Old man of storr

The Storr is a rocky hill on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye. The hill presents a steep rocky eastern face overlooking the Sound of Raasay, contrasting with gentler grassy slopes to the west.

The Storr is prime example of the Trotternish landslip, the longest such feature in Great Britain.

The area in front of the cliffs of The Storr is known as The Sanctuary. This has a number of weirdly shaped rock pinnacles, the remains of ancient volcanic plugs. One of the most famous of these is known as The Old Man of Storr.

A well constructed path, used by many sightseers, leaves the A855 just north of Loch Leathan. It heads up through an area of forestry, with glimpses of the scenery beyond. After about 1 mile (1.6 km) the walker emerges from the trees, into a spectacular, almost lunar, landscape.

Most day-trippers are content simply to wander around The Sanctuary, admiring the pinnacles and gazing up at cliffs of The Storr. Walkers can easily ascend to the summit however by skirting below the cliffs whilst heading north. After passing over a fence and climbing a brief steep section of loose rock, the recommended route heads north west as far as Coire Scamadal, 1 km north of the summit, then doubling back and heading southwards, climbing towards the summit. From this route, visible breaks in the cliffs offer tempting short cuts, but these are steep, may not save time and may not be safe.

An alternative route to or from the summit starts 500 metres south west of the car park and heads north west to Bealach Beag, about 1 km south west of the summit, following the course of a stream which breaches the cliffs. A steep section of this course is slippery and requires care.

The Storr is often climbed as part of a much longer expedition, following the full length of the Trotternish landslip.

From 1 August to 17 September 2005 one of Britain's single largest environmental artworks was staged on the walk up to Coire Faoin at the base of The Old Man of Storr and the Storr cliffs. Created by NVA, a Scottish environmental arts company directed by Angus Farquhar (formerly of Test Dept) and designed by a team including and David Bryant, the work contained music by Geir Jenssen, Paul Mounsey, live performance by Gaelic singer Anne Martin and recordings of the works of Gaelic poet Somhairle MacGill-Eain.

credited to wikipedia and flickr:hobo suze,robert mclean,eebrierley,SePp 81