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Layered sea cliffs rise above dark water beneath a pale blue sky
Orkney

Yesnaby

Wild cliffs on the west coast of the Orkney Mainland, with a clifftop walk to the arched sea stack of Yesnaby Castle.

Welcome

Yesnaby is one of the most spectacular stretches of coast in Orkney, on the wild west side of the Mainland, a few miles south of Skara Brae.

In a westerly gale huge waves smash into the cliffs; in calmer weather it is a place for wild flowers, among them the tiny Scottish primrose, Primula scotica, and for seabirds.

The road to Yesnaby ends at a small car park. To the south, the coastal path crosses the Brough of Bigging, with views of the jagged, towering cliffs, and runs past rocky inlets to Yesnaby Castle, a slender sea stack with a natural arch through it. Further south is the North Gaulton Castle sea stack. To the north lies the Broch of Borwick, more than 2,000 years old, with views towards Marwick Head and the Brough of Birsay. The rocks can be slippery and the cliff edges loose and uneven, so keep well back and enjoy it from a safe distance.

A short drive awayUnstan CairnA 5,000-year-old chambered tomb by the Loch of Stenness, where you crawl in to see its stalls; free, any time.15 min by roadSee itUnstan Chambered Cairn, a grassy mound with its low entrance and an information board, the loch beyond.
Before you go

Open at any time and free.

Follow Yesnaby Road to the small car park at its end; the coastal path runs south to Yesnaby Castle and north to the Broch of Borwick. Keep well back from the cliff edges.

Getting there
Yesnaby Road to the car park at its end.
Walk south
The Brough of Bigging to Yesnaby Castle.
Walk north
The Broch of Borwick.
Where it is

Yesnaby Road, Orkney, KW16 3LP.

Close byOn the west Mainland.
  1. Skara BraeSkara BraeA 5,000-year-old stone village by the Bay of Skaill, its houses still furnished with stone dressers, beds and hearths.5 miles 15 min by road
  2. Ring of BrodgarRing of BrodgarA great Neolithic stone circle on a strip of land between two lochs, at the centre of Neolithic Orkney; free, any time.6 miles 15 min by road
  3. A white gallery at the Pier Arts Centre, framed paintings along the walls.Pier Arts CentreA free gallery on a pier in Stromness, with Margaret Gardiner's collection of Hepworth, Nicholson and Wallis.6 miles 14 min by road
  4. Ness of BrodgarThe Neolithic complex between the lochs, now covered over again.7 miles 16 min by road
  5. Standing Stones of StennessStanding Stones of StennessFour great stones of perhaps the oldest henge in the British Isles, raised about 5,000 years ago by the Loch of Stenness; free.7 miles 17 min by road
Directions
Unstan Chambered Cairn, a grassy mound with its low entrance and an information board, the loch beyond.AttractionsUnstan Cairn6.3 miles
Maeshowe, a great grassy mound in green fields under a grey sky.AttractionsMaeshowe Chambered Cairn8.7 miles
Musicians play fiddles and double bass on a ship's wooden deckAttractionsOrkney Festivals8.7 miles
Green aurora swirling across a starry sky above a snow-covered peakAttractionsThe Aurora Borealis in Orkney8.7 miles
AttractionsKirbuster Farm Museum9.3 miles
Fursbreck Pottery, a stone cottage with a red-edged roof and a garden of pots and benches, Harray.AttractionsThe Harray Potter9.8 miles
Scones in wire baskets under an Orkney Tea board in the Birsay Bay Tearoom, tables behind.CafeBirsay Bay Tearoom12 miles
Pebble-dashed dormer bungalow with wooden garage door and gravel drivewayAttractionsThe Viking Village Birsay12 miles
AttractionsBrough of Birsay12 miles
The Daily for 20 October, from Scotland with love. The broken stone walls of a lochside castle rise from a small tree-covered island, autumn foliage glowing orange against the dark water and forested hillside beyond.

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