to the shore, making your way around the wonderful knap of Head of Hevdagarth – there are good views across Mid Yell Voe from here. The route soon takes you around the coast to Kaywick, then on to the Ness of Kaywick where the views open out across the Hascosay Sound. This muddy area is a great place to see wading birds. When the tide is out you should see oystercatchers, ringed plover, dunlin, curlew, redshank and possibly teal.
The island of Hascosay just across the sound is one of the best places in Britain to see otters, although when a wildlife film crew went there in 1979 to make a BBC Wildtrack film they failed to find any! The soil on Hascosay is said to have magic qualities that keep mice away, prompting residents of other islands to take it from Hascosay. Its true mouse-deterring properties have never been thoroughly explored, however.
Continue on northwards to the Point of Ness, then round to the Haa of Udhouse with its lovely little beach at Basta. You are aiming for Burra Ness, across the water to the north, but first a long detour has to be taken around Basta Voe.
From the Haa of Udhouse walk out along the driveway to the houses at Basta, then look for a path on the right that takes you across the Burn of Basta. This path continues across moorland to Colvister, where it becomes a track leading out onto the A968. Turn right along the main road and walk around Basta Voe to Sellafirth. Here a little lane heads off to the right through the Knowes of Cunnister to the hamlet of Cunnister itself, then on to Kirkabister. From here you are back alongside the beautiful, windswept coastlines around to Burra Ness. On Burra Ness there is quite a good example of a broch ruin, with walls 4.5m thick and a scarcement (a ledge to support a floor) visible 4m above ground level.
From the broch a path leads around the coast to North Sandwick, then onwards via a standing stone to Gutcher and the end of the walk.
WALK 4
Orkney – Western Mainland
| Start | The car park overlooking the Brough of Birsay in the far northwest corner of Mainland (grid ref HY243284). |
| Finish | Stromness pier (grid ref HY253087). |
| Distance | 38km (23.5 miles); Day 1 – 21km (13 miles), Day 2 – 17km (10.5 miles) |
| Total Ascent | Total: 380m; Day 1 – 250m, Day 2 – 130m |
| Maps | OS Landranger sheet 6 Orkney Mainland |
| Number of Days | 2 |
The Orkney Islands differ greatly from the Shetland Islands. For the most part they enjoy easy access from mainland Scotland, and are a lot less rugged than the Shetlands. Much of the land is either arable, or reasonably low-lying moorland. This apart, there is a great deal for the walker to explore, with fantastic coastlines to the west of Mainland, and some great nature reserves throughout the archipelago, many of which are of international importance as breeding sites for rare birds, and also as regular migration hotspots for wayward birds that really should be elsewhere!
Some of the walking in this island group really is as spectacular as it gets. Hoy is superb for coastal scenery, and has some modest hills too, while Orkney Mainland offers the most scope for exploring with a backpack.
A walk suitable for all, this coastal trail is easy to follow throughout – just start at the northwestern tip of Mainland and keep the sea to your right until you hit the bright lights of Stromness – no navigation needed! That said, there is a feeling of remoteness here – you pass the odd farmstead as you walk south, but it’s only around Skara Brae, the best-preserved Stone Age village in northern Europe, that there will be any real sign of other tourists. South of Skara Brae it goes a bit wild again, with dramatic scenery dominated by the island of Hoy dead ahead, with the Old Man, a famous sea-stack, standing proud off its west coast.
You’ll camp on a small headland along this section of the walk, and complete the pleasant journey into Stromness the following day, perhaps with time to spare for a visit to the Ring of Brodgar stone circle. Note, though, that this is a linear walk, so transport will have to be arranged at either end. Parts of the walk are pathless, although the going underfoot is never difficult.
Tourist Information
There is an excellent tourist information centre on Broad Street in Kirkwall, tel 01856 872856, website www.visitorkney.com.
Transport
You can get to Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkney Islands, easily by either ferry or air from the Scottish Mainland.
Air Contact Logan Air on 0845 7733377 or British Airways on 0870 8509850 for flights, which arrive from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness or Shetland to Kirkwall airport, websites www.ba.com, or www.loganair.co.uk.
Ferry For ferries to Orkney you must get to either Aberdeen or Scrabster (Northlink Ferries, tel 0845 6000449, website www.northlinkferries.co.uk), Gills Bay (Pentland Ferries, tel 01856 831226, website www.pentlandferries.com) or John o’ Groats (John O’ Groats Ferries, tel 01955 611353, website www.jogferry.co.uk).
Buses There is a limited bus service around Mainland. Contact the tourist information centre in Kirkwall for information, tel 01856 872856, website www.visitorkney.com.
Car Hire Try either Scarth Car Hire on 01856 872125, or WR Tullock on 01856 876262. Both have offices in Kirkwall.
Taxis There are taxi ranks down by the pier in Kirkwall, and it is possible to arrange to be dropped off at Birsay and picked up at Stromness.
Accommodation and Supplies
It is best to stay in Kirkwall when you first arrive in Orkney and arrange your onward transport from there to Birsay. Good options for accommodation are the Ayre Hotel overlooking the harbour (tel 01856 873001, website www.ayreho tel.co.uk), or the Albert Hotel (tel 01856 876000).
There are also lots of cheap bed and breakfasts, and a good youth hostel on Old Scapa Road (tel 01856 872243). There are also shops for supplies in Kirkwall, and it is best to buy all you need before heading out to the coast.
At the end of the walk there is plenty of accommodation in Stromness. Try the youth hostel on Hellihole Road (tel 01856 850589), or for more comfort go for one of the many bed and breakfast options around town.
Overnight Options
There’s nothing much along this west coast of Mainland, and you will invariably have to camp wild, well away from habitations.
Escape Routes
You can head east from the coast at any point, and within 4km you will hit either the B9056 or the A967. There are lots of settlements in the country between the coast and these roads.
Day 1
At the northwestern tip of Mainland lies the small island of the Brough of Birsay. The short spit of land that connects
