Old Man of Storr
When you think of Isle of Skye, the Old Man of Storr is probably the first place that comes to mind. It's dramatic, eerie, ancient, and nothing short of iconic. Even so, this hike still blew my expectations. Most of the photos online are from the same angle, which led me to think that this was merely a “viewpoint” hike to see a cluster of interesting-shaped rocks. In reality, there is an abundance of trails zig-zagging across the rocky hill; some lead right up to the base of the jagged pinnacles while others lead to vantage points farther away. Each step offers a different perspective of these amazing rock formations. No photo can convey the feeling of actually being there, taking in the grand scale of the landscape.
How to get there
The parking lot for the Storr hike is located right on the main road of the Trotternish loop, and is only a 15-minute drive north from Portree. As you approach, you might be able to catch the pointy Old Man of Storr sticking up from the hillside. When you're actually at the parking lot though, you won't be able to see anything as it is a steep uphill hike to the rock formations.
Tips for visiting
This is unquestionably a sunrise spot (in terms of photography). When the sun rises, it lights up the eastward facing rock formations and the surrounding hillside. When the sun sets, it sets behind the cliffs of the Trotternish ridge, which means that the rock formations blend into the shadows. Of course, if there is no sun, none of this matters as much.
The round trip hike to the Old Man of Storr takes no more than 2 hours, but definitely allot more time if you want to explore more trails. If it is raining/foggy, the trail gets very muddy and rock surfaces get impossibly slippery. Continuously reassess whether it is safe to continue hiking, and don't underestimate the danger of the combination of rain + fog + wind.
During our 4 days on Isle of Skye, we had enough time to be able to visit the Storr three times, each time in drastically different weather.
The hike from the parking lot to the Old Man of Storr formations is relentlessly steep. The first time we visited, the visibility was so low from the fog that we almost decided to not do the hike. I think the groups of other hikers leaving their cars and venturing past the entrance gate despite the dreary weather encouraged us to follow suit. Thus ensued about an hour of painful, uphill trudging while the wind blew our cold wet hair into our faces. I also had a number of fear-for-my-life moments climbing around the base of the Old Man because the wet rock was incredibly slippery. The sad thing is when we finally reached the Old Man of Storr, we could barely see it as it was obscured by dense fog. In spite of the terrible weather, I still love the photos I was able to get that day. The periodic breaks in the fog floating by revealed glimpses of the otherwordly landscape.
The second time we visited, it was around sunset time. The weather was beautiful that day, but we knew we didn't have enough time to complete the hike. We also discovered as we hiked closer that sunset was really not a great time to the Old Man of Storr since the rock formations are barely visible in the shadow of the cliffs behind them. We hiked high enough to get a view of Loch Leathan and then turned back.
The third time we visited, we weren't lucky enough to get sunshine and it was still ridiculously windy at some points, but the clouds were high and the conditions were relatively dry. After an uneventful third ascent, we were finally able to experience the classic Old Man of Storr views unobscured.
The hike was simply incredible. The "failed" attempts probably made this third attempt even more rewarding. We spent over an hour following trails to see where they would take us, climbing rocks, and appreciating the endless views.
