Old Man of Stoer

The Old Man of Stoer is a 60-metre-high (200 ft) sea stack of Torridonian sandstone in Sutherland, Scotland, close to villages of Culkein and Stoer and the nearby Stoer Head Lighthouse. It is a popular climbing route.

Not to be confused with Old Man of Storr.
The Old Man of Stoer

Geography

The stack is composed of Torridonian sandstone, and is 60 metres (200 ft) high.[1] It is in The Minch, a strait in north-west Scotland, separating the north-west Highlands and the northern Inner Hebrides from Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides.[2]

Access is normally from the Stoer Head Lighthouse, which is within walking distance of the stack.[1] The lighthouse is on the B869 Lochinver to Unapool road.[3]

The seas around the Old Man of Stoer have claimed a number of vessels. There is believed to be the wreck of a fishing boat in the vicinity of the stack, which sank on 17 February 1953.[4]

Climbing
Climbing equipment left at the top of the stack.

The Old Man of Stoer is popular with climbers due to its height and approachability.[5] It was first climbed in 1966 by Brian Henderson, Paul Nunn, Tom Patey, and Brian Robertson.[6] Along with Am Buachaille and the Old Man of Hoy, it has become something of a legend among climbers.[7]

To gain access to the foot of the stack, a Tyrolean traverse is necessary, which may require a swimmer to put it in place.[8] There are a number of routes of varying levels of difficulty.[8]

In the Channel 4 television programme Hidden Talent, 45-year-old Maggie Reenan climbed the stack after 18 days of intensive training, after her natural aptitude for climbing was discovered.[9][10]

Wildlife

Northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) inhabit the stack and nearby sea cliffs.[1] Other wildlife in the area includes the great skua (also known by its Norse name "bonxie") peregrines, pinnipeds and cetaceans.[11]

Seabirds which can be seen include bonxies, guillemots, fulmars, razorbills and other birds including twite, skylarks, and dunlin.[12][13]

References
  1. Ross, David. "Old Man of Stoer". Britain Express. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  2. "North West Highlands" (PDF). Island of Hoy Development Trust. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  3. "The Old Man of Stoer and the Point of Stoer". Walking Britain. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  4. "Grateful: Old Man of Stoer, North Minch". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  5. Mellor, Chris. "Stack Rock" (PDF). UKClimbing Limited. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  7. Grylls, Bear (2009). Bear Grylls Great Outdoor Adventures. p. 155. ISBN 9781905026524.
  8. "Old Man of Stoer". UKClimbing Limited. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  9. "Hidden Talent". Channel 4. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  10. Heritage, Stuart (24 April 2012). "Hidden Talent: my quest to find one". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  11. "Assynt Events 2011" (PDF). Assynt Leisure Centre. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  12. "Seabirds at Stoer". Crafty Green Poet. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  13. "Seabirds at Stoer". Pelagic Birder. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013.

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