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All the United Kingdom Scotland Orkney Old Man of Hoy

Old Man of Hoy

A red sandstone freestanding monolith rises out of the sea in northern Scotland.

Orkney, Scotland

Added By
rachaelcosta
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A teeny climber on top of the Old Man of Hoy.   rachaelcosta / Atlas Obscura User
A teeny climber on top of the Old Man of Hoy.   rachaelcosta / Atlas Obscura User
View of the Old Man of Hoy from the northern cliff.   rachaelcosta / Atlas Obscura User
View of Old Man of Hoy from the southern peninsula. Worth the off trail trek.   rachaelcosta / Atlas Obscura User
View of the Old Man of Hoy from the sea   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
The trail out to the Old Man of Hoy   rachaelcosta / Atlas Obscura User
View of the Old Man of Hoy from the sea   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Cliffs to the north of Old Man of Hoy.   rachaelcosta / Atlas Obscura User
A climber on top of the Old Man of Hoy. Oct 4, 2016.   rachaelcosta / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The Old Man of Hoy isn't actually a man at all, or a human being for that matter. It's a red sandstone monolith nearly 450 feet high, rising out of the sea in northern Scotland, and part of the Orkney archipelago.

The monolith is a journey to get to and popular with climbers. If you choose to not visit on foot, you may catch a glimpse of the towering stone sea stack from a boat or the ferry running from the mainland to Orkney. The Rackwick Bay and cliffs in the area are worth the visit alone.

Related Tags

Rock Formations Geological Oddities Geology

Know Before You Go

By car or bike from the Lyness ferry about 25km in total. 20km on a single track road and the last 4.5 or so on trail. There may also be tour services.

Park by the Rackwick bay in the free and open lot, or attempt to park up the road by the hostel if you can find the driveway. The site is not well signed from the roads. Once you are at the bay, just head to the right and up and towards the few bothys on the hillside on any trail you see. They will line up with the trail to the Old Man. Winds can be strong, bring layers and water... and of course a camera!

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Added By

rachaelcosta

Edited By

Jaszmina Szendrey

  • Jaszmina Szendrey

Published

March 10, 2017

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Old Man of Hoy
Unnamed Road
Orkney, Scotland
United Kingdom
58.88585, -3.428237
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Nearby Places

Dwarfie Stane

Hoy, Scotland

miles away

Ring of Brodgar

Orkney, Scotland

miles away

Ness of Brodgar

Stenness, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Orkney

Orkney

Scotland

Places 12
Stories 4

Nearby Places

Dwarfie Stane

Hoy, Scotland

miles away

Ring of Brodgar

Orkney, Scotland

miles away

Ness of Brodgar

Stenness, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Orkney

Orkney

Scotland

Places 12
Stories 4

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