Hiking Old Man of Storr in Scotland

The Old Man of Storr is one of the Isle of Skye's most popular hikes and rightfully so. Despite being a challenge, this 2.4 mile out and back trail ended up being one of the highlights of my trip to Scotland.

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We pulled into the lot around 1pm and I was shocked to see only 5 other cars. Even though the parking lot is a decent size, everything I read online prior to going said it fills up quickly. I think since we were there a little later, we missed the early morning rush.

Note: There is a fee to park, which can be paid with the 'pay and display' machines located in the lot. There are also toilets as well as a small shop selling souvenirs and coffee/pastries before the trailhead

The trail started out as a pretty steep gravel path. In the words of Taylor Swift, "Are you ready for it?" *bass* boom boom boom. No, Taylor. No, I was not. HA. You think you're in decent shape by going to the gym every week, but hiking is a different level of physical activity.

Even though the clouds starting to roll in, the views were spectacular and made all the huffing and puffing worth it!

Eventually the path will split. If you stay right it is a quicker, steeper ascent or if you go left, if is longer more gradual route. We went right. Bring it on!

The trail went from gravel to uneven stone steps. It was at this moment it started to get really windy and the skies released a wintry mix of rain and snow. They're not kidding when they say weather in Scotland is unpredicatable and can change in a heartbeat! It ended up making the journey that much better though. We were laughing nonstop and I felt like Spongebob pushing through the wind, "The Krusty Krab pizza, is the pizza, for you and mee". Luckily we had our layers on including a waterproof jacket and hiking boots. These are my favorite, which kept me dry and warm.

We continued to climb and it started to flatten out as we reached the top.

It was nice because we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves! What a treat

As we hit the summit, the winds were extra powerful. So much so it was hard to breathe and I probably could have done a trust fall with the wind holding me up.

There wasn't a set "end" to the trail per se, but between the strong gusts of wind and the snow starting back up, that's when we decided to turn around. It was a much easier descent down (as it always tends to be) and I felt so accomplished as I encouraged the people dying on their way up asking us "how much longer?". The views truly were some of the best I've seen and I felt like I was in a fairytale.

Overall you should allow about 1.5-2hr to complete the trail with stops for pictures (and breathing).