Backaskaill Bay, Sanday

Summary

Explore the beautiful sandy beach of Backaskail Bay before heading inland, passing the ruins of a 16th century chapel before following country roads back to the start, with the chance of more bird watching on Bea Loch on the way.

Grade

Bog Factor

Rating

Terrain

Sandy beach, track and quiet country road.

Getting there

Start

Backaskaill Bay parking area.

Public Transport

Daily, ferries and flights to Sanday from Kirkwall, local bus meets ferry in summer and by arrangement in winter.

Start Grid Ref

HY644393

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Walk Statistics

Distance: 5.5km / 3.5 miles
Time: 1.5 hours
Ascent: 44m (Profile)

Mapping and GPS

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Explorer 465 - Sanday, Eday, Stronsay

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Walk Description

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Stage 1

Backaskaill is signed from the B9070 (not the turning to the farm/B&B but the one next to it) and there is a picnic and parking area just behind the beach. From here follow the path onto the sand and bear left. Here you are likely to see sandlerling which tend to run up and down the tide line in small groups and you will probably also spot oystercatchers, purple sandpipers, dunlin and turnstones. It was here in 1994 that 11 sperm whales were beached and tragically died.

Stage 2

A marker post up on the dunes shows where you leave the beach approximately two-thirds of the way along it, and head inland up a track passing a parking and picnic area.

Stage 3

The ruins of a 16th century chapel can be seen on the right. Walter Traill Dennison, a local farmer and collector of folk tales, is buried here. Many of his stories can be found in The Orcadian Sketch Book published in 1880. Turn left at the road at How (a 1km detour to the right takes you to Kettletoft which has a pier, shop, and hotel where a runic stone is kept). Follow the road until the junction with the B9070 where you bear left.

Stage 4

Bea Loch is visible on the left - here you may spot various ducks, coots and mute swan and also whooper swans and greylag geese in the winter. The road takes a sharp left turn near Hobbister and then eventually follow the track on the left back down to Backaskaill Bay to return to the start.

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