A famous and remarkable fin of rock which forms the summit of Sgurr Dearg in the Black Cuillin of Skye, the Inaccessible Pinnacle or, popularly within climbing circles, 'In Pinn' or 'The Pin', reaches a height of 986m (3234 feet) above sea level. The rock itself is 50m (164 feet) in height and involves a difficult rock-climb to ascend, usually followed by a 24m (79 feet) abseil down to the mountain-top. It was first climbed in 1880 by English glass-making brothers Charles and Lawrence Pilkington, accompanied by local guide John Mackenzie of Sconser (1854 - 1933). Sir Hugh Munro (1856 - 1919) did not include the In Pinn in his list of Munros, regarding it as a mere 'top', despite understanding its loftier height. Further, it seems unlikely that Rev. A.E. Robertson (1870 - 1958) included this summit when he claimed completion of all of the Munros in 1901. The top of the Pinnacle was damaged by a lightning strike in the winter of 2007.
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