Orkney
The Old Man of Hoy — Parking
Rackwick Beach Car Park, Hoy · Grid ref ND 201 992 · No charge is published.
Quick facts
- Grid reference
- ND 201 992
- Spaces
- Car park behind Rackwick beach
- Cost
- No charge is published.
- Surface
- not recorded
From the car park
Hoy's passenger ferry from Stromness lands at Moaness pier, and the Stromness Museum guide notes minibuses and taxis that run to Rackwick for this walk. If you have a car on the island, drive to Rackwick and park behind the beach. On foot from the pier, the guide's Rackwick Glen route takes you through the glen past Berriedale and down to the bay.
The walk
From the car park, follow the hard track that continues the road, then bend right up a green lane to meet the Old Man of Hoy path just below the Craa's Nest Museum. The path passes a last cottage and goes through a kissing gate onto open heather, climbing steadily above the cliffs on the west side of Rackwick Bay. At the crest the Old Man comes into view all at once. The path crosses stony ground, holds its height above the lower ground to the left, then turns towards the stack and a promontory that juts out opposite it, which is the place for photographs if you have a head for heights. Take great care near the cliff edge. Return the same way. Walked from Moaness pier through Rackwick Glen instead, the guide puts the whole outing at 23.6km there and back.
Facilities
- toilets (not accessible)
Busy times
We have no visitor figures for Rackwick, so we won't guess at its busy days. The ferry timetable shapes the day for anyone on foot, so check it before you set out.
Getting here without a car
Passenger ferry from Stromness to Moaness pier, then a minibus or taxi to Rackwick, or the long walk through the glen. Check Orkney Ferries for the current timetable.
Winter access
The path is on open moorland above high cliffs and there is no shelter on the reserve. In wind, keep well back from the edge at the promontory. The RSPB ask for dogs on a short lead from 1 April to 15 August for ground-nesting birds, and anywhere there is livestock.
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 07:16
- Sunset
- 16:39
- Civil dawn
- 06:33
- Civil dusk
- 17:22
NOAA Solar Calculator · 26 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
- Where do you park for the Old Man of Hoy?
- At the car park behind Rackwick beach on Hoy (grid reference ND 201 992). It is not an RSPB car park; the walk crosses onto the RSPB reserve after the Craa's Nest Museum.
- Are there toilets at the Old Man of Hoy?
- Not on the RSPB reserve. There are toilets at Rackwick, by the car park, which the RSPB note are not accessible; the nearest accessible toilets are in the Hoy Kirk near Moaness pier.
- Can you get to the Old Man of Hoy without a car?
- Yes. Take the passenger ferry from Stromness to Moaness pier, then a minibus or taxi to Rackwick, or walk through Rackwick Glen. On foot from the pier the round trip is about 23.6km.
- Can I take my dog to the Old Man of Hoy?
- Yes, under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. The RSPB ask for dogs on a short lead from 1 April to 15 August, when birds are nesting on the ground, and wherever there is livestock.
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