The Quiraing

The Quiraing is a large landslip landform on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye, Scotland, part of the same escarpment system as the Old Man of Storr, formed where a heavy cap of basalt lava slipped over weaker underlying Jurassic sedimentary rock. The ongoing slumping has created a chaotic landscape of tilted plateaus, isolated pinnacles and hidden hollows, including a level, hidden grassy plateau called the Table, the sheer rock tower known as the Needle, and the crumpled cliff formation called the Prison; the movement is still active today, and the road running beneath the escarpment requires regular repair from the slowly shifting ground. The Quiraing is regarded as one of the most dramatic examples of a still-moving landslip terrain in the United Kingdom.