Isle of Skye 
T1
Parking lot Quiraing Road (257 m) – Fir Bheugach (350 m) – Sron Vourlinn (385 m) – Fir Bheugach (350 m) – Parking lot Quiraing Road (257 m)
Overall an easy mountain hike, leading along wide, paved paths and small, partly stony tracks. The terrain is very gentle up to the viewpoint east of the Storr. Take care at the viewpoint, as its plateau drops steeply down rocky slopes. The narrow paths can be muddy in wet weather. A minimum level of sure-footedness is required for the walk to the viewpoint.
From Portree on the A855, head north via Port Faithle towards Staffin. After passing Loch Fada and Loch Leathan, you will reach the starting point for the Old Man of Storr, which is on the left-hand side (a good 10 kilometres from Portree). There is a small car park on the left-hand side of the road, and further parking is available along the country road.
57.49785500, -6.15878100
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At the foot of the forbidding rock face of the Storr, the bizarre towers of the Old Man of Storr watch over the Sound of Raasay, the strait between the Isle of Skye and the island of Raasay. The rock formations are among the absolute highlights of Skye and are consequently very popular. From the road between Portree and Staffin, the foot of the Old Man can be reached in three quarters of an hour. Most visitors are drawn from there up to a viewpoint situated east of the Storr. From the spacious plateau, which you reach after a total walking time of just under an hour, you can enjoy a magnificent view over the Old Man of Storr to Loch Leathan and the Sound of Raasay. Whether before or after the climb to the viewpoint, you should definitely take the time to explore the base of these imposing rock formations. On the way back, we take a detour onto the less-frequented Lochan Loop, which leads us to a pretty mountain loch and allows us to avoid oncoming traffic, at least in part.
The path up to the Old Man of Storr begins on the west side of the A855. There are two information boards about the rock formations, as well as an overview map of the Storr Path. After the information boards, we pass through a gate in the pasture fence and walk uphill along a wide path heading north. After a left-hand and a right-hand bend, we come to a junction. Here we take the path to the right, leaving the Lochan Loop to our left, and continue walking uphill in a north-westerly direction. We head towards the forbidding rock faces of the mighty Storr. At 719 metres, ‘The Storr’ marks the highest point of the Trotternish Peninsula. We subsequently pass through two more gates and come to a fork at an altitude of 315 metres.
At this point, the Storr Path and the Lochan Loop meet again. We will take the Lochan Loop later for the descent.
We maintain our general direction and continue walking north-west towards the Storr. Shortly afterwards, the wide path ends and gives way to a dirt track that is partly stony. This now leads us uphill in many short hairpin bends and is significantly steeper. Slowly, the rock formations of the Old Man of Storr are drawing closer. At an altitude of 380 metres, a path branches off to the right, leading to a small grassy hill. From here, you can enjoy a beautiful view across the Sound of Raasay to the island of Raasay and Loch Leathan. Back on the path, we continue our ascent and reach the foot of the rock towers after just under three quarters of an hour.
The highest of the rock spires rises 48 metres into the sky. In 1955, Don Whillans made the first documented ascent. To the right, we look out over a small mountain lake, nestled 400 metres above the Sound of Raasay into the lush green, undulating landscape. The best view is from the viewpoint, a good 100 metres higher up, to the east of Storr. We therefore continue our ascent in a north-westerly direction, heading along the small path towards the saddle between Storr and the viewpoint. Once at the saddle, we turn right and follow the broad grassy ridge up to the spacious plateau (504 m). Here, a completely new perspective opens up on the jagged towers and Loch Leathan beyond.
We walk back down the ascent route until we reach a junction at an altitude of 315 metres. Here, we turn right onto the Lochan Loop. The easy path leads us downhill in a south-westerly direction and later makes a sweeping left-hand bend. Heading east, we pass Lochan and later rejoin the Storr Path. We then turn right and walk down to the car park on the A855.
Starting from the saddle below the viewpoint, it is still possible to reach the summit of The Storr. To do this, cross over the pasture fence and, after a left and a right bend, head into the grassy flank of the Storr. After traversing northwards, take a left-hand bend at a junction towards the ridge of the Storr and climb southwards to the summit (not in stormy weather or poor visibility!).
No places for refreshments along the way. You can find places to refuel in Portree, 10 kilometres away.
