Things to do in Northern Islands
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Taversoe Tuick
Taversoe Tuick is an intriguing burial cairn constructed on two levels, with separate entrances – perhaps a joint tomb for different families, a semi-detached solution to a shortage of afterlife housing. You can squeeze into the cairn and descend a steel ladder to explore both levels, but there’s not much space.
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Pierowall Hotel
The heart of this island community, the local pub is famous throughout Orkney for its popular fish and chips – the fish is caught fresh by the hotel’s boats and whatever has turned up in the day’s catch is displayed on the blackboard. There are also some curries available, but the sea is the way to go here.
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Midhowe Broch
Next to the Midhowe Tomb is Midhowe Broch, the sturdy stone lines of which echo the stratifications of the rocky shoreline. The best example of a broch in Orkney, it's a muscular, Iron Age fortified compound with a central partition fashioned out of stone slabs, with two hearths, water tanks, quern stones and lots of Skara Brae–style stonebuilt storage shelves.
Dating from around 100 BC, it has a cluster of well-preserved outbuldings, including dwelling houses (you can see the holes for the hinge pins of wooden doors) and a forge for smelting iron.
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Pier Restaurant
Just above the ferry, this simple place does burgers and standard bar meals, and is good for a coffee or a whisky while waiting for the boat or a chat and a game of pool after a long day’s walking. There’s also internet access and a list of local residents who offer B&B.
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Noltland Castle
A half-mile west of Pierowall stand the ruins of this tower house, built by Gilbert Balfour, an aide to Mary, Queen of Scots. The castle bristles with no fewer than 61 shot holes, part of the defences of the deceitful Balfour, who plotted to murder Cardinal Beaton and, after being exiled, the king of Sweden.
Head upstairs and look out for the bread oven in the kitchen and the secret compartments in the windowsills. If the castle is locked, you can ask for the key at the farmhouse across the road.
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Trumland House
Undergoing extensive restoration at the time of research, this is probably the largest private house in Orkney. The grounds, with their thicket of native trees, are worth a stroll – you enter the walled garden through a medieval gate.
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Orkney Faerie Museum & Gallery
Set in a converted old crofthouse, Orkney Faerie Museum & Gallery showcases Orcadian folklore and legend with tales of faeries, wee folk, trows and mermaids.
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Westray Heritage Centre
This heritage centre has displays on local history and interesting nature dioramas, as well as archaeological finds, including the famous 5000-year-old ‘Westray Wife’. Also known as the 'Orkney Venus', this 4cm-tall sandstone figurine was found during a dig at the nearby Links of Noltland; it's the oldest depiction of the human form yet found in Scotland, and possibly in Britain.
The Links of Noltland, between Grobust beach and Noltland Castle, has recently emerged as one of the most important prehistoric sites in Scotland. Like Skara Brae, it's a Neolithic village buried in the sand, and threatened by erosion. Archaeologial excavations will continue for several years…
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Westraak
Runs informative and engaging trips around the island, covering everything from Viking history to puffin mating habits.
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Prehistoric Sites
The major archaeological sites are clearly labelled from the 14-mile road that rings the island. Heading west from the ferry, you soon come to Taversoe Tuick, an intriguing burial cairn constructed on two levels, with separate entrances – perhaps a joint tomb for different families; a semi-detached solution in posthumous housing. You can squeeze into the cairn to explore both levels, but there's not much space. Not far beyond here are two other significant cairns; Blackhammer, then Knowe of Yarso, the latter a fair walk up the hill but with majestic views.
Six miles from the ferry, the mighty Midhowe Cairn has been dubbed the 'Great Ship of Death'. Built around 3500 BC a…
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Wheeling Steen Gallery
Situated about 2 miles north of Pierowall near the airfield, this appealing gallery showcases the photographs and paintings of local farmer-turned artist Edwin Randall, and crafts created by his daughter. There's a cafe too, serving tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cakes.
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Westness Walk
The south shore of Rousay from Midhowe Tomb to Westness Farm has been described as the richest archaeological mile in Britain, recording 5000 years of Orkney history. Here you can see the remains of human habitation ranging from the neolithic through the Iron Age to Viking and Pictish burial sites, medieval farms and the 12th-century St Mary's Church.
The coast here is a good place for watching seals and otters, looking out across the turbulent tidal waters of Eynhallow Sound to the Broch of Gurness. The little island of Eynhallow, now uninhabited, was once a sacred place, and houses the ruins of an early Celtic chapel (the name is Old Norse for 'holy island').
Tourist of…
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West Coast Walk
One of the best coastal walks in Orkney begins at Kirbest farm car park and leads north for 5.5 miles to Noup Head through increasingly dramatic seacliff scenery (allow three hours one way). Pick up a copy of the Westray Walking Guide leaflet from Kirkwall tourist office or the Haff Yok Cafe.
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Tulloch's
Well-stocked grocery and general store, also home to the village post office.
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Rousay Tours & Taxis
Offers guided taxi tours of the island, including wildlife-spotting (seals and otters) and visits to the prehistoric sites. They also provide general taxi service.
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Noup Head
The RSPB reserve at Noup Head, at the northwestern tip Westray, is a dramatic area of seacliffs which attracts vast numbers of breeding seabirds from April to July. There are big puffin colonies, plus fulmars, skuas and other familiar species, and you can often see dozens of seals hauled out on the sloping skerries to the north of the headland.
You can walk to Noup Head along the clifftops from a parking area near Bis Geos hostel, passing the impressive chasm of Ramni Geo, and return via the lighthouse access road (4 miles, allow two to three hours).
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Midhowe Tomb
Dating from around 3500 BC, the 30m-long Midhowe Tomb, dubbed the ‘Great Ship of Death’, is the longest chambered cairn in Orkney. The vast stone tomb is covered by a modern stone building, and has a suspended walkway allowing you to walk above the main passage and see the 24 stone ‘stalls’ where the bones of 25 people were discovered.
As well as human remains, many bird and animal bones were found in the cave, perhaps meant as food for the deceased. The cairn is 5.5 miles west of the pier and a steep 550m walk down from the road.
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Marion's Shop
Rousay's only grocery store is at the east end of the island, 2.5 miles north of the ferry pier.
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Knowe of Yarso
A boggy half-mile walk from the road leads to the Knowe of Yarso, a stalled cairn; it contained the remains of 29 adults, and was in use from 2900 BC to 1900 BC.
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Haff Yok Cafe
Pierowall's only cafe is the village's social hub and information centre, offering a selection of homebaked cakes, decadent Westray tablet (Scottish candy made with sugar and butter) and cups of tea served in granny's best china. There's soup and sandwiches for lunch, and a selection of cards, gifts, books and maps for sale. ('Haff yok' is local slang for a labourer's tea break.)
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Castle O'Burrian
Just 1.5 miles north of the ferry pier, a cute little wooden signpost marked 'puffins' points the way to Castle O'Burrian, the most accessible puffin-watching spot in Orkney. A 10-minute walk from the road leads to a clifftop view of the puffin colony on the sea stack's grassy summit; the birds are in residence from late April to August.
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Blackhammer Cairn
Blackhammer, 1.5 miles west of the ferry pier, is a chambered cairn that served as the burial place for a farming community around 2500 BC. Only two sets of human remains were found here, along with animal bones and fragments of neolithic pottery.
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