📌 Isle of Hoy, Orkney Isles
★★★
The sheer number of chambered cairns dotted around Orkney can be a little overwhelming when trying to decide which ones to visit. But the Dwarfie Stane is unique, and a must-see sight if you’re spending a day or more on Hoy. This 5,000 year-old chambered tomb is hewn directly out of a single, huge boulder: a glacial erratic left behind by a retreating glacier at the end of the last ice age. It’s an eye-catching sight in itself amidst desolate bogland, but exploring inside reveals two chambers – one with a rock “pillow” at one end. Probably not a comfortable place for you to spend the night though, especially given what might have been here before. During recent years there’s often been an added attraction in the form of sea eagles nesting on the cliffs behind the site.
🌍 Location
📌 Off minor road 3 mi east of Rackwick, Hoy
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: HY 243004
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 58.884454,-3.314338
❌ No public transport within 1 mi
🚗 Car park – gets full
📝 Key info
⌚ Always open
🎫 Free
💬 From the car park it’s a 10-min walk (each way) uphill to the tomb, on a path with boardwalks and occasional rough sections. Torch recommended for the tomb interior.
