Harris and An Cliseam. Photo: Mike Pennington CC-BY-SA-2.0

A Hebridean community is throwing down the gauntlet to hillwalkers to tackle five of island peaks.

The Harris 5 Peaks Challenge involves the ascent of five of the isle’s best peaks, including the highest, the 799m (2,621ft) corbett An Cliseam.

And as an incentive, any walker who manages at least three of the hills will get a free shot of whisky.

The challenge is part of the first Harris Mountain Festival, which runs for a week from 24 September.

A spokesperson for the North Harris Trust, the community charity organising the festival, said: “Long famed for its beautiful beaches and intricate, rocky coastline, Harris has some of the finest but least visited mountains in Britain.

“Wild, remote glens, stunning, island dotted seascapes and more golden eagles than just about anywhere in the UK, the island remains surprisingly unknown to the majority of hillwalkers in Scotland and beyond.”

The five peaks in the challenge are: An Cliseam, Tiorgha Mhòr, Toddun, Beinn Dhubh and Roineabhal. Challenge leaflets, available throughout the island and at the Tarbert tourist information office, need to be marked using stamps placed at the summits of the mountains to claim the whisky, a special festival blend, at the Harris Hotel in Tarbert.

Potential challengers are warned they will need fitness and navigational skills as many of the routes up the peaks are pathless, crossing rocky or boggy terrain, and they will also need to go clothed and equipped for the unpredictable Western Isles weather.

Other festival attractions include presentations by broadcaster and journalist Cameron McNeish and leading wildlife photographer Laurie Campbell, guided walks, mountain films, sea-kayaking taster sessions, a community hike and a special Festival Finale ceilidh.

More details can be found on the Harris Mountain Festival website.