climbed this hill from the South side on a somewhat similar route mentioned by three5four0. From here its only about one kilometre to the summit. However if time is on your side, on the North side of the hill there is an official Bolus Head waymarked trail and you could take in the summit via this route which would make for a good few hours hiking. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/782/comment/20545/
Your Score: Very useful <<  >>Average
 
MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Bolus (<i>Cnoc Bhólais</i>) in area Iveragh NW, Ireland
Picture: Fence to Bolus Hill
Short but rewarding summit walk
by three5four0  28 Sep 2011
Drove out to Bolus Head and parked in a small lay-by (room for one car only) at 395628 starB. Walked a short distance along the road, went through a gate on the right and followed a track up hill to a shallow col between Bolus Hill and the spot height 284. At this col there is a fence with a gate (& way marked way markers), I turned right and followed the the fence up hill, reaching the summit quickly in the teeth of a gale. This small summit, like the others in the Iveragh NW group, gave fine & expansive views of the surrounding coast and hills, with the barracks giving a fine backdrop for those who like their photos in BW! Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/782/comment/6535/
Your Score: Very useful <<  >>Average
 
MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Bolus (<i>Cnoc Bhólais</i>) in area Iveragh NW, Ireland
Picture: Looking back towards Waterville from Bolus Mountain
 
Scenic Walk at Tip of Iveragh
by ciarraioch  24 Oct 2011
After a wet morning in late August 2009, we parked the car at the small roadside quarry at V414 635 starC. Walked out along the road by the Cill Rialaig artist's colony enjoying spectacular views across to Beara. Took the small bohereen which veers off to the right at V394 628 starD. Made the short walk up to the col referred to by three5four0. We turned left at this point to take in the seaward summit with great views to the Skelligs and across Fionán's Bay. We retraced our steps to the col and followed the fence, eventually gaining the summit of Bolus mountain itself, short but steep. Nice views back onto Waterville and Iveragh. We made our way cross country from here more or less directly to the starting point. Not sure I would recommend this as there were many fences and the ground was rough. Probably better just to retrace one's steps. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/782/comment/6594/
Your Score: Very useful <<  >>Average
 
MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Bolus (<i>Cnoc Bhólais</i>) in area Iveragh NW, Ireland
Picture: Looking SW towards the Barracks on my climb up to Bolus Hill
Windy Climb
by Wilderness  4 Apr 2016
The best place to begin this walk is on the country road west of Bolus. You will find a small Monument on this road which is the best place to park: V388650 starA. Walk about a mile down the road and you will come to fork in the road: V392636 starE and take the left lane which will lead you to a path up towards the ridge. Unfortunately I got gail force winds and no views at the top. I will have to come back another day. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/782/comment/18483/
Your Score: Very useful <<  >>Average
 
(End of comment section for Bolus (Cnoc Bhólais).)

Main mapping:
Open Street Map
(Main supplier OpenTopoMap)
Height layer: © MapTiler
MapTiler Logo
British summit data courtesy:
Database of British & Irish Hills
(Creative Commons Licence)
MountainViews.ie, a Hill-walking Website for the island of Ireland. 2500 Summiteers, 1480 Contributors, maintainer of lists such as: Arderins, Vandeleur-Lynams, Highest Hundred, County Highpoints etc