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Worn away Old Man of Storr habitat to be restored

News imageGetty Images Old Man of StorrGetty Images
  • Soil erosion is to be tackled at one of Skye's famous landmarks
  • About 200,000 people visit the Old Man of Storr every year
  • The popularity of the site has seen areas of habitat trampled and worn away
  • Measures will be taken over the autumn to try and help restore vegetation

Habitat trampled under the feet of hundreds of thousands of visitors at the Isle of Skye's Old Man of Storr is to be restored.

The landscape, which features remnants of volcanic activity 2,800 million years ago, attracts about 200,000 people a year.

Its popularity has seen areas of vegetation worn away and this has led to soil erosion.

The Skye Iconic Sites Project is to use jute netting to protect plants and help them to regrow, and will dam gullies with rocks and turf to slow rainwater and trap eroding soil.

Some areas will be temporarily roped off.

News imageSkye Iconic Sites Project Habitat restoration at Old Man of StorrSkye Iconic Sites Project
Habitat restoration trials were carried out at the Storr last year

Last year, the project conducted trials at the site including the collection and sowing of local seeds to aid the restoration of the wildflower-rich grasslands. 

The work is being led by the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland.