Old Man of Storr rock pinnacles, mountain loch, sunset, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Primeval isle

The rugged terrain seen here is the result of lava tubes cooling and eroding over millions of years—evidence of the extinct volcanic complex that gradually formed the Isle of Skye. This largest island of the Inner Hebrides is defined by its knurled coastline of peninsulas and inlets, its irregular shape on a map often compared to a contorted wing or claw. Angular obstacles are scattered all over its surface, too, such as the fingerlike Old Man of Storr shown in our picture.