The Old Man of Hoy is a tall, famous sea stack located on the island of Hoy, which is part of the Orkney archipelago, off the north coast of Scotland, within the northeastern part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
This geological landform is 137 meters (449 ft) high, and very popular among climbers, who reached the top of the stack in 1966. As it was created by the erosion of a cliff through hydraulic action sometime around 1750, it may collapse into the sea, very, very soon.
Until then, it will stay as the tallest stack in the UK, where many climbers and base jumpers have visited it. Chris Bonington, Rusty Baillie, and Tom Patey were the first people to climb the stack, and even a blind person named Red Szell climbed it despite suffering from retinitis pigmentosa that left him with 5% vision.
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Still, with some assistance from Martin Moran and Nick Carter, he succeeded in 2013 in reaching the top. On the other hand, the first base jump was made in 2008, when Roger Holmes, Gus Hutchinson-Brown, and Tim Emmett jumped from the high stack.
Since many Brits have seen the Old Man of Hoy on television and social media, but have not seen it in person, they are unable to distinguish it from other sea stacks. Despite the unavoidable truth that we will no longer be able to see and admire the Old Man of Hoy, it will be remembered for eternity, even if it collapses in the near future.
In conclusion, as the Old Man of Hoy stands as a towering symbol of Scotland’s rugged coastal beauty and a legendary milestone for the climbing community, as it was born from the relentless erosion of the sea only a few centuries ago, it is unfortunate that its fragile nature means its eventual collapse is inevitable. If you are exploring Scotland, and have a planned itinerary, then put the Orkney Archipelago on your visit list, and see the Old Man of Hoy in its powerful stance before its inevitable collapse, because even if the stack falls tomorrow, its place in British geographical and sporting history remains permanent. Overall, you would have seen something that no other people can see anymore.
