Undiscovered Scotland

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• Birsay Moors RSPB Reserve Birsay Moors nature reserve is the RSPB's largest reserve on Mainland Orkney. This large area is ideal for birds of prey in search of food. Nearest town: Kirkwall.
• Bishop's & Earl's Palaces Two palaces in Kirkwall. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Blackhammer Cairn Cairn on Rousay. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Brodgar RSPB Reserve This spectacular location, surrounding the Ring of Brodgar, lies at the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site. Nearest town: Stromness.
• Brough of Birsay Viking settlement on tidal island. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Brough of Deerness Remnants of a clifftop settlement. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Burroughston Broch Ruined broch on Shapinsay. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Churchill Barriers Causeways linking together some of the eastern islands. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Click Mill, Dounby The last surviving horizontal water mill in Orkney. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Corrigall Farm Museum Historic farmstead on West Mainland presereved as a museum. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Cottascarth & Rendall Moss RSPB Reserve This nature reserve provides a mosaic of heather, woodrush and wet heath/fen which is ideal for an variety of breeding moorland birds including birds of prey in search of food. Nearest town: Kirkwall.
• Cross Kirk, Westray Ruined church on Westray. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Cubbie Row’s Castle & St Mary’s Chapel The castle is probably one of the earliest stone castles to survive in Scotland, built in about 1145. The ruined chapel is of late 12th-century date, in Romanesque style. On the island of Wyre 0.5m from pier.
• Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn Superbly located hill chamber cairn. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Dwarfie Stane A huge block of sandstone in which a Neolithic burial chamber has been cut. Towards the N end of Hoy, 3.5m from Rackwick.
• Eynhallow Church Ruined 12th-century monastic church and post-medieval domestic buildings. On the island of Eynhallow.
• Grain Earth House A well-built Iron Age earth house of underground chamber supported on stone pillars. About 1m NW of Kirkwall in Hatston Industrial Estate off the A965.
• Hackness Martello Tower Restored Martello Tower plus nearby barracks and gun emplacements. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Hall of Clestrain Ruined mansion house. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Highland Park Distillery Distillery and visitor centre near Kirkwall. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Hobbister RSPB Reserve The Hobbister reserve is a mosaic of upland habitats including heather moor, bog and wet heath, in addition to cliffs, tidal sandflats and saltmarsh overlooking Scapa Flow. Nearest town: Kirkwall.
• Holm of Papa Westray Chambered Cairn A massive tomb with a long, narrow chamber divided into three, with 14 beehive cells opening into the walls. On the island of Holm of Papa Westray.
• Hoy RSPB Reserve The reserve is a mixture of moorland and cliffs and includes the famous Old Man of Hoy rock stack. On Hoy.
• Inverness to Orkney Day Tour John O'Groats Ferries, Ferry Office, John O'Groats, KW1 4YR.
• Italian Chapel Superb chapel constructed by Italian prisoners in WWII. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Kirbuster Museum Historic farmstead on West Mainland presereved as a museum. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Knap of Howar Probably the oldest standing stone houses in north-west Europe, dating from the early Neolithic period. On the island of Papa Westray about 0.25m W of Holland Farm.
• The Knowe of Swandro The Knowe of Swandro, Rousay is an amazing multi-period site which includes a Neolithic chambered tomb overlain by Iron Age, Pictish, Viking and Norse settlement. During the excavation season, usually in July, Orkney Coastal Archaeology Trust welcome visitors for free site tours and special open days with re-enactors and other demonstrations.
• Knowe of Yarso Chambered Cairn An oval cairn with concentric walls enclosing a Neolithic chambered tomb divided into three compartments. On the island of Rousay on the B9064, 3m from pier.
• Lady Kirk, Sanday Spooky ruined church on Sanday. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Lady Kirk, Westray Ruined church on Westray. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Links of Noltland Sand dunes seal and protect these significant prehistoric remains in a fragile environment requiring careful management. Little can be seen of the remains. On the Island of Westray.
• Longhope Lifeboat Museum A complete slipway launch, shed and lifeboat in working order on the islands of Hoy & Walls. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Loons & Lochs of Banks RSPB Reserve This marshland reserve is one of the best remaining marshes in the Orkney islands. Nearest town: Stromness.
• Maeshowe Magnificent stone age tomb with Viking graffiti. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Melsetter House Mansion house on Hoy which attached chapel. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Midhowe Broch Extensive remains of a large broch on Rousay. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Midhowe Cairn Vast burial cairn with protective roof on Rousay. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Mine Howe As featured on TV's "Time Team". (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Moncur Memorial Church Large church in the centre of Stronsay. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Ness Battery Superbly restored coastal defence battery near Stromness. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Noltland Castle Well preserved castle on Westray. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• North Hill RSPB Reserve The North Hill reserve is situated at the north end of the small island of Papa Westray, one of the northern isles of Orkney.
• Noup Cliffs RSPB Reserve The dramatic Noup Cliffs support Orkney's largest 'seabird city' and the stunning scenery and the noise and smell of the thousands of summer breeding seabirds make a visit to this reserve an unforgettable experience. On Westray.
• Onziebust RSPB Reserve Onziebust is a farmland and wetland reserve on the island of Egilsay, managed primarily for corncrakes.
• Orkney Brewery Brewery and visitor centre on West Mainland. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Orkney Distillery Gin distillery in Kirkwall. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Orkney Ferries Operating seven ferries between Orkney mainland and thirteen of the smaller islands. Shore Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LG.
• Orkney Museum Museum in the centre of Kirkwall. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Orphir Church Ruin of circular church and Norse feasting hall. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• The Pickaquoy Centre For sport, arts and leisure. Muddisdale Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LR.
• Pier Arts Centre Modern art gallery is housed in two 18th century buildings, a house and warehouse backing on to the pier. 28-30 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3AA.
• Quoyness Cairn Ancient burial cairn on Sanday. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Rennibister Earth-House A good example of an Orkney earth house. About 4.5m WNW of Kirkwall on the A965.
• Ring of Brodgar Standing stone ring in West Mainland. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Roving Eye Enterprises Underwater boat tour of Scapa Flow. Westrow Lodge, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RD.
• Royal Oak Memorial Garden Memorial at Scapa, south of Kirkwall. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Scapa Distillery Scotch whisky distillery near Kirkwall. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Scapa Flow Surrounded by the Orkney islands. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Skaill House Mansion near Skara Brae. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Stenness Stones Group of spectacular standing stones, West Mainland. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Skara Brae Stone age settlement on West Mainland. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• St Columba's Church Church on Hoy. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• St John's Church Church on Hoy. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• St Magnus, Birsay Church in the north-west of Mainland Orkney. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• St Magnus Church The complete but roofless ruin of a 12th-century church with a round tower, dramatically sited. On the island of Egilsay 0.5m from pier.
• St Magnus Cathedral Magnificent Norse cathedral in Kirkwall. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• St Mary's, Rousay Ruined church on Rousay. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• St Peter's, Sandwick Nice church near Skara Brae. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Stromness Museum The maritime and natural history of Orkney. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Taversoe Tuick Cairn Burial chamber on Rousay. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• HMS Tern Remains of a WWII naval air base. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Trumland RSPB Reserve Trumland nature reserve is a typical piece of Orkney moorland and is an important part of the network of upland heath and mire habitats across the islands. On Rousay.
• Unstan Cairn Burial chamber on West Mainland. (Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page)
• Westraak Offering guided tours of the beautiful island of Westray. Quarry Road, Pierowall, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DH.
• Wideford Hill Chambered Cairn A fine Neolithic chambered cairn with three concentric walls and a burial chamber with three large cells. About 2m W of Kirkwall on the B9056.