On the shore at Otterswick village there is a prominent figurehead known as the White Wife. This came from the Bohus, a German training ship that was wrecked on the Ness of Queyon in 1924.
Walk onwards around the coast to the Ness of Queyon, looking for signs of wildlife as you go.
The rocky shore here is a good place to see seals, and they are often out on Black Skerry in the bay, while otters are also occasionally seen. Out in the bay you might also spot common porpoises feeding on shoals of surface-feeding fish.
From the Ness of Queyon turn northwards to Salt Wick, then around the Haa of Ay Wick and into the little bay of Ay Wick itself. Continue around the coast to the remains of a fort. The Ay Wick fort dates back to the Iron Age, though there isn’t a lot to see today.
Onwards the route takes you around the White Hill of Vatsetter and the Ness of Vatsetter to the small cover known as the Wick of Vatsetter.
From Vatsetter you have a choice of routes to Mid Yell. You can either continue around the coast to the Ness of Lussetter and on to Mid Yell alongside Mid Yell Voe, or you can go over the Hill of Lussetter. To do this, walk along the side of Loch of Vatsetter and on to North Westerhouse. A path starts just to the left of the house here and climbs easily to the summit at 102m. The path continues down the other side to Mid Yell at Cashigarsh. Turn left along the shore to the centre of the village.
Day 2
Start the day by walking westwards out of the village towards Hillend. Here you gain the B9081 again. Turn right and follow it down to the mudflats at the head of Mid Yell Voe.
Continue along the road until the junction with the A968 is reached. Turn right along this, rising gently above Mid Yell Voe, again with good views across the mudflats. At Camb, the next hamlet along where the road swings away northwards, take a little lane down to the pier at Seafield. Just beyond the pier the lane swings sharply to the left and climbs steeply uphill. Leave the road at this bend and take 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