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The tide is on its way out, so the time's right for exploring the tidal island at the northwest corner of Orkney Mainland. The Brough of Birsay looks fairly featureless at first glance, but a lighthouse, Viking settlement, ruined church, tidal causeway, rockpools and puffins make it easy to fill up the few hours you get there between tides. We take one of the last available spots in the car park and head across the causeway.
Inviting sand and rock pools beckon but we save these for the way back. On the other side, Historic Scotland owns the island and you have to pay to visit between April and September (unless you're already a member). We head past the ruins and head for the lighthouse at the far side of the island first. The path slowly ascends towards the western cliffs, with views back over the ruins and causeway.
We can see the weather coming today, directly from the north. There are showers about but happily they're all missing us at the moment. Not far to the stumpy lighthouse:
Rocky cliffs hide behind the lighthouse, with a few small geos intruding on the flat grassland. A small cave in a depression leads through the rock and emerges again back on the clifftops. Earlier in the day we saw a few puffins at Marwick Head, but always in flight. Hopefully we'll spot a few on the cliffs here - after a few minutes we spot a few, braving the wind on the ledges around the lighthouse.
Showers have reached the Mainland as we explore the ruins. There are a lot of people around - suspiciously few seem to be paying though.
On the horizon the Kitchener Memorial is visible, where we were this morning:
The tide's still low, so there's plenty of time for a little rockpooling - which is much more rewarding than my childhood haunts in Devon and Cornwall, where each poor crab probably gets caught about 20 times a day. Here on the causeway, something interesting lurks under almost every rock:
Back on the Mainland, fortunately after the showers have passed, we head north along the coast, exposed to the cold wind.
Views back to the Brough:
Further on, Skipi Geo used to be a harbour - still with a fisherman's hut and nousts to store boats. Today, no fishermen - just a few ducks.
Whalebone sculpture just beyond:
A longish roadwalk soon follows, back to Birsay, but the roads are quiet and it's gently downhill. The Earl's Palace in the village centre is worth a look, dating from the 16th century.
There's not much else to do in Birsay, so we head back to the start - past Zanzibar Cottage, which Top Gear used in a race against the Royal Mail. The cottage isn't quite as impressive as the Earl's Palace.
Lots to see on this walk, although perhaps better to start in Birsay to split the road walking.
Orkney 2015:
Morning: Marwick Head:
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=55619Evening: Wideford Hill:
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=55752