The Storr Summit and the Quiraing

  • Height: 2358 ft
  • Distance: 4 miles
  • Difficulty: Hard.
  • Total Time: Allow about 3 – 4 hours.
  • Navigation: The paths are not clear and some navigation may be required, especially on the return route.
  • Starting Point: Car park beyond Lochan Leathan on the A855 Portree-Staffin road (GR503525).
  • Public Transport: Bus service from Portree-Staffin.

This is an exhilarating walk to a viewpoint above the Storr and Sanctuary. It is a fairly straightforward walk, though the descent from the Storr back to the Sanctuary can be difficult to navigate, and the scree slopes should be avoided! Stout boots are essential. Do not attempt this walk in the mist or heavy cloud.

Drive north from Portree towards Staffin, parking beyond Lochan Leathan at the car park for the walk to the Storr (GR503525). Walk back along the road to the point where the forest begins, and climb up the clear path which runs alongside a wall at the edge of the forest. This path leads directly up to the Sanctuary and the Storr.

Where the path turns to the right, you should strike across open ground to the lowest point in the cliffs facing you. There is a stream and a rocky path, which is easy to climb up. From here it is a straightforward climb up to the summit of the Storr.

Just head for the highest point, carefully avoiding the cliffs on your right-hand side. There is a cairn at the summit, where you should pause to take in the views. From here, on a good day, you can see north-east to Suilven, east to Torridon, north-west to Lewis, north along the Trotternish Ridge to the Quiraing, and south to Rhum and Eigg. Now continue north until you reach a small river beside a short gully. Descend the short gully to find yourself on a broad grassy path which leads back to the Sanctuary and the Storr.

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The Storr Summit and Old Man of Storr,
and the Old Man of Storr on the return route from the Storr Summit

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View from the summit of the Storr.

storr

Map of walk to the Storr Summit
and Old Man of Storr.

Map Required:

OS Landranger 23: North Skye

The Quiraing and the Table

  • Height: 950 ft
  • Distance: 4 miles
  • Difficulty: Hard.
  • Total Time: Allow about 2 – 3 hours.
  • Navigation: The paths are clear, but the terrain is rough and the climb steep.
  • Starting Point: Car park on the Uig road above Staffin (GR440679).
  • Public Transport: There is a bus service from Portree to Staffin, but whether it takes you closer to the Quiraing than Staffin, I am not sure.

A walk to a geological fault which, like the Storr, was caused by landslipping. The landslipping has caused a series of hollows and pinnacles through which thread a series of narrow paths. Here is the Needle, a pinnacle 120 feet high and the Table, a flat summit, from where you get stunning views back to the mountains of Torridon and Wester Ross. While the path to the Quiraing is good, the paths up to the Table and through the Quiraing are narrow, steep and gravelly, so care must be taken not to slip or dislodge rocks.

Drive north from Portree towards Staffin, turning off and taking the minor road to Uig. This is a narrow road with a series of sharp bends. Stop at the top of the hill after a series of hairpin bends and park here (GR440679). A good, if sometimes muddy, path leads from here, running along the base of Meall na Suiramach towards the Quiraing, the only difficulty being a small ravine. The path leads to the foot of the Prison and the Table. The ascent to the Table is steep on a mixture of rock and scree surfaces, leading up between pinnacles until you reach a large rocky basin area. The Table is directly above you, and several paths lead between the rocks up to the flat grassy summit of the Table. From here the views are stunning, looking down on the Prison and the Needle, and out to the mainland mountains of Torridon and Wester Ross. The Table is a perfect place for lunch and a rest.

Return by the same route and stop to have a good look at the Needle. The Prison is at the bottom of the path, and it can be ascended, but it requires exposed scrambling and is for experienced climbers only.

prison

View of the Prison from the path to the Quiraing,
and a view from the Table down to the Needle.

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Map of walk to the Quiraing.

Map Required:

  • OS Landranger 23: North Skye

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