A sweeping Atlantic-facing bay right beside the Neolithic village of Skara Brae, where the settlement itself was uncovered from the dunes by a storm. The exposed west-facing swell can bring real surf and currents, so check conditions before swimming even on a calm-looking day.
Neolithic UNESCO World Heritage site with adjacent beach; robust, heavily managed by Historic Environment Scotland.
Skara Brae visitor centre car park (Historic Environment Scotland).
Direct beach access adjacent to the visitor centre.
West Mainland, Orkney
An open Atlantic clifftop on Orkney's west mainland with very little light pollution and a decent shot at the aurora this far n…
West Mainland, Orkney
A clifftop walk to Yesnaby Castle, an Atlantic sea stack on one of the windiest coastlines in the UK. The path stays close to u…
Caithness
The most northerly point of mainland Britain, with Orkney's cliffs visible across the Pentland Firth from an RSPB-managed headl…