Wotae: 24.08.2019
After two days of road trip, I want to go hiking again, and the Isle of Skye has some beautiful trails to offer.
We decide to hike to the Old Man of Storr, a rock above the coast with the shape of a standing stone. To get there, we drive to the Trotternish Peninsula and don't have to search long for where the trail to the rock formations starts - crowds of visitors are included. It's uphill, and unusually the sun is shining from the blue sky. But the sweating is quickly rewarded: after a few minutes, you have a view of a lake, the sea, and the coastal strips of neighboring islands.
We continue to climb, and we are grateful for our sturdy hiking shoes: those who started motivated with sandals or even pumps give up on the way, and so it becomes emptier the higher we go. Finally, we also see the Old Man of Storr, and here too, those who continue walking are rewarded by being able to admire the rocks from different perspectives.
In the afternoon, we simply enjoy the sun on the meadow of the campsite and only move for a walk to the restaurant. Sunburn on the Isle of Skye - not everyone can claim that!
Conclusion:
The view is worth the hike to the Old Man of Storr (half to one hour one way, depending on fitness level and number of photos :) ), and it's also doable as a stopover on the 'journey'. But don't forget sturdy shoes, so you arrive safely up and then back down.
We want to go hiking again and choose a hiking route from our guidebook. The goal is the rock formation Quiraing in the north of Skye, and this time too, we are lucky with the weather. The single-track road to the starting parking lot is again a little adventure. We wonder again how we are supposed to find the right parking lot, but again, it's not a real problem given the numerous parked cars. The problem is rather the current construction site, which has caused less parking spaces than actually available and has caused a bit of traffic chaos. Therefore, my tip: Be early to avoid the crowds.
The described route (Marco Polo Adventure Tour No. 2, for those who want to walk it [no advertisement]) leads past exciting rock formations like 'Prison' or 'Needle'.
To the left of us, towering rock walls, to the right of us, the valley. The distance is 6.5 km, with 350 meters of altitude to climb before you reach the parking lot again at the end. There are some tourists/hikers there, but they quickly disperse, as not everyone walks the full loop.
With our dream weather, this is the ideal place for a break before going down and back to the car.
Conclusion:
I can also recommend this hike. Once you leave the first kilometer behind, it gets soon quieter, and you can enjoy the surroundings. Keep an eye on the weather.
Happily from all the beautiful moments in nature, we drive back to our campsite with a short detour to Portree (unfortunately, we didn't like it that much) - our beloved place of well-being.
The next day, we will leave the island again. It was definitely worth it!