The Storr
Encyclopedia
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 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 remnants of ancient landslips. One of the most famous of these is known as the Old Man of Storr.
Leathan. It heads up through an area of forestry, with glimpses of the scenery beyond. After about 1.6 kilometre (0.994196378639691 mi) the walker emerges from the tree
s, 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 recommended route heads north west as far as Coire Scamadal, 1 km north of the summit, then doubling back and heading southwards, climbing towards the summit. From this route, visible breaks in the cliffs offer tempting short cuts, but these are steep, may not save time and may not be safe.
An alternative route to or from the summit starts 500 metres (⅓ mile) south-west of the car park and heads north west to Bealach Beag, about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) south-west of the summit, following the course of a stream which breaches the cliffs. A steep section of this course is slippery and requires care.
The Storr is often climbed as part of a much longer expedition, following the full length of the Trotternish landslip.
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 "" 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).
In October 2009 a photograph taken of the pinnacles looking towards Raasay
and South Rona
won the "Take a view: Landscape photo of the year 2009".
Trotternish
Trotternish or Tròndairnis is the northernmost peninsula of the Isle of Skye, in Scotland.One of its more well-known features is the Trotternish landslip, a massive landslide that runs almost the full length of the peninsula, some...
peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
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.
Geology
The Storr is prime example of the Trotternish landslipLandslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
, the longest such feature in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
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 remnants of ancient landslips. One of the most famous of these is known as the Old Man of Storr.
Ascent routes
A well constructed path, used by many sightseers, leaves the A855 just north of LochLoch
Loch is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for a lake or a sea inlet. It has been anglicised as lough, although this is pronounced the same way as loch. Some lochs could also be called a firth, fjord, estuary, strait or bay...
Leathan. It heads up through an area of forestry, with glimpses of the scenery beyond. After about 1.6 kilometre (0.994196378639691 mi) the walker emerges from the tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s, into a spectacular, almost lunar
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, 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 recommended route heads north west as far as Coire Scamadal, 1 km north of the summit, then doubling back and heading southwards, climbing towards the summit. From this route, visible breaks in the cliffs offer tempting short cuts, but these are steep, may not save time and may not be safe.
An alternative route to or from the summit starts 500 metres (⅓ mile) south-west of the car park and heads north west to Bealach Beag, about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) south-west of the summit, following the course of a stream which breaches the cliffs. A steep section of this course is slippery and requires care.
The Storr is often climbed as part of a much longer expedition, following the full length of the Trotternish landslip.
Media and the arts
From 1 August to 17 September 2005 one of Britain's single largest environmental artworksVisual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
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
NVA (arts organisation)
NVA is an arts organisation and charity based in Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1992 by Angus Farquhar, a former member of the group Test Dept...
, a Scottish environmental arts company directed by Angus Farquhar (formerly of Test Dept
Test Dept
Test Dept were an industrial music group from London, one of the most important and influential early industrial music acts. Their approach was marked by a strong commitment to radical socialist politics.-History:...
) and designed by a team including "
David Bryant
David James Bryant CBE is a former three-time World singles bowls champion in 1966, 1980 and 1988 and also a three-time World indoors singles champion in 1979, 1980 and 1981. He also won the Commonwealth Games singles bowls championship on 4 occasions in 1962, 1970, 1974 and 1978...
, the work contained music by Geir Jenssen, Paul Mounsey
Paul Mounsey
Paul Mounsey is a composer, arranger and producer from Scotland.He lived for over 20 years in Brazil. A graduate of Trinity College, London, where he studied with Richard Arnell, he has written for film, television, theatre, advertising and also for the Latin American pop market...
, live performance by Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
singer Anne Martin and recordings of the works of Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
poet Somhairle MacGill-Eain
Sorley MacLean
Sorley MacLean was one of the most significant Scottish poets of the 20th century.-Early life:He was born at Osgaig on the island of Raasay on 26 October 1911, where Scottish Gaelic was the first language. He attended the University of Edinburgh and was an avid shinty player playing for the...
(Sorley MacLean).
In October 2009 a photograph taken of the pinnacles looking towards Raasay
Raasay
Raasay is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. It is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from Applecross by the Inner Sound. It is most famous for being the birthplace of the poet Sorley MacLean, an important figure in the Scottish literary renaissance...
and South Rona
South Rona
Rona , sometimes called South Rona to distinguish it from North Rona, is a small island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, north of Raasay and northeast of Skye. It has a total area of .-Geography and geology:...
won the "Take a view: Landscape photo of the year 2009".
External links
- The 2005 art installation - from The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- Images of illumination of landscape
- Isle of Skye Walks