Old Man of Hoy

A tall red rock stands in the sea.

It is in Scotland. The rock looks like a person. It is made of red stone.

Strong waves hit the cliffs. This makes the rock break away. Now it is a tall stack. People like to climb it. Some people even walk on a thin line.

The rock may fall into the sea soon. It is a very special place.

The Old Man of Hoy is a tall sea stack.

A sea stack is a tall pillar of rock in the ocean. It sits near the coast of Scotland. The rock is made of red sandstone. This is a type of soft, sandy stone.

This stack was not always alone. Long ago, it was part of the mainland. Strong waves hit the cliffs with great force. This is called hydraulic action. The waves broke the rock apart. By 1819, the stack was separate from the land. In 1817, it had two legs. A storm washed one leg away. Now it has only one leg.

Many people like to climb the stack. The first climb was in 1966. Some people even walk on a thin line called a slackline. The stack is very old, but it may fall soon. A large crack appeared in the top in 1992. The rock might collapse into the sea one day.

The Old Man of Hoy is a famous sea stack.

A sea stack is a tall pillar of rock standing in the ocean. This one sits near Rackwick Bay on the island of Hoy. It is part of the Orkney islands off the north coast of Scotland. The stack is made of red sandstone. It is one of the tallest stacks in the United Kingdom. Some people think it looks like a human figure from certain angles.

This rock pillar was formed by a thing called hydraulic action. This happens when strong waves hit a cliff with great force. The waves break the rock apart over time. The stack sits on a base of harder basalt rock. Its sides are made of layers of soft sandstone and harder flagstones. This gives the sides a notched look. The stack is separated from the mainland by a 60-metre chasm. High-energy waves and fast winds help erode the coast quickly.

Maps show us how the stack changed over time. A map from 1600 shows a headland at this spot. A map from 1750 also shows a headland but no stack. By 1819, the stack was separate from the land. In 1817, it actually had two legs.

A storm washed one leg away in the early nineteenth century. This left the stack looking much like it does today. It is likely less than 250 years old. A large 40-metre crack appeared in the south face in 1992. This means the top might collapse into the sea soon.

Many brave people have climbed the stack. The first climb happened in 1966 by Chris Bonington, Rusty Baillie, and Tom Patey. In 1967, a BBC broadcast of climbing reached 15 million viewers.

Christine Crawshaw was the first woman to reach the top in 1968. In 2013, Red Széll climbed it even though he had very little vision. The youngest climber was Edward Mills, who was 8 years old in 2018. He climbed it in 4 hours and 55 minutes. Sophia Wood is the youngest female climber. She was 10 years old when she climbed it in 2023.

People do more than just climb this rock. Some people even walk on a thin line called a slackline.

In 2017, Alexander Schulz walked a highline to and from the summit. Others have jumped from the top using a method called BASE jumping. The first jump was in 2008 by Roger Holmes, Gus Hutchison-Brown, and Tim Emmett. There are seven different routes used to climb the stack. Climbers often leave a record in a log book. This book is kept in a Tupperware container inside a stone pile on the top.

The Old Man of Hoy is a massive sea stack located on the island of Hoy. This island is part of the Orkney archipelago off the north coast of Scotland. A sea stack is a tall pillar of rock that stands alone in the ocean.

This specific stack is made of Old Red Sandstone. It is recognized as one of the tallest sea stacks in the United Kingdom. From certain viewing angles, the shape of the rock is said to resemble a human figure. It stands near Rackwick Bay on the west coast of Hoy.

Nature created this landmark through a process called hydraulic action. This happens when high-energy waves hit a cliff with great force. Over time, the power of the water erodes the rock. The Old Man of Hoy sits on a plinth of basalt rock. This basalt acts as a base for the sandstone above it. The sandstone itself consists of layers of soft, sandy, and pebbly material. It also contains harder flagstones. These different layers create a notched and slab-like profile on the sides of the stack.

The environment around the stack is very intense. Winds are faster than usual for nearly a third of the time. On average, gales occur for 29 days every year. The sea is also very deep near the coast. These factors lead to rapid erosion of the western side of Hoy. The stack is currently separated from the mainland by a chasm. This gap is 60 metres, or about 200 feet, wide. The chasm is filled with fallen debris from the rocks.

We can use history to see how much the landscape has changed. The stack is relatively young and is probably less than 250 years old. It does not appear in the Orkneyinga saga from the year 1230. A map from 1600 by Blaeu shows a headland instead of a stack. The McKenzie map of 1750 also shows a headland. However, by 1819, the stack had become separated from the mainland.

In 1817, the stack actually had two legs. A storm in the early nineteenth century washed one leg away. This left the stack in the shape we see today. In 1992, a 40-metre crack appeared in the south face. This large crack means the top may eventually collapse into the sea.

Many skilled mountaineers have traveled to Hoy to climb the stack. The first ascent was completed in 1966 by Chris Bonington, Rusty Baillie, and Tom Patey. In 1967, a live BBC broadcast of a climb reached 15 million viewers.

Christine Crawshaw became the first woman to reach the summit in 1968. In 1997, Catherine Destivelle performed a solo ascent while four months pregnant. Bob Duncan also completed a solo ascent in October 1985. Other climbers have overcome physical challenges to reach the top. Red Széll climbed the stack in 2013 despite having only 5% vision.

Younger people have also made incredible climbs on this rock. In 2018, 8-year-old Edward Mills climbed the stack in 4 hours and 55 minutes. He did this to raise money for a cancer charity. In 2023, 10-year-old Sophia Wood became the youngest female climber. She completed her climb in just over 3 hours.

There are seven known routes up the stack. The most common is the East Face Route. This route is graded as E1 5b, which means it is extremely severe. Climbers often leave a record of their trip in a log book. This book is kept in a Tupperware container inside a cairn on the summit.

Beyond climbing, people use the stack for other extreme sports. In 2017, Alexander Schulz performed a highline walk. This involves walking on a long, thin line stretched from the summit.

Some people also use the stack for BASE jumping. The first jump occurred on May 14, 2008. This was done by Roger Holmes, Gus Hutchison-Brown, and Tim Emmett. In 2019, Jesse Dufton became the first blind climber to lead an ascent. These activities show how the stack connects the world of geology to the world of adventure.