There’s no real end to this hike, no signpost saying “you are here”  (or cheerleaders congratulating the less-than-fit for making it to the top), or an obvious summit with the best view. When he was laid to rest upon his death, his thumb—the “Old Man”—remained partially above ground.” Photo by Tre Dunham One of the enduring stories relating to the Old Man of Storr is that it was the thumb of a giant who when he died became buried in the earth. Hopefully we can make it one day and do this hike. As a popular hotspot for hikers and photographers, the parking was almost full even though we reached early (about 930am), and cars were spilling onto the layby along the main road. As someone in their mid-twenties who lifts weights, dances, and is in generally good shape, I found this trail to be pretty easy. BUt straight up and back down can easily be done in the given time frame. The Old Man of Storr looks like a fun hike with a good little story behind it. I just did the Highline Trail a couple of weeks ago and that’s no joke. 2 - Old Man of Storr This is probably the most famous walk on the Island and definitely the busiest. (As you drive north on A855 out of Portree, a quarter-mile before you reach the Old Man of Storr lot, there’s a gravel lot by a bus stop on the right. But while getting lost isn’t a concern, staying upright may be. The Old Man of Storr is iconic Scotland: spiky pinnacles of rock set against the backdrop of rolling green hills and the coastline of the Isle of Skye. I love history and was really pleased to come across your blog its wonderful! In the picture above, there’s a rock outcrop that many hikers choose to scramble on top of as their “end of hike” spot. Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock and Lealt Falls Further north along the isle, in the Trotternish peninsula, we stopped to admire the Old Man of Storr. Which meant we were free to take lots of pictures without getting in anyone’s way! Pinnacles of volcanic rock jut up from the earth in seemingly random places, fairies flit around pools tucked into verdant glens, waterfalls spring from treeless moors and tumble across highways, and craggy, forbidding mountains create an imposing skyline. The Storr is actually the highest point on the Trotternish ridge above the pinnacle, hence the name 'old man of Storr' Geology - The Trotternish ridge is the longest geological landslip in Great Britain. If you’re thinking about checking out an Isle of Skye hike, I definitely recommend paying the Old Man of Storr! In January 2012, production of the science-fiction film Prometheus moved to the Isle of Skye, with filming taking place at the Old Man of Storr. This is a legend that comes from Gaelic mythology. I have lived on Skye my entire life and have never heard any of these stories. You can’t beat those views! Location: Old Man of Storr and car park 6 miles north from the village of Portree at an elevation of 2,300 feet Where We Camped: Torvaig Campsite & Caravan Park The Hike: 3.8km route, about 1.30 min or 3 hours round trip. Beginning the unmaintained 2nd half of the trail. Another legend tells of a man and his wife who were running away from some giants. The Old Man is a large standing formation of rock part of … Legends are great to hear, but we can also usually find scientific explanations behind every event. I feel like I just hiked with you, you know, while sitting on my butt and sitting coffee…. We’ve done most of the hardest hikes as well as a lot of climbing in Wales and The Lake District so doing more in Scotland is an aim of ours and there’s a lot on Skye we have in mind including this hike so this is really useful for us. Epic 8-Day Scotland Itinerary - Pink Caddy Travelogue. But when we got up to the saddle, the wind came pummeling over the ridge – my mom actually crouched down so that the howling gusts wouldn’t bowl her 5ft-even self off the mountain! Those views are a just reward for that effort! Legend has it that Old Man of Storr was a giant who had lived in Trotternish. The pinnacle is thought to be the remains of an ancient volcanic plug from the Tertiary period. Please tell me your “Old Man Of Storr is a breeze” pun is intended! It didn’t use to be this way though. Will be back again soon. The Legend of the Old Man of the Mountain (Myths, Legends, Fairy and Folktales) [Ortakales, Denise, Crawford, Robert] on Amazon.com. This was definitely a great shorter hike, but I have no idea there are incredible all-day hikes on Skye too. Sleeping at Portree and starting the hike early in the morning is a great option to get parking and beat the crowds. The Old Man of Storr is part of the Trotternish Ridge which is about a 10 minute drive north of Portree, the main town on the island. Yeah, I’m amazed they still go on hikes with me too hahaha. Or at least it did until someone with stickers decided to edit it. I can’t wait to get to the Isle of Skye! I love hikes, especially when they include views like this! Finding great hikes when I travel is one of my favorite things. Read on for my crazy stories from the road, and tips to help you in your own travels! A man who walked up the hill every evening with his small wife found one day that they had grown too old and his wife could no longer climb to the top to join him. Learn how your comment data is processed. Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. *. For everyone else, well…it’s only 2ish miles! From the parking lot, you can see the whole length of the trail as it snakes its way over the moor and up the mountain to the Old Man. One day whilst the brownie was away, O’Sheen died of a broken heart following the death of his wife. I would love to visit the Isle of Skye one day! I love the scenery and have long been fascinated with the Isle of Skye. Rallying a five man team, the adventurer set out with highliners, Benjamin Kofler When you’re not picking your way over rocks and around mini-lochs and mud puddles, look behind you – you can see why doing an Isle of Skye hike is an amazing way to better appreciate the island. “Storr” is the Norse word for “great man” and is the name for a cluster of volcanic rocks that includes the “Old Man” that the hike visits. But the owners of those cars were so spread out along the trail that it didn’t look packed. On the way back down, we had to pay a visit to the Old Man of Storr (after all, that’s who we came to see!). THE OLD MAN OF STORR The Storr is a majestic rocky cliff located on the very popular Trotternish Ridge. ( Log Out /  Can anyone do it? As I mentioned, the Isle of Skye is characteristically windswept, barren, almost treeless. They are said to resemble a hobgoblin. It is the most crowded between 10 am and 3 pm. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. With so much natural beauty, Skye is a hiker’s paradise. Thank you!! it looks stunning & your photos are amazing , Interesting post! Unlike in Victorian stories where fairies are depicted as small, cute and harmless, people in the past had a very different view of them. While the first half of the trail would be fine to hike up in any kind of weather, the second would be really dicey in slick conditions – which, being Scotland, is very common. Close to the rock jumble, there’s a sign that says not to go any farther because of the possibility of falling rocks. And thank you for sharing with the rest of us. Taking its name from the escarpment on which it stands, the Old Man of Storr is the most famous of the rocky basalt pinnacles which dot the landscape. Also nice how it’s not too long either! They didn’t leave the naming to me! It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. This had been our original goal (ok, MY goal; my mom was less enthused about hiking MORE uphill than was necessary); at least, until a young man passed us on the way down with blood dripping down his legs, telling us how the wind had knocked him over while standing on top of the rock. However, we will here get deeper into the facts. The Old Man of Storr is a popular but beautiful Isle of Skye hike! And once we were past that saddle, we left both the wind and most of the other hikers behind us. We’ve done a lot of hiking and a lot in the UK but not as much up in Scotland as we want to. My mom’s hiking shoes didn’t have much traction, and it was rough going for her, especially on the way back down. Like last year, when I *accidentally* took my parents on a 16-mile hike on Glacier’s Highline Trail. Yes, the car park was filled to capacity. When the rest of the ground was moving because of the landslips, a particular mineral was able to differentiate itself from the others: the gyrolite. The carpark is very obvious, mainly because you’ll see the Old Man of Storr as you’re driving along the A855 and then it’s just a matter of stopping once you see the car park on the left side of the road (when travelling from Portree). & The Isle of Skye is something I would 100% visit! Another version is that whilst fleeing from attackers, two giants, an old man and his wife made the unfortunate decision to look back and as they did so were turned to stone. Hills & Mountains The Old Man of Storr is situated in the north of the Isle of Skye in the Trotternish area. Miss Jessel and I love delving into the weird and unusual aspects of history and folklore, I hope you enjoy reading more of our posts! This was actually my first UK hike, but I definitely want to go back and do more! 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