My Hike to The Old Man of Storr ~ Isle of Skye

The Trotternish Ridge and The Old Man

This is what I couldn't wait to see. The Old Man of Storr. Only, you have to hike up to it so I spent months hiking in Griffith Park so I wouldn't get half way up and have to turn around. It's rated "medium" difficulty but if you are completely out of shape (which I had been) it would be rated higher! I had sent photos of the actual hike (from the internet) to my parents and they decided to sit this one out.

It's only 4km but of course, it's up hill.

We'd seen it from the road on our way up to the Quiraing the night before and if you look closely you can see what looks like a little finger pointing up from the side of the mountain. It sure didn't look very far from this angle.

We knew it was supposed to start raining by about 1pm so I figured that I should leave no later 10am from the car park. It should only take a couple of hours. First breakfast. We headed just off the town square for a big Scottish Breakfast and I put a protein bar in my pocket. 

I knew I should be very hydrated but I also knew there would be no bathrooms and possibly nowhere to hide my fanny in an emergency bladder situation. So, I drank a ton of water before bed and then again when I woke up in the morning. I also made sure not to drink tea or coffee. For the most part it was a good plan. 

My parents dropped me at the bottom and headed to the grocery store and said they'd be back in a couple of hours to wait for me. Doubtful the phone would get a signal. 

It's kind of a perfect hike because it starts out with only a tiny incline. My boyfriend says to start at a grandma pace and then after a bit gradually pick up your pace. It's good advice. People were blowing past me in the beginning and I past them later.

Mind you, this was the second half of August, which I read is already considered going into fall. I had on a wool Hanro tank, a long sleeve zip neck ski t-shirt, a patagonia vest, wool leggings under my hiking pants and my lightweight down patagonia jacket. You can see that at this point I didn't need the fleece (which is tied around me) yet but with the cool breeze I definitely need the wool hat and scarf. (I got that hat for 5 pounds in Edinburgh!)

Already the views were beautiful!

The incline picks up a little but then it flattens out again at this gate.

Apparently, much of this area was forested but not with native trees so they were felled. Now they've started planting native trees as you can see indicated on the sign below.

This might have been the 3rd or 4th gate. When you hike in Scotland, always close gates behind you! Often you are keeping sheep out or in and protecting the land. 

Because this area flattens out it becomes quite muddy. My mom said later that the bottom of my hiking pants looked like I was working in the oil fields. They were black. Very boggy.

And now you head up.

Looking back down you can see the wet boggy area reflecting the light.

The views were gorgeous and thank goodness. It's the incentive I needed to keep going because at this point I was feeling it in my quads and calves. Thankfully, I had the added incentive that I'd told all my friends I was doing this hike! Of course, no one wants to have to tell folks they wimped out. It was all part of my master plan!

There was a tiny worry that I wouldn't even see the Old Man of Storr if it was too socked in with clouds or fog. On the way up you can't really see it anyway because of the angle but I finally caught a glimpse at some point and that gave me the energy to keep going. Obviously, the above vantage point was not it but you can see why I had a little concern.

Yay!!! You sort of have to get past it to really see it really well. The highest pointy part in this next photo is the Old Man of Storr and for size reference you can see tiny humans between the rock formations.

By this time, I was over the moon elated! I'd made it. It's not the longest hike but there is a bit of an incline. I knew at that point I could make it to the lookout where I'd seen so many photos taken, so I followed some other folks along a trail to the right of the Storr ...

This was it ... this is what I had done all those Griffith Park hikes for. This was the view of Skye I had hoped to see. Magnificent.



The Storr, which is made up of crumbling basalt, was created by a massive ancient landside! It's called the Old Man because the pinnacle is said to have a profile of a man. Maybe from the other side?

There were three young Frenchman trying to take a selfie on the lookout plateau. I offered them help and they reciprocated. As you can see, I was a little excited.

As you can also see, the wind was now blowing pretty hard!!

And then the rain started.

Climbing down off the plateau rain started to hit my face and glasses and the wind was crazy! I pulled a plastic rain poncho out of my pocket but the wind made it almost impossible to get over my head as it whipped around me! 

The wind was blowing everything sideways and I was getting all wet anyway! My clear plastic poncho was flapping about so crazily it was actually loud in my ears and doing nothing to help shield me from the rain. I must have looked like I was being attacked by a mad plastic garbage bag!

My glasses were completely covered with water and with what seemed to be plastic wings flapping about me, I couldn't see a thing. I figured I'd rather be wet than thrown down the mountain by my supposed rain protection so after couple hundred feet I ripping the thing off and shoved it in my pocket. 

At this point most everyone was trying to find the quickest way down and it was getting progressively muddier but I managed to find an actual trail!

Here are are a few video clips of the hike, after a couple of other snipets! As you can hear, the wind is hilariously loud on the video and I had to try to keep the camera from shaking! 

It was feeling hot with all the excitement and when the rain started to subside I finally pulled my hat off! I realized the hat hat been helpful in keeping my hair somewhat in control. By now I was just laughing my way down the mountain trying to be mindful of every step, as most accidents happen on your way down! 

Glaciers and lava flows have made Skye into a place of otherworldly beauty. 

I just love it!

Then light began to peak through the clouds. I was almost done.

And it was totally worth it.

My pastel of the Storr isn't finished but it's fun to play with! I might have to do an oil painting of it for my December art show!

Walking Highlands -The Old Man of Storr (Great Hiking guide 
with downloadable maps etc!)
Old Man of Storr Hike info -Isle of Skye
Wilderness Scotland

Day dawns with a wind from the west

and clouds that sit halfway down the hill.

How long, my dear, have we known this place?

Let's say more than fifty years, to be safe,

fifty years, five decades, six hundred months plus,

and the weeks and the days and the hours

must accrue uncounted, for calculation

adds little to the balance of life's experience.

Things seen and done add to memory,

are shuffled like cards in a pack, 

come to the top in ways we can't determine.

Remember this then: that here we stand,

together, once and fifty times, and this remains.

~Colin Will

from The Night I Danced with Maya