The Storr

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The Storr
The Storr, seen from the west
Elevation	719 m (2385 ft)
Location	Trotternish, Skye, Scotland
Prominence	c. 674 m
Topo map	Ordnance Survey Landranger 23
OS grid reference	NG495540
Listing	Graham, Marilyn
Translation	Great man (Old Norse)

The Storr is a rocky hill on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye. The hill presents a steep rocky eastern face overlooking the Sound of Raasay, contrasting with gentler grassy slopes to the west.

The Storr is prime example of the Trotternish landslip, the longest such feature in Great Britain.

The area in front of the cliffs of The Storr is known as The Sanctuary. This has a number of weirdly shaped rock pinnacles, the remains of ancient volcanic plugs. One of the most famous of these is known as The Old Man of Storr.

A well constructed path, used by many sightseers, leaves the A855 just north of Loch Leathan. It heads up through an area of forestry, with glimpses of the scenery beyond. After about 1.5 km the walker emerges from the trees, into a spectacular, almost lunar, landscape.

Most day-trippers are content simply to wander around The Sanctuary, admiring the pinnacles and gazing up at cliffs of The Storr. Walkers can easily ascend to the summit however by skirting below the cliffs whilst heading north. After passing over a fence and climbing a brief steep section of loose rock, the main ridge is reached. This can then be followed by doubling back and heading southwards, climbing towards the summit.

The Storr is often climbed as part of a much longer expedition, following the full length of the Trotternish landslip.

From 1 August to 17 September 2005 one of Britain's single largest environmental artworks was staged on the walk up to Coire Faoin at the base of The Old Man of Storr and the Storr cliffs. Created by NVA, a Scottish environmental arts company directed by Angus Farquhar (formerly of Test Dept) and designed by a team including "<slight>" and David Bryant, the work contained music by Geir Jenssen, Paul Mounsey, live performance by Gaelic singer Anne Martin and recordings of the works of Gaelic poet Somhairle MacGill-Eain (Sorley MacLean).