Old Man of Storr Hike with Kids: Complete Guide

The Old Man of Storr hike is one of the best family-friendly Isle of Skye hikes we did, with incredible views in every direction. Even from the highway, you can sense what a special place this is, but enjoying the Old Man of Storr hike with kids is so much better. We enjoyed this hike so much, we’ve ranked it near the top of our list of things to do on the Isle of Skye with kids.

This post contains compensated links.

The Old Man of Storr Hike Highlights

The Old Man of Storr is one of the most popular Isle of Skye hiking trails and understandably so. There are so many reasons you will enjoy this hike:

Even from your first glimpse from the car on the highway, you can feel there is something special about the Old Man of Storr rock pinnacle. You can enjoy watching it get bigger and bigger the whole way up the trail until you are standing below it, in awe of its magnificence.

The Old Man of Storr isn’t a solo act and is surrounded by a supporting cast of rock pinnacles. They aren’t the star of the show, but they have a significant impact on the overall feel of the place. Walk around and explore the area around the rock pinnacles to enjoy different vantage points of these incredible rocks.

Coming back down, the views of Loch Leathan and Bearreraig Bay are so good, you may find yourself thinking they were the reason you came on the hike.

Old Man of Storr Hike Stats

How Long is the Old Man of Storr Hike?

The one-way distance to the base of the Old Man of Storr is 1.1 miles / 1.7 km. As mentioned, there are plenty of hiking trails to continue along after the main part of the Old Man of Storr walk, so we ended up hiking 3.4 miles / 5.4 km in total (including the slightly longer detour on the way down).

How Steep is the Old Man of Storr Trail?

This Isle of Skye hike is mostly uphill, but due to the reasonably short length of the hike, the elevation gain is a reasonable 1,060 feet / 325 m. The final ascent to the base of the pinnacle is quite steep, but active families in reasonable shape ought to be able to do it.

How Hard is the Old Man of Storr Hike?

Based on our family hiking experience, we rate the Old Man of Storr hike as a moderately difficult Isle of Skye hike. This hike can be challenging at spots, but it’s pretty short and there’s plenty of rocks to rest on.

Our 3 & 6 year old kids easily hiked the whole way up to the Old Man of Storr by themselves. There were several other families with small kids on the trail this day and they were all doing it under their own power.

How Long Does the Old Man of Storr Take?

This hike took us 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete, which is a typical pace for us. Our kids didn’t even notice the uphill nature of the hike as they were too busy running from rock to rock, eager to climb up.

Old Man of Storr Parking, Location and How to Get There

The Old Man of Storr car park is a 15-minute drive north of Portree on Highway A855. We had driven past the car park the afternoon before, and it was a gong show. Cars were parked every which way, with vehicles lining the highway, and people walking everywhere. It felt very chaotic.

This spooked us a bit, so we arrived early at 8:30 am to a nearly empty parking lot. We parked at the very end of the long parking lot paralleling the highway, with the nose of our car facing the highway, ensuring an easy exit.

By the time we came back down at 11:20 am, the parking lot was full. The cars were parked a little more orderly than the day before, but I imagine that changed as the day went on.

Note: A fee is charged for parking at the Old Man of Storr.

Old Man of Storr Trail Map

You can download the Old Man of Storr trail map onto your phone using the AllTrails app. Due to its remote location, be sure to download the trail map in a location where you have Wi-Fi or a cell signal.

AllTrails is a recent App of the Year winner. Enjoy map downloads and many more premium features with a 7-day free trial of AllTrails Peak!

What to Expect on the Old Man of Storr Hike

The Old Man of Storr hike starts on a gravel trail wide enough for two people. It starts uphill and stays uphill for basically the whole hike. As we typically saw while hiking in Scotland in July, the trail is lined with many beautiful wildflowers, including a large number of pink-purple foxgloves.

As part of an initiative to remove non-native coniferous trees, they were cut down, opening up views of the Old Man of Storr for most of the hike. They left the cut trees in place, so for now parts of the landscape look a bit unsightly. But you can already see the piles being covered by moss and small shrubs. In a few years, people doing the Old Man of Storr hike likely won’t even know the trees were there.

After proceeding through the second gate on the Old Man of Storr trail, the terrain transitions from grass and shrubs to a rough, rocky area. There are large boulders everywhere along the trail, which, combined with the brilliant green grass, make for a pretty incredible landscape.

After the third gate, there is a small stretch of flat ground before it goes uphill again. The trail for this final leg of the hike is mostly stairs made from rock and is quite steep. The main trail ends at the base of Old Man of Storr.

Looking up at the 164 foot / 50 m tall rock pinnacle is a humbling feeling; a chance to feel small at the feet of something great.

The hiking doesn’t need to end here though. From the base of Old Man of Storr, several trails continue in every direction up the hill. We continued walking uphill with the Old Man of Storr on our left.

We stopped for lunch on a boulder at the same height of the famous rock pinnacle and sat in awe of the natural beauty around us.

After lunch, we walked along a path which eventually goes behind the Old Man of Storr. The views of the massive rock from this angle are really good and we’d recommend coming up here if your family is capable.

Coming down the Old Man of Storr walk affords stunning views of Loch Leathan and Bearreraig Bay. Even the views of the rocky islands beyond are spectacular.

Once you are back on the gravel trail again, you have a chance to take a small detour on the way back to the carpark. There will be a trail breaking off to the right, which takes a slightly longer route down. The views of Loch Leathan are especially good along this leg, but the real benefit of taking it is to get away from the crowds of people on the main trail.

We’d only recommend this trail going down though, as there are no views of Old Man of Storr going up from this section.

Hiking Old Man of Storr with Kids

Be sure to use the toilets in the parking lot. The Old Man of Storr trail is extremely busy, so finding privacy on the trail may be a challenge.

There isn’t a water station at the trailhead, so be sure to fill your water bladders before leaving home.

The trail is gravel for the first half, then becomes uneven and rocky. We wouldn’t recommend normal shoes for this hike; hiking shoes or boots are a must.

As always, be prepared for all kinds of weather while hiking on the Isle of Skye. We did this hike on a partly cloudy day and were continually taking off and putting on layers. Wear layers, and bring plenty of water, sunscreen, rain gear, and something to repel the midges (just in case – it was windy enough to keep them at bay during our hike).

We cover all of this hiking gear and more in our comprehensive Scotland packing list for families.

The Old Man of Storr hiking trail is not stroller accessible, but we saw several parents using backpack carriers for babies or toddlers.

Dogs are allowed on the Old Man of Storr hike.

There are a lot of kid-sized climbing rocks along this trail. If your kids like to climb rocks (as ours do), they will love this hike.

Before you head out, read our best tips for hiking with kids and see what we actually pack in our guide to hiking gear for kids.

Where to Stop for Lunch or a Break

Once you reach the base of the Old Man of Storr, there are tons of places to stop and have a break or a picnic lunch. The views are incredible, so budget some extra time to soak it all in.

Safety Cautions

There are warning signs around some of the upper trails about the danger of falling rocks.

The trail coming back down is pretty steep. Kids often slip on steep gravel paths, so you may want to hold hands when hiking the Old Man of Storr with kids.

Follow Along our Family Trip to Scotland

We arrived in the Isle of Skye after we had spent 5 amazing days in Fort William with kids, the outdoor adventure capital of the UK. After the Isle of Skye, we stopped briefly in Pitlochry (where we loved the Hermitage Woodland walk in Tay Forest). We concluded our family road trip to Scotland with 3-days in Edinburgh with kids.

If you are planning a family trip to Scotland, check out our favorite things to do in Scotland with kids.

Found this post helpful? Pin It For Later!