Iconic Scottish spot with breathtaking hike named among UK's best panoramic views
From sweeping coastlines to dramatic peaks, the United Kingdom is home to countless breathtaking vistas. A new study by photo printing company CEWE has revealed the country's best panoramic views, placing the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye in fifth position.
To help people make the most of these scenic locations, CEWE teamed up with award-winning travel photographer Bella Falk, who compiled the ranking based on visual impact, elevation and scale. Importantly, all chosen spots can be enjoyed without specialist equipment or technical skill.
The list features a mix of iconic landmarks and lesser-known gems, from the rugged Pennine Way and Jacob's Ladder to the London skyline as seen from Greenwich Observatory.
The summit of Yr Wyddfa, better known as Mount Snowdon, also ranks highly. Falk describes panoramic scenes as offering the chance to 'capture nature's beauty and otherworldly moments like nothing else.'
The Old Man of Storr is perhaps the most famous walk on Skye and certainly its busiest. Known in Gaelic as Bodach an Stòr, the 55-metre-high basalt pinnacle is the remnant of a volcanic plug thought to be around 2.8 billion years old.
The wider Trotternish Ridge, which reaches its highest point at the Storr (719 metres), was shaped about 60 million years ago when volcanic lava flowed onto softer Jurassic rock.
This caused massive landslips that created the dramatic cliffs and weathered pinnacles seen today.
From the summit, walkers are rewarded with views stretching across the Isle of Harris, the Cuillin Mountains and the Scottish mainland.
The out-and-back trail to the site begins and ends at the car park, covering 3.8 kilometres and typically taking just over an hour without breaks.
Ninth on the list is the view from Blackford Hill, one of Edinburgh's famed seven hills. Rising to 164 metres, it offers sweeping views north towards the city and south towards the Braid and Pentland Hills.
Near its summit sits the green-domed Royal Observatory, home to a university astronomy research group and a visitor centre.
Blackford Hill is largely open ground, though mature woodland grows nearby in the Hermitage of Braid, a leafy strip following the Braid Burn and connecting with the hill's base.
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Rounding out the top ten is Eilean Donan Castle, one of the most recognisable buildings in Scotland. The fortress is a perennial favourite for photographers and features on countless shortbread tins and calendars.
Its dramatic location, on a small island at the meeting point of three sea lochs, framed by the forested mountains of Kintail, has made it one of the Highlands' most visited attractions.
Eilean Donan overlooks the Isle of Skye and has stood in various forms for centuries, though its current structure was restored in the early 20th century.
Visitors crossing the stone bridge to its stout gates are greeted by a view that has become synonymous with the Scottish Highlands.
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