📌 Yesnaby, Orkney Mainland
★★★★
From the Brough of Birsay at one end to Stromness at the other, the western coastline of Orkney Mainland has a superb array of scenery. One of the most dramatic sections is at Yesnaby, with grand sandstone cliffs, geos, caves and sea stacks just south of the car park at a ruined gun battery left over from World War II. One of the highlights is Yesnaby Castle: balancing on a two-footed plinth, it’s the second most spectacular sea stack on Orkney after the Old Man of Hoy. This short walk is a good option whatever the weather, although perhaps best on a wild day with boiling seas, when huge waves smash into the base of the cliffs and drench passers-by with sea spray.
📷 Chronological photo guide
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at minor road end, Yesnaby, Orkney Mainland
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: HY 221161
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 59.024826,-3.358728
❌ No public transport within 1 mi
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
▶ 3 km / 2 mi | ▲ 50 m | ⌛ 1 hr
Features: 🌊 Brough of Bigging; 🌊 Point of Qui Ayre; 🌊 Yesnaby Castle
⬤ Easy | Rough paths with cliff edges nearby.
Download file for GPS➡️ Irregular walk shape: start – Brough of Bigging – Point of Qui Ayre – Yesnaby Castle – return by outward route, omitting minor headlands
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: A few fulmars and other seabirds; a couple of seals at the Brough of Bigging.
Weather: Overcast with spots of rain in the strong wind.
July 2016
