The Storr & the Old Man of Storr loop from Loch Leathan — Isle of Skye

The Old Man of Storr stands 158 feet (48 m) high, towering against a backdrop of the craggy Storr cliffs. It’s one of two iconic features on the Trotternish landslip, the other being the dramatic rock formations of the Quiraing. The landslip, which runs for 20 miles (30 km) along the length of the peninsula, is one of the most fascinating and photographed landscapes in Scotland.

Running this Tour takes you from the pretty lowland lochs up into the wild highlands. You’ll climb through the landslip, passing the Old Man of Storr and Needle Rock before reaching the trig point and the Tour’s high point on the Storr at 2,359 feet (719 m). Packing 1,837 feet (560 m) of ascent into 4.7 miles (7.5 km), it’s a challenging climb but well worth it for the experience and the views. Take a moment to catch your breath and gaze down over the Old Man, the twisted rock formations, over Loch Leathan and across to Raasay and the Applecross peninsula. The descent is fun and fast, starting out steep as you drop off the ridge and then taking in a long stretch of flowing and exhilarating running.

The trails up to the Old Man are clear, gravely and well-maintained. Higher up, they see less foot traffic and can be muddy, so we’d suggest trail or fell running shoes with decent grip for this loop. It’s exposed on top and can be much colder than the start down at Loch Leathan, so take an extra jacket, emergency kit and some food and water. You won’t find any refreshments on route.

The Tour starts from a car park on the A835 at the northern tip of Loch Leathan. There’s a regular bus from Portree that follows the A835 and stops at the Old Man of Storr car park.

The town of Portree, to the south, offers plenty of food and accommodation options as well as an outdoor shop for any last-minute kit.