Hiking the Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Hiking the Old Man of Storr is probably the closest attraction to Portree and something everyone should try and walk up! It not a particularly easy walk to be honest, but it is well worth the views, and hundreds of people complete it every day!
On a clear day, you can see the view across to Raasay and to the mainland of Scotland and astounding views of the pinnacles which reach far from the ground.
General Information
Drive from Portree: 15-20 minutes (6.3 miles)
Postcode: IV51 9HX
What3Words: ///coffee.wordplay.prop
Estimated walking and exploring time: 2.5-3 hours
What is the Old Man of Storr?
It was thought the Old Man of Storr was a giant who lived on Trotternish Ridge
When he was laid to rest, it is thought his thumb remained out of the ground. Resulting in the Storr.
Old Man of Storr is a big collection of pinnacle rocks. They stick up out of the earth really high into the sky. They are pretty beautiful to see up-close. But the view you also get from the top is amazing
How to Get to Old Man of Storr
One straight road out of Portree is A855, onto the Trotternish Peninsula. After Loch Leathan, the car parking for Old Man of Storr is on your left-hand side. Approximately a 20-minute drive north out of Portree.
Best Time to Hike Old Man of Storr
Weather in the Isle of Skye is more bipolar than the rest of Scotland and even when looking at the forecast, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be correct
Weather can be clear skies and sunshine one minute, and pouring down with rain the next. The weather can be entirely different all over Skye too
Point being, it is best to visit Old Man of Storr on a clear-ish day. To be able to see the amazing views below, but you can’t guarantee this even when looking at the forecast
Ed and I walked up Old Man of Storr when it was meant to be raining. It turned out to be was partially cloudy, a little bit of rain but mostly sunny. Completely different from the forecast.
We read somewhere, that if you cant see the Old Man from the road then there is no point.
Ed and I have been to the Isle of Skye twice. When we completed the North Coast 500, we added the Isle of Skye on the end for a few days
The weather was the worst we had ever experienced and we couldn’t do anything. We attempted to walk up when visiting the Old Man of Storr but with horizontal rain and really high winds, we were completely bombarded with the worst weather we had ever experienced.
I would try and judge the weather forecast as well as you can and try and walk up there when the weather ‘should be’ ok. Some rain is ok because we are waterproof after all. But if you aren’t going to be able to see any of the views, it isn’t half as good.
Parking at Old Man of Storr
For the last few years, they have been building more car parking due to the increase in tourism on the Isle of Skye. There is parking along one side of the road and they are building car parks.
When driving from Portree, there is a tiny parking area just as you reach the beginning of the Loch on the right. This is not the car park, so do not pull in as it seems some people do.
The start of the walk is much further along the road. Once you start to see a stream of cars after going up a small hill, that is the beginning of the parking.
You can pay for parking for around 3 hours (the generic time) which is £3. They have a very attentive warden who gives out tickets very easily for parking on double yellow lines or staying for longer.
By paying for parking you also have the opportunity to maintain the environment and they now have the ability to built the car park
Hiking up the Old Man of Storr
When starting the walk up the Storr, the walk is a continuous incline. The path starts from the road but due to building work, it changes where the start actually begins but its usually pretty obvious.
There is a winding path all the way up to near the top of the Storr, which although is a steep incline, is the fairly easy part.
Once you’ve been through the second gate and you get to flat ground you get a much better view of the Old Man of Storr but the path changes. When we visited this time, they had lots of rocks and materials to improve the path.
Because of the amount of tourism, and the awful rainy weather at times, even in the dry the path is extremely muddy.
People have also gone around the usual path due to them improving it which makes everything else muddy. It isn’t particularly difficult as long as you wear good shoes.
Ed and I wear our walking boots for everything and trainers won't be sufficient.
Many people think trainers are sturdy shoes and although usually really comfortable, the soles are usually thin and not good for walking in mud or over rocks.
As you continue more up to the Storr, you can start to turn around and see some of the amazing views from below as well as more close up of the Storr.
Once near the top, there is a lot to explore. There are general sunken paths in the rocks and the grass to where you can walk and explore. Ed and I enjoyed our lunch against a rock at the top!
Once you have finished exploring, you can retrace your steps back to the car parking.
The Perfect Guidebook
Whenever Ed and I are planning a new trip, our first stop is to buy the Lonely Planet guidebook! They are our favourite ones and are really reliable. Usually come with a pull out map of the biggest city, good suggestions of activities, where to stay and eat and things to do!
Where to Stay in Skye
Skye is hot on tourism! Therefore there are so many great places to stay.
Hotels can be the obvious choice, but there are also bnbs, hostels, and campsites if you're wanting to travel more on a budget
Packing for Skye
The weather in Scotland is all over the place! And walking up Old Man of Storr requires good shoes.
Ed and I wear our walking boots absolutely everywhere but we couldn't have done this walk very well without them. It also rained a lot, as it generally does in Skye, and therefore need a good waterproof coat!
When visiting the Isle of Skye, visiting Old Man of Storr is a must. Although the walk can be traitorous, it is best to be done in some of your better weather
It's hard to hold out for really good weather because Skye doesn’t really seem to get it often. But clear weather and the views will be amazing and well worth the walk up to the top
