Old Man of Storr, Scotland

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The Old Man of Storr is a large pinnacle of rock located on the north of the Isle of Skye, in Scotland, in an area known as ‘Trotternish’. The 50m-high rocky outcrop of crumbling basalt is prominent above the road 6 miles north of Portree and can be seen for miles around. It is also the highest point of the Trotternish Ridge. The entire Trotternish ridge area was formed by a massive ancient landside, and the Storr, which is composed mainly of ancient lava flows, is the most easily recognizable landmark on the island and one of the most photographed. Indeed, the opening scenes in the Ridley Scott's 2012 movie Prometheus were shot at the Old Man of Storr.

Legend has it that the Old Man of Storr gets its name because the rock outline and the protruding pinnacle resemble that of the face of an old man. “Storr” itself is Norse in origin and is thought to mean “Great Man”. This seemingly unclimbable pinnacle was first scaled in 1955 by English mountaineer Don Whillans, a feat that has been repeated only a handful of times since.















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