📌 Trotternish, Isle of Skye
★★★★
The Old Man of Storr attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, but very few venture to the top of the cliffs which form the backdrop to so many of their photographs. The true summit of The Storr reaches 719m above sea level and forms part of the Trotternish ridge; its dramatic eastern cliffs contrast with its gentler, grassy western slopes. It’s still well worth exploring the rock architecture below the cliffs first though, before traversing above the crags of Coire Scamadal to gain the summit ridge.
📷 Chronological photo guide
The Storr from the approach path 
Ridge on the southern edge of the formations 
Storr Lochs from the southern ridge 
The Storr from the southern ridge 
Old Man of Storr 
The Sanctuary 
The Cathedral 
View back to the Cathedral – with windows 
Approaching the 504m viewpoint 
Old Man of Storr from the 504m viewpoint 
Coire Scamadal 
Coire above Coire Scamadal 
Coire above Coire Scamadal 
View west from the summit approach 
The Storr’s eastern “breakaway” summit 
The Storr summit 
View north along the Trotternish ridge 
View south along the Trotternish ridge 
The Storr & Old Man of Storr from the descent 
Looking south along the ridge from before the gully descent 
Start of the gully descent 
Looking back up the gully 
Faint paths for the return to the road 
The Storr from the final section
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish on A855 6 mi north of Portree, Skye
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NG 509530
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.497866,-6.158759
🚌 Bus stops at car park
🚗 Car park (charge)
📝 Key info
▶ 10 km / 6 mi | ▲ 650 m | ⌛ 4-4.5 hr
Features: ⛰️ Old Man of Storr, Cathedral & other rock formations below The Storr; △ Unnamed summit / viewpoint (504 m); △ The Storr (719 m, “Torbett”)
⬤ Tough | Paths for most of route, some narrow / steep sections. Some pathless ground, mostly around the summit & also before reaching A855.
Download file for GPS➡️ Anticlockwise circuit: start – path junction at 🧭 NG 502538 – ridge to south of the Old Man – the Sanctuary to northwest of Old Man of Storr – Cathedral – unnamed 504m summit / viewpoint – 589m spot height above Coire Scamadal – The Storr – descend via gully below Bealach Beag – join A855 at 🧭 NG 502505 – start via verge
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Sheep & newborn lambs, possibly an eagle, rabbits, stonechats, wheatears.
Weather: Mostly sunny at first, becoming cloudy on descent. Very gusty wind high up, temperature in low teens.
May 2022
