The Old Man of Hoy from Rackwick

The walk starts from the car park by the beach at Rackwick, a small settlement in a glen on the west side of Hoy. A track signed for the Old Man leads out of the settlement to a grassy path, which goes through a kissing gate and climbs the open hillside with views back over Rackwick Bay. The path then follows the coast above high sandstone cliffs, passes its high point, and drops to the clifftop opposite the Old Man of Hoy, where it ends. The stack stands in the sea below. The return is the same way.

It is 9.0 km there and back with 235 m of ascent; allow about 3 hours. The grade is Moderate: nearly three hours on a path that is boggy and stony in places, with a steady climb onto the cliffs.

The path ends at the top of high cliffs, so keep well back from the edge, above all in wind. The walk goes to the viewpoint only: it does not go down to the stack or onto the cliff face. The RSPB gives 1 April to 15 August as the ground-nesting bird season on its Hoy reserve and asks you to keep your dog on a short lead in that season. There are no toilets on the reserve; the nearest public toilets are at Rackwick.

Rackwick is at the end of the road on the west side of Hoy. Hoy is reached by Orkney Ferries, whose timetables list sailings from Stromness to Moaness and from Houton to Lyness; the operator recommends booking vehicles in advance. OpenStreetMap lists the Rackwick car park as free. There is no station on Orkney.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.