Old Man of Stoer

The Old Man of Stoer

Climbing ropes at the summit of the Old Man of Stoer

The Old Man of Stoer is an approximately 60 meter high pier on the west coast of Scotland . He stands in the Minch off the coast of Assynt on the peninsula Stoer north of the lighthouse Stoer Head Lighthouse , about 15 kilometers northwest of Lochinver .

Geologically, the Old Man of Stoer consists of thick banked Torridonic sandstone . It can be reached via a footpath from the lighthouse along the cliffs in around 45 minutes. The Old Man was first climbed in 1966 by a rope team led by the Scottish mountaineer Tom Patey . Since then, the rock has been a popular destination for climbers, but access requires the construction of a zip line , to install a member of the rope team must swim through the narrow inlet between the cliffs and the foot of the rock . At the summit head, ropes and other pieces of climbing equipment can usually be seen from the neighboring cliffs.

A variety of seabirds live at the Old Man of Stoer, including fulmars and skuas . Seals and dolphins can be seen in the waters off the coast .