Weathertop

Weathertop (Sindarin Amon Sûl, "Hill of Wind") was a significant hill in the Eriador region of Middle-earth, the southernmost and highest summit of the Weather Hills.

Weathertop overlooks the Great East Road east of Bree, about midway between the Shire and Rivendell. The hill rises a thousand feet above the relatively level lands round about -- a commanding view. Amon Sûl, a watchtower set on the hill that came to be known as Weathertop, was built and provided with a Palantír. The tower was crucial to the north kingdom of Arnor because it sat at the junction of three of its realms --- Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur. With one of the palantiri housed here, they could be watched over by the small garrison that the tower would have had, and any intelligence could be communicated across many leagues back to the King in Annuminas. The watchtower and fortifications were burned and destroyed in TA 1409 by the Witch-king, though a ring of stones remains where it once stood. A path leads from the top northward, connecting to the other fortresses of the Weather Hills.

Weathertop is not mentioned in The Hobbit, but is a scene of action in The Lord of the Rings. After fleeing from Bree, Strider and the hobbits avoid the main road and approach Weathertop from the north. At the top they discover a cairn with a message from Gandalf, and see the Ringwraiths approaching in the distance along the road. That night, the Ringwraiths attack their camp in a dell below the summit, stabbing Frodo with a Morgul blade, but then being driven off by the others.