About Little Sugar Loaf
Little Sugar Loaf gives you one of the best views-for-the-effort in Wicklow: a rocky twin top at 342 metres that most people reach in under an hour. It’s not on the classic Irish hill lists and doesn’t need to be – the reward is the panorama, not the climb. The hill sits just north of the N11 between Kilmacanogue and Bray, its north side looking over Bray and its east side across to Bray Head, a familiar cone above the Dublin commuter belt.
The rock underfoot is Cambrian quartzite, part of the Bray Group – very hard, very old and stubborn against erosion, which is why the summit stays as a bare, knuckled ridge while the lower slopes carry woodland and open heath. Because the sea is so close, the top gives long views in every direction, and the terrain changes quickly as you go up, from shaded forest path to exposed, wind-scoured rock.
The walk
The usual route starts at Bohilla Lane, a quiet turn off the N11 near Kilmacanogue. It’s signposted, and begins with an easy walk through woodland before the ground turns stony and you climb toward the ridge. The final pull to the twin summits is a short scramble over bare rock; both tops are worth a few minutes for the slightly different angles they give on the coast. It’s a short outing – most walkers are up and back down inside the hour – though you can stretch it into a longer loop through the woods at the base if you want more time on your legs. Either way, no special skill or gear is needed; it’s the wind and the wet rock, not the difficulty, that ask for respect.
The view
The view is the point. On a clear day it runs east over Dublin Bay and the Irish Sea, and south down the coast past Bray Head to the sharp cone of the Great Sugar Loaf and the Wicklow Mountains piling up behind it. Sit on the rock, let your legs recover, and watch the ferries cross the bay.
Name and history
The Irish name Giolspar is a transliteration of Giltspur – gilt spur. It comes from a 12th-century land arrangement in which Diarmait Mac Murchada, king of Leinster, was owed an annual rent of a pair of gilt spurs, and the name stuck to the hill.
Little Sugar Loaf also holds a quiet place in climbing history. Sir Chris Bonington, who went on to lead expeditions in the Himalaya, made his very first ascent here in 1951, aged 16, taking the bus out from Dublin to Bray and walking up the slopes. It’s easy to see why: a teenager with no equipment could start on a hill exactly like this one.
Practical tips
- Parking and access: the lay-by beside Bohilla Lane is tiny – three or four cars at most – and fills fast on fine weekends, so come early. The alternative is to park in Kilmacanogue village and walk in to the trailhead.
- Footwear and conditions: the summit scramble is uneven rock that gets greasy in the wet. Wear shoes with grip, and bring a waterproof year-round; the coastal wind bites in autumn and winter.
- Public transport: buses from Dublin and Bray serve Kilmacanogue, so the hill is doable without a car. Check timetables, as weekend and holiday services vary.
- Facilities: none on the hill. Bring your own water and food.
- Fire safety: the heath dries out in summer; check for local council fire notices before you go and never bring anything lit onto the slopes.
Nearby
Down on the coast a few kilometres east, the cliff path between Bray and Greystones makes a natural pairing for the day – part of the Bray Head coastal walks, past sea stacks, coves and the Brandy Hole smugglers’ cave, finishing in Greystones for a coffee and the DART back to Dublin.
Come before mid-morning on a weekend to get a parking space, bring something windproof for the top, and don’t expect a path the whole way – the last stretch to the summit is a scramble over bare quartzite that gets slick in the rain.