16 Islands to Explore in Orkney

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Orkney, also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles north of the coast of Caithness and has about 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The largest island, Mainland, is often referred to as "the Mainland", and has an area of 523 square kilometres, making it the sixth-largest Scottish island and the tenth-largest island in the British Isles. Orkney’s largest settlement, and

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Islands to Explore in Orkney

Burray is a small island between South Ronaldsay and the Orkney Mainland. Attractions in Burray include the Fossil and Heritage Centre at Viewforth. The island has a reasonable amount of birdlife, with Eurasian curlew, herring and lesser black-backed gulls breeding here.

Copinsay is an uninhabited island in the Orkneys, famous for its large colonies of kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills. Fulmars and puffins also breed along the cliffs of Copinsay. The island reserve consists of the main island of Copinsay and the four smaller islets of Corn Holm, Ward Holm, Black Holm and the Horse of Copinsay. The historic Copinsay Lighthouse sits atop 250’ high cliffs that extend for a mile along the coast.

Egilsay is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, lying east of Rousay. The island is largely farmland and is known for its corncrakes and St Magnus Church, dedicated or re-dedicated to Saint MagnusIt is home to acres of moorland, steep hills and cliffs, whereas both Egilsay and Wyre offer a more traditional Orcadian landscape of green fields and fertile farmland.

Eynhallow is a small, presently uninhabited island. This 75-hectare island is surrounded by ferocious tidal races - known in Orkney dialect as "roosts. Originally believed to be the summer home of the Finfolk, the island was wrested from them by the guile of an Orkney farmer. There is no ferry to the island, although Orkney Heritage Society organises a trip each July.

Fara is a small island in Orkney, Scotland, lying in Scapa Flow between the islands of Flotta and Hoy. It has been uninhabited since the 1960s. Fara always had a good reputation for it's rich pastures but, as with so many other abandoned islands, the people ended up having no choice but to leave due to the poor communications.

Flotta is a small island in Orkney, Scotland, lying in Scapa Flow. There are beautiful views over the Pentland Firth towards Scotland and the island’s moorland is a haven for birdlife. It also played a major role two World Wars, becoming home to thousands of servicemen and women, and an important base for the Royal Navy.

Gairsay is a very attractive small island with a sheltered anchorage in Millburn Bay, and it is not surprising that it was part of a prestigious Norse family estate in the 12th century, conveniently situated as it is astride one of the approaches to the bays of Firth and Kirkwall. It is about 2 miles long and 1 mile wide and includes one conical hill and a small harbour called Millburn Bay, which is sheltered by the peninsula known as the Hen of Gairsay.

Graemsay is on of the smaller of the Orkney Islands, which was located between the Orkney mainland and Hoy and features plenty of nature and wildlife attractions. The island is 409 ha in area and is mainly crofted. The island's geology is Old Red Sandstone of the Devonian period, with two volcanic faults. On the north coast there is granite-schist, a great rarity in Orkney.

The Holm of Huip is a small island in the Orkney Islands, in Spurness Sound to the north west of Stronsay. This charming Island stretches over a surface area of approximately 250,000 square meters. Whilst most of its beaches are made up of slate and stone, a long, sandy beach can also be found towards the south of the island, close to the ruins of an old, stone house.

Holm of Papa Westray is a small, uninhabited island just east of Papa Westray island, one of the most northerly islands in the Orkney group. It is around 21 hectares in size. It can be visited from its neighbouring island Papa Westray, or Papay, an island less than a hundred metres west of the Holm. Visitors can arrange privately for small boat access through the Co-op shop on Papa Westray. The cairn is readily visible from the larger island.

A beautiful uninhabited island in the Orkney archipelago in Scotland. It is 100 hectares in extent and rises to 42 metres above sea level. It is situated in the Scapa Flow and connected to the nearby island of Burray by a causeway built in 1941 to stop passage of small surface craft as part of the boom defences, and thence to the Orkney Mainland via the Churchill Barriers.

Lamb Holm is a small uninhabited island in Orkney, Scotland. The Italian Chapel, constructed during the Second World War, is the island's main attraction. It is classified by the National Records of Scotland as an uninhabited island that "had no usual residents at the time of either the 2001 or 2011 censuses. On the northwest of the island, on the shore of St Mary's Bay, are the remains of a prehistoric settlement which have been designated as a scheduled monument.

North Ronaldsay

North Ronaldsay is the northernmost island in the Orkney archipelago of Scotland. With an area of 690 hectares, it is the fourteenth-largest. It is mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga; in modern times it is known for its historic lighthouse, migratory bird life and unusual breed of sheep. The island is famed for its rare breed of seaweed-eating sheep. These hardy and colourful characters live almost entirely on the wild shoreline, feeding on a diet of seaweed.

Papa Westray is one of the smallest islands in Orkney, off the far north coast of Scotland. Known to locals as Papay, this is a fascinating destination to visit and an engaging, sometimes challenging, place to live. It is the ninth largest of the Orkney Islands with an area of 918 hectares.

A beautiful inhabited island adjacent to Hoy in Orkney, Scotland. The name is a corruption of "Sooth Was", which means the "southern voes" – as with Kirkwall, it was assumed that it was a mispronunciation of "walls". It was a tidal island until a narrow causeway, was constructed over the sandbank in 1912, which was known as the Ayre, although this name has become transferred to the causeway itself.

Wyre is one of the Orkney Islands, lying south-east of Rousay. It is 311 hectares and 32 metres at its highest point. It is one of the smallest inhabited islands in the archipelago. Orkney Ferries sail from the island to Tingwall on the Orkney Mainland, Egilsay and Rousay.

Map of Islands to Explore in Orkney