Old Man of Hoy

About this spectacle

Rising from the sea off the northwest coast of Hoy, in Orkney, the Old Man of Hoy is one of Britain's most dramatic sea stacks. A pillar of red Old Red Sandstone towers above the churning North Atlantic, its layered geology exposed by centuries of relentless wave action. Visitors who make the cross-island hike are rewarded with vertiginous clifftop views, the cry of seabirds riding the updrafts, and the raw elemental force of the Pentland Firth below. The stack is a classic of British rock-climbing, and on calm days you may spot climbers inching up its sheer faces. The surrounding moorland and coastal heath are alive with wildflowers in summer, and the walk itself offers sweeping panoramas across to the Scottish mainland. Wind is the constant companion here — brace yourself at the cliff edge and absorb one of northern Scotland's most iconic wild landscapes.

When to go

Apr — Sep, peak May — Aug

Getting there

Nearest airport: KOI. Nearest city: Kirkwall.

Booking options

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