5 Guided Walks for the Island of Westraywith information and illustrationson points of interest

Westray

West Westray Coast

Noup Head Loop

Kirk to Castlevia GrobustTuquoy andMae Sand

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5 Guided Walks for the Island of Westraywith information and illustrationson points of interest

Westray

West Westray Coast

Noup Head Loop

Kirk to Castlevia GrobustTuquoy andMae SandCastle O’ Burrianand the Bay of Tafts

then the onlyNorse village inOrkney andnearby on theLinks, was thelargest Vikingcemetery inBritain yetfound.Other evidence of the Norse occupationcan be seen at the Cross Kirk, built in 1140by Haflidi, son of Thorkel. The remains juttingout of the cliff to the west of the church arethought to be his house and farmstead.

For more recent history Noltland Castle iswell worth a visit. It’s one of the finestexamples of a Scottish fortified residence.It was built for Gilbert Balfour, who servedMary Queen of Scots and aided in the plotto murder her second husband Lord Darnley. The fearsome appearance is accentuated bythe huge blocks of stone, array of shot holesand few windows. The large spiral staircaseis the most spectacular feature, with a smallerone higher up in the living area of the castle.

After a long history of fishing Westray’seconomy now relies more on farming thanfishing. Creel boats still fish for crabs, butbeef and sheep farming have gradually gainedin importance. The soils are fertile, the grassis good with a long growing season and thebeef is acclaimed throughout Britain.

TodayPierowallharbour isbusiest at theend of Julywhen dozensof small boatstake over thebay in fine stylefor theWestrayRegatta.

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What’s the finest bird in any flock?Have you heard of a Westray Aak?

The changing scenery, the wide sea andskyscapes make a short stroll or a long hikea delight not to be missed. You never quiteknow what you might see next. The air canbe full of birds, the tide may have washed upa beautiful sea urchin or a message in abottle, and the wild flowers can take you bysurprise as they brighten your path.

Westray is the mostnorth-westerly of theOrkney Islands. Itsspreading shape providesit with a huge 80kmcoastline, with stunningcliff scenery and beautifulsandy bays, while itsoceanic position, facingthe Atlantic, gives a clueto its rich seafaring history.The rocks of the island are made up of thicklayers of flagstones, which have been muchused for paving stones, roofing slates andbuildings since prehistoric times.

Walking through historyWestray has an extensive pre history, withnew sites still being discovered. Recentexcavations include two Viking longhouses,at Trenabie and Langskaill. At Knowe ofSkea, an Iron Age funerary complex wasfound, containing 100 human burials. In yearspast digs have uncovered a Skara Brae typeNeolithic house and a chambered tombsimilar to Maeshowe.

The Vikingsfound Pierowallto be a finenatural harbourfor theirshallow-draughted longboats andnamed it Höfnmeaningharbour. It was

then the onlyNorse village inOrkney andnearby on theLinks, was thelargest Vikingcemetery inBritain yetfound.Other evidence of the Norse occupationcan be seen at the Cross Kirk, built in 1140by Haflidi, son of Thorkel. The remains juttingout of the cliff to the west of the church arethought to be his house and farmstead.

For more recent history Noltland Castle iswell worth a visit. It’s one of the finestexamples of a Scottish fortified residence.It was built for Gilbert Balfour, who servedMary Queen of Scots and aided in the plotto murder her second husband Lord Darnley. The fearsome appearance is accentuated bythe huge blocks of stone, array of shot holesand few windows. The large spiral staircaseis the most spectacular feature, with a smallerone higher up in the living area of the castle.

After a long history of fishing Westray’seconomy now relies more on farming thanfishing. Creel boats still fish for crabs, butbeef and sheep farming have gradually gainedin importance. The soils are fertile, the grassis good with a long growing season and thebeef is acclaimed throughout Britain.

TodayPierowallharbour isbusiest at theend of Julywhen dozensof small boatstake over thebay in fine stylefor theWestrayRegatta.

����� ������� �������������������������������������

The changing scenery, the wide sea andskyscapes make a short stroll or a long hikea delight not to be missed. You never quiteknow what you might see next. The air canbe full of birds, the tide may have washed upa beautiful sea urchin or a message in abottle, and the wild flowers can take you bysurprise as they brighten your path.

Westray is the mostnorth-westerly of theOrkney Islands. Itsspreading shape providesit with a huge 80kmcoastline, with stunningcliff scenery and beautifulsandy bays, while itsoceanic position, facingthe Atlantic, gives a clueto its rich seafaring history.The rocks of the island are made up of thicklayers of flagstones, which have been muchused for paving stones, roofing slates andbuildings since prehistoric times.

Walking through historyWestray has an extensive pre history, withnew sites still being discovered. Recentexcavations include two Viking longhouses,at Trenabie and Langskaill. At Knowe ofSkea, an Iron Age funerary complex wasfound, containing 100 human burials. In yearspast digs have uncovered a Skara Brae typeNeolithic house and a chambered tombsimilar to Maeshowe.

The Vikingsfound Pierowallto be a finenatural harbourfor theirshallow-draughted longboats andnamed it Höfnmeaningharbour. It was

Key:Main route

Alternate route

Main Roads

B Roads

Small Roads/Tracks

Rocks/Skerries

Sandy beach

Parking

Toilets

Museum

Woodland

Steep Banks

Rough Shore

Archaeologicalor Historic Site

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Orkney IslandsCouncil would liketo thank Westraylandowners fortheir support indeveloping thesewalks for thepublic.

�����������������Daily ferry service to Westray from Kirkwall operated by Orkney Ferries tel: (01856) 872044 web: www.orkneyferries.co.ukInter-island air service operated by Loganair tel: (01856) 872494 web: www.loganair.co.uk�����������Accommodation and travel info. contact VisitOrkney, 6 Broad St, Kirkwall, KW15 1NX tel: (01856) 872856 web: www.visitorkney.com

Island nicknames rhymes by the late George Scott courtesy of Mrs N. E. Bain (Scott).Maps based upon the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of the controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office © Crown Copyright.Unauthorised reproduction infringes crown copyright and may lead to prosecution. OIC LA08722X.

Photo credits: SNH, D Munn, D Leather, K4 Graphics Text by D Leather Shell illustrations © Iain Ashman Design by K4 Graphics - info@k4graphics.com

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One of the finest andwildest cliff walks inOrkney with wonderfulscenery and seabird colonies.

The trail skirtsaround Skea Hillthen Fitty Hill, wherethe rare Scottishprimrose grows, onan exciting cliff toptrail that gets more

dramatic the further north you go. Ithas tremendous views of headlands,caves, natural arches and geos and wildAtlantic rollers thunder against thevertical cliffs adding to the thrill.

From North Hill onwards tens ofthousands of sea birds take up theirnesting positions on the ledges fromMay to July. There are spectacularviewing points, but take very great careon the cliff edge. This seabird city withits noise and smell make an impressiveexperience. The most common birdsare guillemots, kittiwakes and fulmars,

together with blackguillemots, razorbillsand puffins, and thesmaller wheatear androck pipit. Gannetshave begun to breedon the cliffs and youare likely to see otherspecies too, fromraven to snowbunting.

From near the lighthouse look downto the skerries where, at low tide, youmay see dozens of seals hauled out onthe rocks. Most will be grey seals whichprefer such isolated loafing sites. Thelarge male can measure 2m and weighin at 230kg.

Noup Head Lighthouse (built 1898) wasthe first in Scotland to use mercuryfloatation in the revolving carriage. Thetower is 24m high and the light nowflashes every 30 seconds. The light wasautomated in 1964 when a new lenswas installed and, in 2001, solar powerreplaced gas, with the use of 36 solarpanels.

Gan

net

Noup Head

EastKirbest

IngaNess

SkeaHill

FittyHill

NorthHill

Noup HeadLighthouse

North

Bis Geo

Grobust

Bay ofNoup

Pierowall

Loch ofBurness

Loch ofSaintear

Prim

ula

Scot

ica

Nou

p H

ead

Ligh

thou

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Start

One of the finest andwildest cliff walks inOrkney with wonderfulscenery and seabird colonies.

The trail skirtsaround Skea Hillthen Fitty Hill, wherethe rare Scottishprimrose grows, onan exciting cliff toptrail that gets more

dramatic the further north you go. Ithas tremendous views of headlands,caves, natural arches and geos and wildAtlantic rollers thunder against thevertical cliffs adding to the thrill.

From North Hill onwards tens ofthousands of sea birds take up theirnesting positions on the ledges fromMay to July. There are spectacularviewing points, but take very great careon the cliff edge. This seabird city withits noise and smell make an impressiveexperience. The most common birdsare guillemots, kittiwakes and fulmars,

together with blackguillemots, razorbillsand puffins, and thesmaller wheatear androck pipit. Gannetshave begun to breedon the cliffs and youare likely to see otherspecies too, fromraven to snowbunting.

From near the lighthouse look downto the skerries where, at low tide, youmay see dozens of seals hauled out onthe rocks. Most will be grey seals whichprefer such isolated loafing sites. Thelarge male can measure 2m and weighin at 230kg.

Noup Head Lighthouse (built 1898) wasthe first in Scotland to use mercuryfloatation in the revolving carriage. Thetower is 24m high and the light nowflashes every 30 seconds. The light wasautomated in 1964 when a new lenswas installed and, in 2001, solar powerreplaced gas, with the use of 36 solarpanels.

Gan

net

Noup Head

EastKirbest

IngaNess

SkeaHill

FittyHill

NorthHill

Noup HeadLighthouse

North

Bis Geo

Grobust

Bay ofNoup

Pierowall

Loch ofBurness

Loch ofSaintear

Prim

ula

Scot

ica

Caution

-D

angerousC

liffs

West Westray Coast8.8km (5.5m) linear cliff top trail, maritime heath, ending Noup Head lighthouse

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used by many seabirds, includingkittiwakes, to wash their plumage in thefresh water.

The cliffs get higher as you skirt NorthHill, with a survey pillar marking thehighest point at 76m (240ft). Far belowis ‘Gentlemen’s Cave’, one of two placeson the island where the lairds of Westray,who supported the 1745 JacobiteRebellion, successfully hid from the forcesof law. Noup Head Lighthouse wascompleted in 1898 by David A Stevenson,the last of the ‘Lighthouse Stevensons’and first cousin of Robert Louis.

Stunning cliff scenery,maritime heath, sea birdsand a classic lighthouse.

The spectacular coastal scenerybegins as soon as you descend tothe cliffs from Backarass. Look for a

small natural archand see how thelayered flagstonecliffs tilt away andthen rise again ina syncline on the

far side of the small bay. Old carvingson the cliff face show local names suchas ‘A Flett’ and ‘Gavin Mowat Rendall’.

Sea pinks adorn thecliffs, with the tinypink flowers of seaspurrey scatteredamongst them.Before ascending theslopes of North Hill,where the pathcrosses the burn called the Grip ofMonivey, look for bog pimpernel, grassof Parnassus and devil’s-bit scabious.

Out to sea, lookfor dolphins,porpoises andwhales which passthis way especiallyin early autumn.Loch of the Stackis a shallow loch

Start

Ramni Geo

Noup Head

Sea

Pink

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Holland Farm

Gra

ss o

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us

Noup HeadLighthouse

Gentlemen’s

Cave

Loch ofthe Stack

Breid

Geo

Hesti

Geo Point

of

Scor

rabe

r

Point ofGlemmar

Bay ofNoup

Backarass

NoupNorthHouse

Grip of Monivey

Bird

Noup Head LoopA circular walk of 6.4km (4m) following part of the West Westray Walk

Caution

- Dangerous Cliffs

While still in Pierowall visit Lady Kirkan attractive ruin dating back to thethirteenth century and still in use untillate nineteenth century when Pierowallwas a busy fishing port. Opposite theHöfn centre, view Pierowall Quarry

where in 1981 the beautifullydecorated Westray Stone was

found. It is 4,900 years oldand part of a chambered cairnof the Maes Howe type. The

stone can be viewed in theOrkney Museum in Kirkwall.

The walks take you over a large area ofwind blown sand covered in short turfcalled links or machair, colourful withwild flowers in the summer. It extendsfrom Pierowall to the beach at Grobust.

After the first stretch ofsand a sloping slab ofblue-grey rock has a finecollection of fossil fishfragments.

Rocks with ripplemarks and mudcracks providefurther evidenceof the past, datingback 380 millionyears to a timewhen Orkney was covered in afreshwater lake.

For more recent history look for theKnowe of Queena Howe, a green moundon the shore, which contains thefoundation of an Iron Age broch.Scattered at the western end of GrobustSands are several low walls, covered ingolden lichen. These tangle dykes arewhere the kelp stalks were dried afterbeing harvested in the winter.

The impressive Noltland Castle is wellworth a visit on the way back toPierowall. (Key available from the farmopposite.)

�Kirk to Castle via GrobustEasy circular walks from Pierowall to explore a medieval church, a broch,a castle and the finest sandy beach in Westray. Longest route approx. 6km (3.7m)

Start

Otter Shell

Nol

tland

Cas

tle

Grobust

Kildiver G

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NoltlandCastle

Bay ofPierowall

Knowe ofQueena Howe

Lady Kirk

Sando’ Gill

Farrivald

Rackwick Rd

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The broad shallow Bay of Tuquoy is agood habitat for the edible cockle

and creeling for crabs is carriedout from here. From the

path you can usuallyspot turnstone,redshank, eider duck,dunlin and ringedplover, and further out

on the rocky point, shagand seals. In summer, sea

mayweed and corn sowthistledecorate the shore.

Cross Kirk was built by a WestrayNorseman about 1140 and was partlydismantled in the nineteenth century.The graveyard is still in use with familiarWestray names on the headstones.

Past the Kirk the shorter route followsa track back to the road or you can

continue along the shore to the beach.This route takes you past a series of oldstone boat nousts, which were wintershelters for fishing boats.

The dazzlingbeach of MaeSands is wildand beautiful,backed byeroded dunesthat form awhite ‘badland’reaching farinland.

Behind the farm of Langskaill, a Norselonghouse has been discovered, in usein about the twelfth century with anIron Age souterrain or earth housebeneath it. Nearby is the Old Manse, aninteresting Grade B listed building.

Along the road there’s a wonderful viewof the ‘abandoned village’ of NetherHouse with Fitty Hill behind it, andbeyond the crossroads, South Hamar isa rare survival of an old Westray croftor ‘but andben’, withoutbuildingsand barley-drying kiln.

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Langskaill

Tuquoy

TheGurl

WhaleSand

CrossKirk

Mae San

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Start

OldManse

NetherHouse

Erod

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Cockle

Shell

Tuquoy and Mae SandA 3.6km (2.2m) circular walk from the Bay of Tuquoy to Cross Kirkor a longer 6.2km (3.85m) walk including the beach at Mae Sands

Rapness Mill, builtabout 1850, waspowered by a largewaterwheel togrind beremeal andoatmeal.

The Castle o’Burrian is well

known in Orkney as one of the bestand easiest places to see puffins closeup. Here, between late April and midAugust, as many as 200-300 birds neston the stack and can be viewed fromthe adjacent cliffs. Building remains onthe top of the stack are said to havebeen an early Christian hermitage.

Stangar Head is an impressive headlandand at high tide, with a good swell, thesea penetrates two small windows inthe cliff, spurting out as waterfalls.Razorbills, fulmars, guillemots, kittiwakesand shag are summer residents and thecliffs are decorated with a rock gardenof sea pinks, sea campion, sea mayweed

and wildthyme. TheGeo ofRustlingStones, a

narrow break in Rapness Crags, iscovered with wild angelica in latesummer and primroses in the spring.

The farmland track has gorse or whinalong its bank and in August, purpleheather, blue devil’s-bit scabious, pinklousewort and tiny eyebright all growhere. Sanger Mill is an old windmill usedfor threshing oats and bere barley witha kiln to dry the grain ready for grindingat Rapness Mill.

Having reached the Bay of Tafts, you havejust walked from the North Sea to theAtlantic. Near the water’s edge thereare usually small waders such as ringedplover, dunlin and sanderling. In summerthere is awonderfuldisplay of searocket inmauve andwhite, with aheadyperfume.

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Start

Castle o’ Burrian StangerHead

Geo ofRustlingStones

Bay ofTafts

Old School

RapnessPier

Grimbust

Clifton

Sanger

Puffin

Cas

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f Bur

rian

Castle O’ Burrian and the Bay of TaftsA short 1.2km (.75m) walk, to the Castle O’ Burrian to view puffinsor a longer 5.5km (3.4m) circular walk to Stanger Head and the Bay of Tafts

RapnessMill