SIR CHRIS Hoy has urged visitors to the Commonwealth Games to take the opportunity to see Scotland – and the Old Man of Hoy is one of his top destinations.
The Olympian was asked to select his top five Scottish sights to recommend to visitors and said the iconic outcrop of rock was “amazing.”
He said: ““Personally, something I saw recently, for the first time was the Old Man of Hoy in Orkney.
“It is an amazing outcrop of rock, which is an iconic bit of stone that’s been washed away at the side of a coastline up in Orkney.
“It’s beautiful.”
Sir Chris, speaking to the customer website of Commonwealth sponsors SSE, also recommended tourists pay a visit to his home city of Edinburgh – describing the castle and the city’s ancient Royal Mile as “both amazing, iconic places.”
And St Andrews, where the 38-year-old attended the ancient university in 1996, also made his list of top Scots destinations.
Elsewhere, Sir Chris urged visitors take a road trip up Scotland’s “stunning” West Coast.
He said: “If you can, get a hire car and drive up the West Coast, which takes you to places like Loch Lomond and Glencoe and even go as far as Fort William.
“It is stunning up there – people travel from all around the world just to see that scenery.”
But the athlete, the most successful Olympic cyclist of all time, also made sure to recommend the sights and sounds of host city Glasgow.
He said: “During the Games you’ll want to soak up the atmosphere of Glasgow because there are a huge amount of things going on.
“Not just at the sporting venues but in the city centre too.
“There are big screens, sideshows, entertainment and parties so enjoying the atmosphere of the city is essential.”
He added: ““You really should spend as much as you can having a look around Scotland.
“There’s so many great places in Scotland that you can go.
“The best thing you can do is just hire a car and go and explore – it’s the best way to look around Scotland.”
Sir Chris is an SSE ambassador for the Commonwealth Games and is currently presenting coverage of the event on TV.
He announced his retirement from cycling last year after bagging seven Olympic medals – six gold and one silver.
The haul cemented his place as Scotland’s most successful Olympian.
