Old Man of Storr

The Old Man of Storr is perhaps the single most iconic hillwalk on Skye, climbing to a dramatic cluster of ancient rock pinnacles beneath the towering cliffs of the Trotternish Ridge, with sweeping views across Raasay to the mainland mountains beyond.

The route starts from the large, chargeable car park just off the A855 north of Portree, with toilets on site — arrive early, as the car park fills quickly and can become severely congested in summer. From the car park, a well-constructed path climbs steadily through forestry and open hillside, passing through a series of gates, with the strange, needle-like pinnacles of the Storr coming into ever-closer view ahead. The gradient increases as the path nears the base of the formations, with a network of paths weaving between the boulders and grassy slopes beneath the crags.

The Old Man himself — a 50-metre basalt pinnacle, thought to be the remains of an ancient landslip — dominates the scene, framed by the sheer cliffs of the Trotternish escarpment rising behind. The views from here are magnificent: across the Sound of Raasay to that island and the mainland mountains beyond, and back down over Loch Leathan and Loch Fada far below. Most walkers explore the immediate area around the pinnacles before returning by the same path, though the more adventurous can continue further along the escarpment for even finer views.

This is a genuinely popular and increasingly well-maintained path, though the final approach to the pinnacles is steep and can be slippery in wet weather, and appropriate footwear is essential given the changeable conditions typical of this exposed hillside.

Parking at the Old Man of Storr car park is chargeable; a bus service runs from Portree.