Old Man of Hoy - South and West Faces

Sea stacks are the maritime equivalent of desert towers: solitary, spectacular, and usually crumbling. Probably the most famous of them all, the Old Man of Hoy in the northern Scottish archipelago of Orkney, certainly embodies all three aspects. It cemented its place in history with the 1967 triple ascent, filmed and broadcast live by the BBC, shortly after the 1966 first ascent.

This is part of a poster trilogy showcasing all aspects of the sea stack. This one is of the South and West Faces, featuring the probably unrepeated Orkneyinga Saga (I highly suggest reading the terrifyingly entertaining account of the first ascent by John Arran) and the semi-classic South Face, part of the 1967 broadcast. The other two are the East Face and the North and West Faces.

Download: Medium resolution, personal use only

Route List

1: GMB, E5 6a, J. Arran, D. Turnbull, 08/1997
2: Ancient Mariner, E2 5c, A. Strapcans, G. Jenkin, 04/1982
3: The Orkneyinga Saga, E6 6a, J. Arran, D. Turnbull, 05/1997
4: South Face, E2 5b, J. Brown, I. McNaught-Davis, 07/1967
5: A Fistful of Dollars, E5 6a, P. Crew, D. Haston, 07/1967/P. Whillance, M. Hamilton, 06/1984

Sources

• “Scottish Rock Climbs,” Scottish Mountaineering Club, Wired Guides, 2022

• “Scottish Rock, Volume 2: North,” Gary Latter, Presda Press, 2014

• “Scottish Climbs: Vol.2: A Mountaineer’s Pictorial Guide to Climbing in Scotland,” Hamish MacInnes, Constable London, 1976

• Scottish Mountaineering Club Route Database

• John Arran

• UKClimbing

Updates

Sep 23, 2023: First version published.

Dec 1, 2025: Graphic design update

Feb 6, 2026: Minor graphic design and caption update