Ben Loyal

{{short description|Mountain in Scotland}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Ben Loyal

|other_name = Beinn Laghail

| photo = BenLoyal.jpg

| photo_caption = Ben Loyal from the north. An Caisteal is the jagged peak second from the left.

| elevation_m = 764

| elevation_ref =

| prominence_m = 609

| prominence_ref =

| parent_peak = Ben Hope

| listing = Corbett, Marilyn

| translation =

| language =

| pronunciation = {{IPAc-en|ˌ|b|ɛ|n|_|ˈ|l|ɔɪ|.|əl}}

| location = Sutherland, Scotland

| range =

| coordinates =

| grid_ref_UK = NC578488

| topo = OS Landranger 10

| type =

| first_ascent =

| easiest_route =

}}

Ben Loyal ({{derive|gd|Beinn Laghail|}}){{cite web|url=https://www.nature.scot/sites/default/files/2019-05/Publication%202010%20-%20Gaelic%20and%20Norse%20in%20the%20Landscape%20-%20Place%20names%20in%20Caithness%20and%20Sutherland%20-%20A%E2%80%99%20Gh%C3%A0idhlig%20is%20Lochlannais%20air%20Aghaidh%20na%20T%C3%ACre%20-%20Ainmean-%C3%A0ite%20ann%20an%20Gallaibh%2C%20Cataibh%20is%20D%C3%B9thaich%20MhicAoidh.pdf|title=Gaelic and Norse in the Landscape: Placenames in Caithness and Sutherland|date=2010|access-date=6 June 2019|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|author=Roddy Maclean|page=33|archive-date=22 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022115445/https://www.nature.scot/sites/default/files/2019-05/Publication%202010%20-%20Gaelic%20and%20Norse%20in%20the%20Landscape%20-%20Place%20names%20in%20Caithness%20and%20Sutherland%20-%20A%E2%80%99%20Gh%C3%A0idhlig%20is%20Lochlannais%20air%20Aghaidh%20na%20T%C3%ACre%20-%20Ainmean-%C3%A0ite%20ann%20an%20Gallaibh%2C%20Cataibh%20is%20D%C3%B9thaich%20MhicAoidh.pdf|url-status=dead}}. is an isolated mountain of 764 m in Sutherland, the northwestern tip of the Scottish Highlands. It is a Corbett located south of the Kyle of Tongue and offers good views of the Kyle, Loch Loyal to the east, and Ben Hope to the west.

Ben Loyal is composed chiefly of granite, specifically syenite,{{cite book| last = Gillen | first = Con | title = Geology and landscapes of Scotland| publisher = Dunedin| edition = 2nd | date = 2013 | page = 188 | isbn = 9781780460093}} and has a distinctive shape due to the four rocky peaks, the highest of which is called An Caisteal. To the north of An Caisteal is the 712 m Sgòr Chaonasaid, to the south is Bheinn Bheag (744 m), which cannot be seen in the photograph opposite, and to the west is the ridge of Sgòr a Chèirich, 644 m at its highest point. The fourth peak in the picture is the 568 m Sgòr Fionnaich.

Ben Loyal's name is thought to mean "law mountain", although the derivation via its modern Gaelic name is not certain.