Discover Mainland

The Lady Kirk is one of two ruined churches on Westray, built in 1674, on the foundations of a 13th-century church.The church is mostly complete with the exception of the roof. The nave is rectangular, with a largely complete gable at its west end, topped off by a bellcote. A line of holes in the gable suggest there was originally a gallery at this end. The east end of the 1674 church formed a laird’s aisle, erected on the site of the 13th-century chancel. The laird’s aisle and the nave are separated by an arch.

The Brough of Birsay is a small 21-hectare uninhabited tidal island off the north-west coast of The Mainland of Orkney. The Island has Celtic and Norse remains and is well known for the breeding colony of Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) and Guillemot (Uria aalge) The island is accessible on foot at low tide via a 240 metre long causeway over the Sound of Birsay.

Mine Howe is a prehistoric subterranean man-made chamber dug 20 feet deep inside a large mound. It is not sure when it was built, some believe it to have been built roughly 2000 years ago during the Iron Age. Some researchers think that it could be as old as 5000 years, which would place it in the Neolithic period. There is some similarity to the well inside the Iron Age Broch of Gurness. The entrance is at the top of the small hill and there are indications of other Iron Age and earlier activity around the site. A flight of stone steps descend to a half-landing where they turn back on themselves and a further steps descend to a chamber. This chamber is only about 1.3 metres in diameter but is over four metres high with a corbelled roof. At the half-landing two subsidiary chambers/passages open out, one above the other.

Marwick Head is a Nature Reserve run by the RSPB located 4 miles north of Skara Brae on the western side of the Orkney mainland. Facing the Atlantic Ocean, the Marwick Head sandstone cliffs are home to thousands of nesting seabirds including kittiwakes, puffins, guillemots, razorbills and fulmars. In Marwick Bay, you can also see many wading birds and ducks, as well as hen harriers (if you’re lucky) and short-eared owls. Take the circular Marwick Head clifftop walk and marvel at the stunning views over to the island of Hoy. Open throughout the year, for more information on the RSPB reserve at Marwick Head, go to www.rspb.org.uk

St Magnus Cathedral is situated in the town of Kirkwall, the main town of the Orkney Islands. This magnificent cathedral, a fine example of Romanesque architecture, dominates the skyline of the town. Founded in 1137 by the Viking, Earl Rognvald, the cathedral was added to over the following 300 years and even has its own dungeon! It is known for being the most northerly cathedral in the British Isles and is a parish church of the Church of Scotland. Open all year round to the public.

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village overlooking Eynhallow Sound. All that remains of the village is the 3.6 metres (11.8 ft) high central tower and the thick stone walls. The broch has the remains of a settlement surrounding and adjoining it.

The Ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic henge and stone circle and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Heart of Neolithic Orkney. The site is generally thought to have been erected between 2500 BC and 2000 BC. Most henges do not contain stone circles; Brodgar is a striking exception. The ring of stones stands on a small isthmus between the Lochs of Stenness and Harray. There are no obvious stones inside the circle, but since the interior of the circle has never been excavated by archaeologists, the possibility remains that structures may be present. The stone circle is the third largest in the British Isles at some 104 metres (341 ft) in diameter and set within a circular ditch. The ring originally comprised 60 stones, of which less than 30 remain standing. The tallest stones stand at the south and west of the ring.

Warebeth beach is located on the western side of mainland Orkney with the beach being named after the large amount of seaweed or “ware” that can be found washed up, which during the 18th and 19th centuries harvesting this seaweed was big business for the locals. Warebeth beach is a large curving sandy beach with stone slabs and the beach is also well known for finding fish fossils. You have car parking at the beach and some toilets exist on the headland by the cemetery.

Waulkmill Bay is a remote beach within a tidal bay and Scottish Natural Heritage Site of Special Scientific Interest. The beach is located on the northern side of Scapa Flow. To the east of Waulkmill Bay is the RSPB Kirbister Preserve.

Skara Brae is a large Neolithic settlement, located on the Bay of Skaill. The settlement consists of ten clustered houses, dated from the late Neolithic and inhabited for around 600 years, between 3200BC and 2200BC. The settlement is one of Europe’s most complete Neolithic village and has been called the “Scottish Pompeii” because of its excellent preservation. Because of this protection by the sand that covered the settlement the buildings, and their contents, are well-preserved. Not only can you see the walls of the structures but they are roofed with their original stone slabs, and the interior fittings of each house give a view of life was about. Skara Brae is within the Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Churchill Barriers are a series of four causeways in the Orkney Islands with a total length of 1.5 miles (2.3 km). They link the Orkney Mainland in the north to the island of South Ronaldsay via Burray and the two smaller islands of Lamb Holm and Glimps Holm. The barriers were built in the 1940s primarily as naval defences to protect the anchorage at Scapa Flow but now serve as road links between Kirkwall to Burwick.  

Bay of Skaill beach is a large remote sandy beach on the west coast of mainland Orkney. At one end of the beach, you have the Bay of Skaill that is close to the famous Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae.