accessible at low tides, so be careful not to get stranded. The island was an important Pictish stronghold from around the 6th century, and many interesting archaeological remains have been found here from this period. There is a small charge at the kiosk for visiting the island, payable to Historic Scotland.
You can walk around the cliff-top path, where you should see puffins, guillemots, razorbills and fulmars nesting during the early summer. Another path leads from the lighthouse on the very western tip of the island, across the centre and back to the kiosk.
Once you’ve had a walk around the island, return to the kiosk via the scramble across wrack- and weed-covered rocks to get back onto Mainland. Follow the minor road towards a junction near the Earl’s Palace, and bear right past St Magnus church to a track leading along the top of the low cliffs.
Walking at the Brough of Birsay
The Earl’s Palace was built in the late 16th century by Earl Robert Stewart and was once described as ‘a sumptuous and stately dwelling’. There’s not much to see today, but you can have a look around to get a feel of the place. Free admission.
Walk around Birsay Bay towards a prominent tower (the Kitchener memorial) on the cliff top. Keep a lookout seawards for passing minke or pilot whales, while grey seals can often be seen closer inshore, basking on the rocks beneath the cliffs. Seabirds nest on the cliffs at your feet, while the flower-filled meadows are a good place to see singing skylarks, meadow pipits, and nesting wading birds such as lapwings, oystercatchers and redshank.
The cliffs rise in height as you near the Kitchener memorial, sitting on top of spectacular Marwick Head, 91m above sea level.
The Kitchener memorial was erected after the First World War to commemorate Lord Kitchener and the crew of HMS Hampshire, which was sunk off this coast in 1916 by a German mine. Only 12 of her crew survived.
Marwick Head and the Kitchener memorial
Continue around the headland from the memorial to the tip of Marwick Head, above the rocks of Choldertoo.
Marwick Head is an RSPB reserve that is an important nesting site for thousands of seabirds. Expect to see puffins, razorbills, guillemots, fulmar, shag, kittiwakes and rock doves during the main nesting season, which is from May until the end of June. Look for wild flowers on the cliffs too, including sea thrift, sea campion and rose root.
Carry on around the cliff-top path, with superb views ahead of the island of Hoy with its famous sea-stack, the Old Man, off its western coast. The path leads down to the little stony bay of the Choin of Mar Wick, where there is a small car park. Our walk continues around the coast, rising again to the headland of Outshore Point. Although now outside the RSPB reserve at Marwick Head, there is still plenty of wildlife to be seen.
From Outshore Point it is a further, wonderful 4km of cliff-top walking to the Bay of Skaill, where you come to the B9056 and a small car park with public toilets.
Just around the bay you’ll find Skaill House and the entrance to Skara Brae.
Skaill House is an early 17th-century mansion containing a few interesting artefacts, including the dinner service from Captain Cook’s Resolution, but all this is not terribly exciting when Skara Brae lies just a few hundred metres down the road!
Skara Brae rose from the sand dunes in a violent storm during 1850. The sand was blown off the remains of this 500-year-old site, revealing to the world the best-preserved Stone Age village in northern Europe. It is known that the site was occupied for around 600 years from about 3000BC, and you can still see the stone furniture, fireplaces, drains, and even damp-proof coursing in the foundations! The entrance to Skara Brae is through a modern visitor centre, and there is a charge.
Drop down onto the beach and walk around the outside of the Skara Brae complex until you can regain the cliff top. Continue around the headland to Hole o’ Row, a fine natural arch. The route continues around Yettna Geo to Row Head, then on to the Broch of Borwick. From here you head around the Hill of Borwick and on to a car park at the end of a minor road.
The Broch of Borwick is perched high on an eroding headland surrounded by a spectacular sea cliff. The site takes its name from adjacent Bor Wick bay, an inlet lying almost halfway between the Bay o’ Skaill and Yesnaby. Thought to date from the first millennium BC, the broch was probably in use for over 1000 years, finally abandoned between 500AD and 600AD.
The next section of the route takes you along some of the wildest coastline in the Orkney Islands group. There is little south of here until you round the headland overlooking Hoy Sound and enter Stromness.
Walking on southwards from Yesnaby towards Garthna Geo, you are probably beginning to think about finding a suitable campsite for the night. I have found a few good sites around here, but in order to encourage you to wild camp responsibly it is better if I do not give exact details of the ones I have used. There really are some lovely places to pitch up for the night, with a great view of the wild North Atlantic from your tent door.
Day 2
Begin the day by packing up slowly and enjoying the morning view of the ocean. Once you’ve had a relaxing brew-up, begin the pleasant walk southwards towards Neban Point, another superb place for close-up views of seabirds.
The route continues along the Bight of Mousland to the little headland of Neblonga, below the small hill of Black Craig. Look on Skrowa Skerry for basking seals, shags and turnstones as you descend from Black Craig, then continue around the bays of Billia Croo and Rack Wick to the headland of Breck Ness. Walk around this, passing the Breck Ness Broch and perhaps dropping down onto the shore below the low cliffs if the tide is out. The rock pools here are fun to explore as you begin the journey eastwards to Pulse Skerry.
Here regain the cliff top, which has a good path now, leading towards Stromness. The walking here is easy, but pleasant, and you soon find yourself on a minor road leading into the centre of Stromness.
Stromness is a good place to spend the night before heading back to Kirkwall.
Stromness, the second biggest town on Orkney after Kirkwall, sits on the natural harbour of Hamnavoe. In the 18th century the growth in the whaling industry made it an important last port of call for ships heading north to the cold waters of Greenland. Many local men were recruited into the ranks of crewmen on these whaling ships.
WALK 5
Lewis – Western Mountains
| Start/Finish | A small lay-by at a gate with a track leading down to the beach at Mangurstadh in West Lewis (grid refNB013307). Reach this from Stornoway by following the A859 south from the town and turning onto the A858 towards Callanish. Just before Callanish take the B8011 and follow it beyond the superb beach at Traigh Uig. Drive on up the hill, passing a gravel pit on the left and a track just beyond. Ignore the next turn on the right to Mangurstadh and look for the lay-by after another 1.5km. |
| Distance | 40km (24.75 miles); Day 1 – 19km (11.75 miles), Day 2 – 21km (13 miles) |
| Total Ascent | Total: 1140m; Day 1 – 890m, Day 2 – 250m |
| Maps | OS Landranger sheet 13 West Lewis and North Harris |
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Number of Days
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