The Old Man of Storr at isle of Skye

If you plan your next vacations in Scotland, you can just forget about the Edinburgh Fringe. You might be impressed by the sound of shows performed in department stores, charity shops, people’s houses and the secret basements of grand buildings, but when it comes to remarkable locations, you won’t find better than The Storr on the Isle of Skye. That’s because this environmental artwork has nature on its side.

The Trotternish ridge is one of the most spectacular stretches of countryside in Britain, a near pristine area of high cliffs, pinnacles and buttresses rising to the iconographic Old Man of Storr, a 48m spike of Jurassic rock that dominates the landscape on a clear day.

Lots of individual and localised effects of erosion have created the most impressive natural features to be seen on the island. These include The Quiraing, Kilt Rock and perhaps the most well-known of all, The Storr and it’s “Old Man”. The Storr is an escarpment composed of Tertiary basalt lavas resting on Jurassic sediments – primarily shales. At its base is a malaise of rocks and pinnacles, including The Old Man of Storr which rises alone, casting an element of mystery to the general scene.

if you want to go the and hike note that there is a good footpath, starting at the notice board and stile, from the car park to the Old Man of Storr and the surrounding rock formations. The route goes steadily up hill and it usually takes about 3 quaters of an hour to reach the Old Man. Once there it is possible to walk around and up to the pinnacle, a path branches off to the left before the Old Man. For the more energetic it is possible to continue along the footpath and climb The Storr hill (570m). Another option, for impressive views of the Trotternish Ridge is to follow the footpath uphill, past the Old Man and instead of climbing The Storr head north-west and up Hartaval. This affords fine views of the Trotternish Ridge.

Google Earth Placemark – The Old Man of Storr