Old Man of Hoy

It was 36 years since a passed the Old Man of Hoy with the ferry from Scrabster to Stromness. Like no other piece of natural art the Old Man has stayed in my memory, and I have wanted to see him again.

Now, thanks to Lesley Wilson, Kate Coutts, and the schools of Orkney there is a natural reason to visit the Old Man.

He is a 150 meter high stone formation that was formed probably only 400 years back when the thin ridge leading out to him collapsed and left him standing there alone. Earlier there was an arch at the bottom giving him a look of a man with legs, thus the name.

To get there I took the bus to Stromness, and then the passenger ferry. Getting up on the pier I discovered a minibus service to Rackwick, which provided a good starting point for the walk to the Old Man. The beauty of this walk is extraordinary, and I was treated with blue skies and a warm sun. The man was in good mood. So what did we talk about?

Well, that's almost to private to bring up here. But I certainly found some very good ideas, and I believe I made an important decision about future directions.

He also inspired to some questions.

-Which is your chosen path? In what direction are you heading?

-What makes you stand out in the landscape around you?

-You have reached a goal. Now what?

-In what way do you feel proud of what you stand for?

-How can you carry the feeling of achievement with you for a longer time?

-Is bigger or more better? If so, why?

I was happy when I walked back on the trail to the ferry to Stromness. Looking through my pictures I wanted to see if I had managed to get an image from the same spot as the picture I have from 1974. And I had. It felt like a time machine.