Gaelic is spoken on the Isle of Skye and is an important part of the culture. The Old Man of Storr translates to Bodach an Stòir in Gaelic. When the weather is clear, the iconic landmark: The Storr – Official Site.
The ridge that the Old Man of Storr is on began to form around 65 million years ago, during the Paleocene epoch, as the ancient continents split apart and the Atlantic Ocean began to form. Volcanic activity along the rift zone in the Earth‘s surface formed multiple layers of basalt rock.
These eruptions continued into the Eocene epoch until around 23 million years ago, building up the tabular mountains and sea cliffs that characterize much of Skye‘s dramatic scenery today. Some of the rocks 3 billion year old Precambrian rocks exposed on the Trotternish Peninsula are among the oldest in Scotland.
The Storr, a 719m (2,358 ft) peak that marks the highest point along the Trotternish Ridge, and the surrounding clan of rocky spires were created much more recently. At the end of the last Ice Age around 10,000 years ago, the immense weight of retreating glaciers caused the basalt lava to fracture and slip, creating cliffs and leaving behind the iconic pinnacles we see today. The name “Storr” itself comes from the Old Norse word “Stórr,” meaning “big” or “great.”
The Old Man of Storr and His Fairy Wife
Long ago, before the winds carved the cliffs and before travelers came to Skye, an old man lived high on the Trotternish ridge. He was gentle, quiet, and known for one extraordinary secret — his wife was a fairy from the Hidden Folk.
She had wandered into the human world on a moonlit night, shimmering like frost on heather. The old man found her lost and frightened, and instead of trapping her — as some humans foolishly tried — he offered her shelter, warmth, and kindness. She stayed for one night, then another, then a lifetime.
They lived happily for many years, but fairies do not age as humans do. One morning she woke with sorrow in her eyes. “My love,” she said, “my time in your world is ending. I must return to the realm beneath the hills.”
The old man begged her to stay, but fairy magic has rules older than stone. She promised him one gift: “I cannot remain, but I will make sure you never forget me.”
She touched his cheek, and the world shimmered. When the light faded, she was gone — and the old man stood alone on the ridge, his heart heavy as winter.
He climbed the hill every day, hoping to glimpse her again. One dawn, as he reached the summit, the earth trembled. The sky dimmed. And the old man felt himself turning still, rooted, rising, becoming part of the land itself.
The fairies had kept their promise.
Where he stood, a great stone pillar rose — tall, solemn, watching the horizon. Beside it, smaller stones clustered like the folds of a cloak. The people of Skye named it The Old Man of Storr, saying the fairy wife shaped the rock so her beloved would stand forever, guarding the island, waiting for the day she might return.
And on certain misty mornings, locals swear they see a second shape beside the Old Man — slender, shimmering, like a woman made of dawnlight.
Some say it’s the fairy wife visiting her husband. Others say it’s just the fog.
But Skye has a way of blurring the line between the two.
The second image is of a mural on a wall in Portree.
Not only am I enjoying this series of photographs, but also learning from your history and the wonderful myth in this one.
The photos all have a mysterious quality to them. Well suited to the myth.
I never got to see the Old Ma properly as it was a wet, misty day…
I have been to Storr a couple of times, it is a magical place. Lovely images too 🙂