north isles - westray westray he queen of the isles · of grobust. awell-preserved building was...

site at Links of Noltland(HY428493) above the beachof Grobust. A well-preservedbuilding was excavated, butof a different internal plan tothe houses at Skara Brae. Itconsists of two rather irregu-larly shaped rooms, withsmall cells leading off, inshape rather like Vinquoychambered cairn on Eday.Radiocarbon dating gave arange 2900-2200 BC. Thereis nothing to see on the sitetoday.

The structure had been filledin deliberately and many arte-facts with parallels to SkaraBrae finds, includingGrooved Ware pottery, werefound. The midden materialcontained skulls and cattlebones, plus skeletons of anOtter and a Sea Eagle.Evidence of cultivation andmany Red Deer bones werealso found. As at Skara Braethe ruins were protected bythe sand but at present thehouse has been back-filled

and there is little to see exceptfor a few walls in the sand.There may well be morestructures still to examine atthis extensive site.

At Berstness (HY440420)there are remains of a prehis-toric settlement with curvingwalls and a possible heel-shaped house. The layout ofold field boundaries can bemade out, while the Moundof Skea (HY441418) on theshore is eroded, to reveal

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WESTRAY (ON Vestrey,West Isle), the second largestof the North Isles, is in manyways Orkney in miniature. Ithas been described as “TheQueen of the Isles” with itsgood farmland, hilly moor-land, magnificent cliffscenery and lovely sandybeaches. Westray is also themost prosperous of the NorthIsles, producing a large num-ber of quality cattle and hav-ing much of Orkney's fishing

fleet. Like other parts ofOrkney, there are a diverserange of things to see and do.

Pierowall (HY437485) isone of the best harbours in theNorth Isles, the name derivesfrom Pier o'Wa. Wa, (ONVagr, Bay), is the old name ofthe area on the west shore ofPierowall Bay. The Hofn,(ON Hofn, haven), mentionedseveral times in theOrkneyinga Saga, is

Pierowall, and much evi-dence of the Norse settlershas been found here in theform of graves in the links(dunes) to the north and westof the village, which is one ofthe very few settlements inOrkney which is not modernin origin.

Neolithic Age Westray alsohas many prehistoric remains,one of the most interesting ofwhich is a Skara Brae-like

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WESTRAY, “THE QUEEN OF THE ISLES”

Pierowall from BroughtonPuffin at Noup Head

Aerial view of Pierowall with Loch Saintear on bottom right, Aikerness top left and Papay on top right

NORTH ISLES - WESTRAY

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Iron Age There are severalbroch mounds on Westray,the best preserved of which isthe Knowe o’Burrastae(HY432429) on the shorenear Langskaill. The sea haseroded most of the inside,leaving a curved wall with asquare doorway into an intra-mural passage. The mound issteep on the landward sideand structures can be seen inthe ground around it.

At Queena Howe(HY425495) a series of stonestructures can be seen in theeroded shoreline. Theseappear to be circular walls,the outermost of which hasbeach boulders built as a pos-sible breakwater. It is proba-bly a broch. There are severalother mounds which maywell be settlements.

The Knowe o’Skea is a largemound on an exposed head-land at Berstness(HY441418) which has beeninvestigated by archaeolo-gists for several years. Alarge rounded building with arectangular interior and verythick walls which had beenrepeatedly added to over per-haps 500 years was revealed.The interior had a central

hearth and stone box beds butvery little pottery or otherdomestic debris.

There were no burials withinthis building, but a large num-ber of remains have beenfound in the buildings andwalls on the north side of it.Two of these small buildingswere metalworking work-shops. A metal pin was foundby one of the skeletons and

the moulds for casting similarpins turned up. It may be thatthe metalworking was relatedto death and burial.

Until now, very few Iron Ageburials have been examined.Remains of over 100 individ-uals have so far been found,over half of which were fromyoung babies. There werefew grave goods apart fromshells buried with some of the

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stone walls and middendeposits. This was originallythought to be a chamberedcairn, but excavation hasrevealed a complex Iron Ageburial and metalworking site.

During quarry operations atPierowall, a carved stone wasdiscovered with a spiral andlozenge design (now inTankerness House Museum)which may have been the lin-tel over the entrance to achambered tomb of theMaeshowe type. This tombhad been demolished about2100 BC and then used as aflint tool workshop. Finally alarge round house was builthere in the Iron Age.

Near Cleat, at the Point ofCott (HY465474), is a longstalled cairn which dates fromabout 3000BC. Nine stallslabs were visible above thesurface in the centre of thisgrassy mound and traces ofwalling could be seen, but lit-tle is now left after a rescueexcavation due to erosion by

the sea. The south side had aforecourt and was enclosedby low banks or "horns". Afurther stalled tomb at Vere(HY458505) is a low moundin front of Vere farmhouse.The stall divisions can still bemade out on the top of themound.

There is a prominent roundcairn on a ridge nearPowdykes (HY434436),where some upright slabs canstill be made out. There arealso remains of chamberedcairns at Fitty Hill(HY433445), Knucker Hill(HY428470) and Couter’sHill (HY422491). None ofthese cairns is in a good stateof preservation, but they areworth visiting for the viewand as part of a longer walk.No doubt many other cairnsexisted, but have beendestroyed during subsequentmillennia.

Bronze Age A badly erodedburnt mound near Gill Pier(HY450492) has manyexposed broken burnt stones,over black earth. Severalother burnt mounds also existbut are not obvious. No defi-nite Bronze Age settlementhas been identified as yet.

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Knowe o’Skea, Berstness

Archaeologists at work on Knowe o’Skea

Queena Howe Broch, Grobust Knowe o’Burrastae Broch


Remains of chambered cairn and roundhouse, Pierowall

Point of Cott chambered cairn plan

Point of Cott chambered cairn

Noltland Links with wildflowers - site of settlement

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Quoygrew, or LowerTrenabie (HY443506), on thenorth side of Rackwick, wasfirst noted as two moundsnear the shore where coastalerosion was revealing middenmaterial and walling.Excavation has now revealeda series of structures stretch-ing over 50m inland from theshore, the oldest of whichdates from the 9th or 10th cen-tury. The upper house wasonly finally vacated in 1937.The original house was builtsome distance from the shore,but about 1000AD a newbuilding was put up near theshore which may have had todo with the extensive fishingwhich was being done fromhere.During the 12th century andlater this structure wasextended several times, and atleast 15 different fireplaceswere excavated. Manysteatite artefacts were foundfrom this period, whereasfrom about 1500 manufac-tured pottery was being used.Until this series of buildingswas excavated the only Norsehouses which could be visitedin Orkney were those on theBrough of Birsay. Quoygrewis the basis of a study into thetransitions which took placein Orkney during and afterthe Viking Age, and the full

results of studies on the manyfinds will be very interesting.

St Mary's Kirk (Lady Kirk)(HY439488), in the centre ofPierowall, dates from perhaps

the 13th century but was muchrebuilt in the 17th century, asseen from the carved skew-putt (the lowest stone of thegable coping) on the eastgable with the date 1674.

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infants. The high incidenceof small babies is unusual butmay just mean that there washigh infant mortality.

Some Bronze Age burialswere also found in themound, which may well havebeen built on a Neolithicchambered cairn similar to

the one on the headland oppo-site. Thus the site may havebeen in use as a burial groundfor a very long time. The set-tlement which used theKnowe o’Skea as its grave-yard may be situated to thenorth of the nearby farm ofLangskaill, or at the Brocho’Burrastae.

Viking Age The Vikinggraves found at Pierowalldate from the 9th century.Those of men containedswords, spearheads, axes,knives and combs, whilethose of women had trefoilbrooches, penannularbrooches, tortoise-shapedbrooches in pairs, bracelets,knives, combs and beads.Some boat-burials were pres-ent, and dogs or horses weresometimes buried in the samegrave.

It seems that the Vikingsbecame Christian quite soonafter the main influx andthere are at least two church-es on Westray which wereestablished in Norse times. Inthe past many such graveswere uncovered, both in thePierowall area and in thevicinity of Trenabie. The sur-viving records are scanty andmost of the artefacts are nowlost or untraceable. Theimplication is of a substantialViking presence at an earlydate in the north of Westray,which is not a surprise giventhe excellent harbour andagricultural land in the area.

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Mae Sand is a fine south-facing beach backed by dunes and machair

Norse pin and ring found near Pierowall Norse tortoise brooch found near Pierowall

St Mary’s Kirk graveyard, Pierowall, is a probable broch site

Norse comb found near Pierowall


Quoygrew - eroding midden and buildings on shore

Quoygrew Norse settlement, Rackwick

Excavating a skeleton on the Knowe o’Skea

Quoygrew Norse settlement, Rackwick


The remains of a chapel,Peter Kirk, with its sur-rounding ancient graveyard,lie west of Russland inRapness (HY500402). Itappears to be built on top of abroch as erosion has revealedstonework and pottery. Therewas said to be another nearCleat, while near Surrigarth,there was a farm called “OldKirkhouse” and the nameKirbest also suggests a chapelsite. Very little remains tomark these ancient Christiansites. On the Holm of Aikernessthe foundations of a small

chapel underlie a sheep shel-ter. Seven nuns are said tohave been buried here, andthe chapel was built to com-memorate them. At high tide

much of the Holm is sub-merged, but at low springs alarge skerry is revealed.Terns nest here in summer,and many seals haul out too.

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What had been the chancelbecame the “laird’s aisle”,and there are two well-pre-served and finely carved fam-ily gravestones from the sameperiod which are now pro-tected under a rather intrusiveglass and steel object.

The kirkyard has many inter-esting old headstones, whilethe southern part to the westof the kirk itself covers a con-siderable mound, which maywell enclose the missingPierowall broch. While theoldest visible parts of the kirkmay date from the 13th centu-ry it may overlie an even ear-lier church site.

Near the south shore atTuquoy, the Westside orCross Kirk (HY454431) isone of the best-preservedmedieval churches in Orkney.Probably built by HaflidiThorkelsson of Tuquoy in themid-12th century and dedicat-ed to the Holy Cross, the oldpart is largely intact, despitenearly being demolished inthe 19th century.

Apparently a very sensibleolder person asked that “theDane’s work not be pulleddown.” It consists of a naveand chancel, which was orig-

inally vaulted. The nave wasextended at a later time to thewest. The adjacent cemeteryis still in use and contains anumber of interesting head-stones.

There are also the remains ofa considerable Viking Agesettlement nearby, with mas-sive walls being exposed byerosion along the shore.Excavations have revealed acomplex of buildings, flag-stone floors, drains and mid-den deposits. Part of a largehall was discovered, withsome 12th century runes on aninternal wall. Many Norseartefacts were found, includ-ing steatite bowls, pottery andmetal objects. There mayhave been a small defensivetower on the extensive site,but only the part in danger oferosion has been examined.

Although the farmstead herewas no doubt impressivewhen built, unfortunately itsfoundations seem to havebeen on sand, and consider-able repairs and remodellingwent on during its occupancy.

Further visible evidence ofthe Norsemen comes fromthe many boat nousts aroundthe coast. These have beenmaintained over the centuriesas shelters for boats at the topof the shore and are very sim-ilar to those found in Norway.The Westray skiff is not verydifferent from the type ofsmall boat used in Norsetimes and may still be seen inuse today. The abundance ofthese nousts suggests thatfishing and the sea were asimportant in Westray in thepast as at the present.

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Bay of Tuquoy winter sunset

Plan of the Cross KirkDoorway and window on the Cross Kirk

The Cross Kirk at Tuquoy dates from the 12th century

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St Mary’s Kirk dates from the 13th century

Grave slab with symbols of deathInteresting old grave marker, St Mary’s Kirk

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lairds’ whereabouts and theroof was said to have beenpulled off the castle in retalia-tion. It may still have beenpartly habitable after that, asin a 1761 marriage contractbetween Dennison and aHelen Traill part of the“Mansion House ofNoltland” was to be left toher in the event of his death.

There is a panoramic view ofPierowall harbour from theparapet of the castle, which isremarkable for the number ofgun loops, 71 arranged intiers. The basement gunloopshad wooden gun-mountingsfitted and there are even twoin the kitchen. The Orcadianauthor Eric Linklater com-pared the castle to a ship-of-the-line, while others havesuggested that it was built fora man with a bad conscience.

Spanish Armada In 1588one small boatload of sur-vivors from a ship of theSpanish Armada is said tohave reached Pierowall.Their ship, which had lost itsrudder and mainmast in astorm, sank in the DennisRöst off North Ronaldsay.The Dons, as they were

called, settled along the NorthShore and married local girls,taking Orkney surnames.The mixture of Norse andSpanish blood seems to haveproduced very good seamenand some of the traits - darkhair and eyes and a quick wit- can still be seen in Westraypeople today. Shipwrecks were common inthe days before lighthousesand other navigational aids.In about 1730, during asevere storm from the north, aship went ashore atRammigeo (HY451525) onthe Head of Aikerness. In themorning a little boy wasfound clasped to his drownedmother's breast, alive butcold. Another version saysthat he was washed up tied toa piece of a mast.

The boy was adopted by theRendalls of Seaquoy andsince no one knew his namehe was called Archie Angel,after the assumed homeportof the ship, which was foundon a name-board in thewreckage. Although thename "Angel” has died out,there are still descendants ofArchie Angel in Westraytoday.

Witchcraft In July 1627 aWestrayman, BenjaminGarrioch, and three compan-ions went fishing one day,despite a warning from hisgirlfriend that something ter-rible would happen. Theywere caught in the fog andfailed to return whereuponshe became suspected of

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Noltland Castle (HY429487)is a very fine example of aScottish fortified Z-planhouse. Much of Westray wasBishopric property and theCastle was built as a result ofthe various political intrigues

during the time of MaryQueen of Scots. Some confu-sion exists over the exact dateof the building, but the mainstructure was commencedabout 1560 on the instigationof Gilbert Balfour, who was

Sheriff of Orkney and Masterof Mary Queen of Scots’Household and had receivedgrants of land in Westrayfrom his brother-in-law,Adam Bothwell, Bishop ofOrkney, in 1560. Balfour wasinvolved in the murders ofCardinal Beaton and Darnleyand was finally executed inSweden in 1576.

The Castle was prepared toshelter Mary if she had man-aged to escape from LochLeven Castle. Further addi-tions were made in the 17th

and 18th centuries, when thesouth range and courtyardand later further extensions tothe east and west were added.It was never properly fin-ished, but does have someinteresting detail, including alarge stairway with carvednewel at the top, which is anaddition by Earl PatrickStewart. The great hall is spa-cious, but the conditions inthe dungeon-like kitchen can-not have been so salubrious.On the first floor there areapartments, and a probablestrong room with secret com-partments while there is anattractive courtyard on thesouth-east side.

The castle belonged toBalfour of Faray prior to1728, when it was sold toJerome Dennison, a merchantin Sanday. He is said to havehelped several lairds, whohad supported the Jacobitecause in the 1745 rebellion, tohide in Gentlemen's Cavenear Noup Head. He refusedto answer questions about the

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Noltland Castle ground floor kitchen Noltland Castle stairway to first floor with newel

Loch of Burness and Noltland Castle - sunrise from Gallow Hill

Noltland Castle exterior from the southeast


Lower Ouseness, a typical 19th century croft

Old plan of Noltland Castle

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they had fished since the 13th

or 14th century, landed chilledand gutted cod at Pierowall,where it was salted and dried,before being shipped south.They also had large tanks intheir hulls and by this meanskept the bulk of their catchesalive for sale in England.

Fair Isle also has a very oldconnection with Westray andin the past was much moreclosely related to Westraythan Dunrossness, inShetland. Many Fair Isle folkmoved to Westray, Stronsayor Kirkwall to seek a living,including ancestors of theauthor.

Noup Head (76m,HY392500) has a lighthouse,completed in 1898. It was thefirst to use mercury flotationfor its revolving light andbecame automatic in 1964.The accommodation blockwas demolished at the timeand thrown over the craig.The lighthouse is now pow-ered by a solar array.

The cliffs on the west side ofWestray are about 8km (5miles) long, and the mostnortherly 3km (2 miles) arean RSPB Reserve. In Mayand June the ledges arecrowded with Auks andKittiwakes and hold Orkney’slargest “seabird city”, whenthe noise, activity and aromaof the tens of thousands ofbreeding birds are quite spec-tacular.

In Britain, the Westray cliffsare second only to St Kilda in

terms of numbers of breedingseabirds. The smell and noisethat greet the visitor from thisvast seabird colony neverfails to impress. Good viewsof Guillemots, Razorbills,Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Puffinsand Black Guillemots can behad from the clifftops.

Recently a small number ofGannets have been nesting

here and in 2005 there wereabout 27 nests with 14 chicks.The nearby colony of ArcticTern should not be disturbed,but the birds may be observedfrom a distance. At other sea-sons Noup Head makes anexcellent spot for sea watch-ing, for whales in late sum-mer, and for migratingseabirds in spring andautumn.

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witchcraft. After the death ofher father she took to goingout in bad weather in his boat,but always returned. Later, inspite of saving a ship whichwas in danger of beingwrecked, or perhaps becauseof this, she was tried in StMagnus Cathedral and con-demned to be tied to a stakeand worried to death by thehangman.

That day some Naval vesselshad arrived in Kirkwall andthere was a wild night of cel-ebration in the town. Eventhe hangman and prisonguards became comatose.Benjamin and his compan-ions had been picked up by a

British Navy ship and pressedinto service. When he foundout about Jane’s plight heplied the hangman and jailerswith whisky and made goodtheir escape on the ship thatshe had saved. Many yearslater a visiting Kirkwall manhappened past a shop called“Benjamin Garrioch” inManchester, where the couplewere thriving. Again thismay be fanciful legend, but itstill remains a fine story.

Westray has many interestingdomestic and farm buildingswhich reflect its fertile agri-cultural land and relativeaffluence. The extensivebeaches which are good for

seaweed collection, and thuskelp-making, allowed thelairds to make plenty ofmoney during the KelpBoom, some of which wasspent on houses. Theseinclude several 18th and 19th

century mansions, such asBrough, Cleat and Fribo, aswell as several mills and thelarge fishing store at Gill Pier.

Fishing Westray was theonly Orkney island to bemuch involved in the Codfishery. Although Englishsmacks called at Stromness orLonghope for crew as well,they preferred theWestraymen, who had forcenturies gone to the haaffishing up to 80 miles off-shore in open boats of thesixareen type. Thus devel-oped an industry which by the19th century was employing 7or 8 small sloops of about 30tons. The Herring fisherywas never very important inWestray, unlike in Stronsay.

The English smacks returningfrom Icelandic waters, where

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Many small boats fish for crabs and lobsters

Brough farmhouse dates from the 19th century but is now falling into disrepair

A few larger trawlers are still based in Westray

“Queen of the Isles” leaving for Wart Holm to clip the sheep

Midsummer sunrise from Gallo Hill with Loch of Saintear, Bay of Pierowall and Papay



Follow the coast south pastthe attractively situated farmof Bisgeos, which has recent-ly been renovated. The baywith the storm beach belowthe farm is called North BisGeo and is dramatic when abig sea is running. Either fol-low the coast the whole wayto Skea Hill (HY422441), orthe ridge from Knucker Hill(113m), with its chamberedcairn on top, to Fitty Hill(169m) for excellent views.After Inga Ness (HY417439)follow the coast and eitherreturn to the car park at EastKirbest, or continue alongthe shore past Muckle Waterto the Knowe o'Burristae, aruined broch.

There is a natural arch at CuinGeo on the point ofBerstness, while the Knoweof Skea lies to the south ofthe ness. There are fine viewsacross the Westray Firth toRousay from this shore.Either take the road back, orfollow the attractive beach atMae Sand with its extensivesand dunes on to Cross Kirk(HY453432) at Tuquoy withits Norse remains, beforereturning to Pierowall.

North Coast Walk Otherideas for interesting walksinclude taking the road toNoup Head from Pierowall,and visiting Noltland Castle,then crossing Noltland Links,where a Neolithic village liesburied in the sand, and whichare a blaze of colourful flow-ers in summer, to GrobustBeach. There is a good viewalong the cliffs to Noup Head

from here and often good surfto watch. Continue along theshore to Rackwick, wheretang often gets washed up inhuge quantities and untilrecently was dried for pro-cessing into alginates. Visitthe Quoygrew Norse site at

the north end of the bay andthen return along the road toPierowall.

Aikerness Walk A walkaround the Aikerness shore atthe north-east end of theisland is relatively easy going

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West Coast Walk There is avery satisfying waymarkedwalk down the west side ofthe island from Noup Head toKirbest which takes in FittyHill (HY430448, 169m), thehighest point on Westray.

The rich maritime heath veg-etation is spectacular in sum-mer with Thrift, Grass of

Parnassus, Bird’s-footTrefoil, Sea Campion, SpringSquill and many other plantsadding colour in a successionwhich lasts from Aprilthrough until late August.Primula scotica grows here,as well as a number of plantswhich are normally associat-ed with high altitudes farthersouth.

Arctic Skua, Great Skua andArctic Tern also nest in thisarea. Apart from the wildlifethere are many dramatic vis-tas of cliff scenery to the westand south towards Rousayand Birsay, which are bal-anced by the fine views overWestray and the North Isles,especially from the top of thehill.

Below North Hill,Gentlemen's Cave(HY398486) can be reachedby a long ledge on the cliffsand was used as a hidingplace by Jacobite lairds in1746, while their homes werebeing burned byCumberland’s men duringreprisals after the 1745Jacobite rebellion which cul-minated in the Battle ofCulloden in 1746. The coasthere has many caves, naturalarches and interesting geos.Great care should be taken inthe vicinity of the cliffs, espe-cially after rain or on a windyday, and access toGentleman’s Cave shouldonly be attempted with localknowledge and by the suit-ably equipped.

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Gentlemen’s Cave is below North Hill and can be reached by scrambling

Noup Head has off lying skerries called the Grip of Cleaton

Noup Head is home to many thousands of seabirds in the breeding season


Noup Head (76m) is an RSPB Reserve has a lighthouse built in 1898

Serried ranks of Guillemots line the many ledgesThere is now a small Gannet colony on Noup Head


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along the low coast and apartfrom Seals, and manyseabirds, with luck Ottersmay be seen, especially inearly morning. The coast canbe followed from Gill Pierright around to Rackwick,passing an eroding BurntMound (HY451492) on theway. There are good viewsacross to Papay from near theairfield at Skaill. On theHolm of Aikerness(HY470525) there was asmall chapel, but it was prob-ably incorporated into thepresent hut on the island.

There are several small sandycoves along this coast whichcan be good for findingGroatie Buckies and otherinteresting shells. A danger-ous tide race, the Bow Röst,forms off Bow Head in cer-tain conditions. Return viathe west side, where lowcliffs and small geos aretopped with maritime heath.Visit Quoygrew beforereturning to Pierowall.

Rapness Walk The walkstarts from the Old Mill atRack Wick (HY502424), andfollows the cliffs past thePoint o’Burrian to StangerHead, where there are inter-esting caves and the attractiveBight of Stanger Head. TheGeo o’Rustling Stones isalso good for Puffin, and thetrack leads from here back tothe road.

The Rapness walk can take inGentlemen’s Ha' Cave(HY517419), where some18th century Jacobite lairdsare said to have hidden.Access is difficult and shouldnot be tried without localknowledge. Weatherness, atthe south end, has an interest-ing off-lying rock called TheShip. Return past the largequarry which was used tobuild the ferry terminal. Thewild flowers along thisstretch of coast are particular-ly colourful in summer andthere are good views across tothe Red Head of Eday andHolm of Faray. ManxShearwaters are sometimes

seen here in the gloaming.Either return via the road, orcontinue to the Point o’Huro(HY497388) at the southerntip of the island. Return viathe Point o’Peterkirk(HY500401) on the west sideof Rapness where there is alarge ruined chapel built onthe site of an old broch withvarious walls exposed whichmay relate to different peri-ods.

Beaches There are manygood sandy beaches onWestray, notably Grobust(HY430495), mentionedabove, Mae Sand(HY445423), which hasattractive sand dunes,Swartmill Bay (HY480462),facing Papay, Rackwick(HY500426), which hasinteresting pebbles and oftenmuch seaweed, Sands o'Woo(HY512408) which is goodfor a stroll whilst awaiting theferry as is Bay of Tafts(HY496416), also near thesouth end. There will alwaysbe a sheltered bay, beach orcove somewhere!

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W E S T R A A KQuarry Road, Pierowall, Westray,

Orkney, KW17 2DHTel: 01857 677 777

Experience the beauty of Westray. Let Kathy andGraham Maben bring Westray to life for you. We willtake you to experience the sights, sounds and solitude

of the 'Queen of the Isles'. Our guided tours of Westrayare available all year round, and can vary in content

and timing to be tailored to your wishes.We look forward to meeting you!


Grobust on the north side of the Links of Noltland is one of the finest beaches in Orkney - Noup Head is in the background

PIEROWALLHOTEL

Enjoy the warm, friendly atmosphere of afamily-run hotel in the heart of Pierowall.

Our rooms are comfortably furnished. Weare known throughout Orkney for the fresh-ness of our seafood and famed for serving

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Fitty Hill (169m) from Skelwick with the Bay of Tuquoy on the centre left


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walling. A visit to the Puffincolony can be the start of alonger walk around the head-land of Rapness.

Craft and Industry Thereare a whole range of craftsproducers on Westray whichcan be visited. They rangefrom traditional and modernknitwear and Orkney chairsto jewellry, artwork cushionsand throws as well as sou-venirs and other products.

The local Fish Factory atPierowall processes much ofthe shellfish and some of thewhitefish caught by theWestray fleet. Visitors arewelcome and fresh or frozenseafood can be bought.

Heritage Centre TheWestray BuildingPreservation Trust HeritageCentre in Pierowall features amock-up geo, and as well asgiving an insight intoWestray’s past, it featuresregular exhibitions, and manyhands-on things for childrenand their parents. It is openfrom May from September.

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Birdwatching places Thesaltmarshes and beaches atLetto Sands, Bay of Tuquoy(HY455450) and The Ouse(HY450510), and the beachesat Sand o’Gill, Pierowall andthe Bay o’Tafts are goodplaces for waders. There areseveral good vantage pointsfrom where the car may beused as a convenient hide.

The lochs of Burness,Saintear and Swartmill allhold breeding waterfowl insummer. During migration

times unusual species oftenturn up and they are also pop-ular with overwinteringWhooper Swan and variousducks such as Goldeneye.

Noup Head is a most spec-tacular “seabird city” duringthe breeding season with itsthousands of auks. A numberof Puffin are always present,but Rapness, at the south end,offers the best place inWestray to see these popularlittle birds. The Castleo’Burrian (HY504429) is a

rock stack set in a small natu-ral amphitheatre. An alcoveon the west side is an excel-lent place from which towatch the many Puffin whichnest in burrows on the grassycliffs.

Afternoon and evening tendto be the best times to seePuffin, which are presentfrom May until July. TheCastle is the site of an earlyChristian retreat. On the topof it there are remains of twoor more buildings, as well as

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The Castle o’Burrian in Rapness isa good place to see Puffins

WESTRAYATTRACTIONS

Heritage CentreSt Mary's Kirk Noltland CastleLinks of Noltland Gill SandsGrobust BeachQueena Howe BrochQuoygrew Norse siteThe OuseAikerness WalkHolm of AikernessWestray AirfieldLoch of BurnessLoch of SaintearNoup Head Lighthouse Noup Head RSPB Reserve Gentlemen's CaveWest Coast WalkFitty Hill - highest hillBay of Kirbist Knowe o'Burristae Broch Knowe o’SkeaMae SandTuquoy WalkCross KirkBay of Tuquoy Loch of SwartmillSwartmill BayCastle o' Burrian (Puffin)Stanger Head (Puffin)Bay o’TaftsFaray & Holm of Faray

WESTRAYCRAFT TRAIL

Hume Sweet Hume, Lizza &Jenna Hume, Cushions and throws Tel 677 259 West-Ray jewellry, GeorgeThomson Tel 677 400Westray Knitters, Marlene Bews,Knitted garments Tel 677 366 Westray Straw, Edith Costie,Orkney Chairs Tel 677 411 Wheeling Steen Gallery, EdwinRendall, , Artist Tel 677 464 Essence of Orkney, LaurenHarcus, Skincare Products Tel 677 432 Westray Cards, John Cable,Cards, Bookmarks & PicturesTel 677 287 Aak Work, Linda Drever, HelzieHouse Tel 677 530 Mugs,Placemats, Keyrings, T-Shirts

WESTRAYSERVICES

Getting To Westray BothOrkney Ferries, Tel (01856)872044 and Loganair, Tel (01856)872494, operate daily services tothe island from Kirkwall. Pleaserefer to their latest timetables fordetails. Car and Bicycle hire isavailable locally and minibus toursare also run. A minibus connectswith ferries and meets the Papayboat. Connections with Papay byboat from Pierowall and by plane

Tours Westraak, Pierowall Tel(01857) 677 777 see advert

Local Transport M&J Harcus,bus service, Pierowall Tel 677212T Rendall, Papay Boat hire,Pierowall Tel 677216

Where to Stay and Where to EatThe Pierowall Hotel dates fromthe early 19th century. This friendly,family-run hotel has comfortablerooms and serves “perhaps the bestfish and chips anywhere”, with alarge variety of very fresh fish, andother produce ***INN, Tel (01857)677208. Cleaton House Hotel, isa former Victorian mansion “wherethe relaxing atmosphere is compli-mented by outstanding cuisine,accommodation, hospitality andsea views.” ****SMALL HOTEL,Tel (01857) 677508. “Winterwarmers” deals are available out ofseason which are especially goodvalue.

The Haf Yok Cafe in Pierowall isrun by Westraak and serves deli-cious homebakes, soup, tea andcoffee.

Shops WFM Brown, Baker,Pierowall, WI Rendall, GeneralMerchant, Pierowall, JC TullochGeneral Merchant & Post Office,Pierowall, Peter Miller, Shop &Sub Post Office, Skelwick

WESTRAY, “THE QUEEN OF THE ISLES”NORTH ISLES - WESTRAY

Westray skiff at the regattaSand o’Gill at Pierowall is good for waders and gulls

Midsummer sunset over Noup Head


north isles - westray westray he queen of the isles · of grobust. awell-preserved building was...

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