The Old Man of Storr

The Old Man of Storr is a prominent rock pinnacle standing apart from the main cliffline of the Storr, part of the Trotternish landslip, the longest landslip feature in Britain, which has left a jumble of towers and pinnacles scattered below the escarpment. Walkhighlands calls it one of Scotland’s most iconic places, and the path up from the Portree road is busy for most of the year as a result. The pinnacle is 50m high and was first climbed in 1955 by Don Whillans, although the rock is said to be as unstable as porridge.

From the Storr car park on the A855, the route climbs through forestry plantation before breaking out onto open hillside, with the path growing steeper, rockier and more eroded as it nears the pinnacle. The car park charges a fee and has toilets, and the lower path is wide and built up. Walkhighlands lists a bus from Portree that stops near the car park. Signs at the car park warn of rockfall risk on the upper section, a real hazard rather than a formality, and the ground underfoot deteriorates in wet weather. The full round trip covers about 5km and 340m of ascent, which Walkhighlands times at one and a half to two hours.

Beyond the Old Man, the path continues towards other pinnacles and, for those wanting more height, on to the summit of the Storr at 719m, a longer and rougher undertaking on ground without a clear path throughout. For most visitors, though, the appeal is the lower section, which reaches the pinnacles for a modest 340m of ascent, and Walkhighlands calls the walk deservedly very popular. The path suits a walker who can start early and tolerate company, and it does not suit anyone hoping for solitude, though Walkhighlands’ own route branches left to leave most of the crowd; Ordnance Survey Explorer 408 covers the ground, and Bla Bheinn is the alternative for a full mountain day rather than a two-hour outing.