recommended route
The Old Man of Storr Linear Walk
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The StorrPhoto: Catherine Allan, Macs Adventure
Starting from The Storr car park on the A855; your walk begins with a steep climb on good gravel paths then rocky steps, and changes to a faint path beneath the Old Man of Storr and continues on past the needle rock. Ascend to follow a level path beneath craggy cliffs. There is a promontory after the Old Man where you will get excellent views back over the area (which is very popular with photographers). This is a linear walk, with the possibility of extending to a trig-point and summit on the Trotternish Ridge in good weather, where you'll get rewarding views over to the Isles of Raasay and Rona.
We recommend taking a taxi to the start/end of the walk (around £12-15 each way; contact Gus’ Taxis: +44 (0) 1478 613000). Alternatively, you could take the 57 bus (the Storr car park is a request drop-off/pick-up stop – please flag down/signal to the driver).
Author’s recommendation
Track types
Safety information
The first half of the path is very well constructed but in an effort to maintain the wildness of the landscape the gravel paths ends below the Old Man of Storr. From here the path becomes fainter, and flattens out, but it's best to have sturdy footwear with you and to take care after heavy rainfall as the path could be muddy and very slippery (walking poles will also help in this case).Tips and hints
Points of Interest
Trotternish Ridge
The spectacular Trotternish Ridge and Old Man of Storr formations are the rest of time's influence on an unstable geological history. The bedrock geology here is formed of ancient lavas layered on top of a weak sedimentary base. Over time the sedimentary rocks have weakened and the weight of the weight of the lavas above has caused the ground to collapse in a series of landslides throughout hisotry. The latest is thought to be as recent as 15,000 years ago, but there are other old landslides that can be dated to before the ice ages of the Cenozoic era. The result is certainly a beautifully striking landscape, so unique and alien in appearance that Hollywood film director Ridley Scott used the Trotternish Ridge as a filming location for his science fiction film Prometheus.
Portree
Portree is a charming harbour and is the bustling capitol of the island. With it's colourful waterfront and many cafes, shops, restaurants it is a great base from where to explore the Isle of Skye.
Food & Drink
There's a Co-Op supermarket in Portree where you get a picnic lunch and snacks for the walk before setting off. There isn't anywhere to eat along the way so make sure bring enough a water for the hike. On arriving back in Portree you will find plenty of cafes, shops and restaurants; in the busy summer season we recommend calling ahead to make a booking for your evening meal.
Start
Destination
Turn-by-turn directions
0.00 km - Start at the carpark next to the stone pile/cairn that has the information poster for The Old Man of Storr on it, pass the cairn and continue STRAIGHT ON through the metal gate, following the path as it ascends and bears right.
0.18 km - Ignore the left turn, and stay on the track continuing STRAIGHT ON.
1.20 km - Continue STRAIGHT ON through the metal gate and continue on the path as it ascends.
1.60 km - As the path levels out, you will see the Old Man of Storr on your left. Be careful of falling and loose rocks as you continue STRAIGHT ON as the path begins to ascend again.
2.10 km - At the top of the hill, leave the main path briefly to take advantage of a view spot. TURN RIGHT on to a stone outcrop, being careful of the drop, then head back to the path and TURN RIGHT over a small fence using the step provided as the path arcs to the left.
2.30 km - The path ascends steeply with an easy scramble up a rocky surface, then the path arcs to the right, continue STRAIGHT ON.
3.40 km - BEAR LEFT away from the path until you see a gap in the rocks above you after 30 metres, BEAR LEFT again to head through the gap.
4.40 km – Continue STRAIGHT ON over a short section of scree (faint path) to continue on the path on the other side.
4.80 km – Continue STRAIGHT ON across a stile – again do be careful as you need to climb over the barbed wire.
6.10 km – BEAR LEFT then continue on the obvious path back down to the car park (passing through 3 wooden gates on the way) to where you started your walk.
7.20 km – Finish at the road by the Storr car park.
Note
Coordinates
Equipment
Being on a mixture of well established track, and faint paths you can wear either hiking boots or hiking shoes if you prefer. The weather in Scotland can be variable all year so make sure you have waterproofs, warm layers and a hat, buff/scarf, and gloves with you. You may also like to use walking poles as these can help by taking some pressure off your knees on steep slopes, or help with balance when the ground underfoot could be slippery. As ever it's always good to take some snacks and plenty of water to have along the way.Statistics
- 2 Waypoints
- 2 Waypoints
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