A scenic golden beach and shingle ayre (spit) combine in this pleasant and varied stroll around the minor roads and coastline on South Ronaldsay. The walk could be extended by a detour to Hoxa Head.
Bog Factor
Minor roads, grass/earth footpaths and good farm tracks.
Car park at the Sands o'Wright.
None to start; nearest bus is at St Margaret's Hope, 700m off the route.
ND423935
There is a toilet and picnic benches at the dedicated car park at the Sands o'Wright. If travelling by public transport walk along the B9043 from St Margaret's Hope. Leave the car park and cross the road to enjoy the golden sand that give Sands of Wright its name. This beach is the location for the annual Festival of the Horse and Boys' Ploughing Match - a unique Orcadian tradition dating back to the 19th century. Children dress as highly-decorated horses and boys use mini-ploughs to create neat, parallel furrows in a 1.5m square patch of sand. The results are judged in a similar manner to adult ploughing competitions, with marks for a neat start - indicating how well the boys have set the dreels - and a tidy finish. The tiny ploughs are works of art - exact scale replicas of full-size ploughs.
Head west (right) along the road as it begins to head uphill. Take the first minor road on the right which soon ends at a T-junction with panoramic views over Hunda, Burray and Scapa Flow. Turn right and descend along the road past evidence of early habitation in the form of a ruined homestead beside the slightly-less ruinous Little Howe and a prominent broch above The Howe. Turn right before reaching The Howe onto a track running directly above the beach at Dam of Hoxa.
This is an ayre, a word derived from Old Norse and applied to a variety of shingle landforms in Orkney and Shetland but generally to spits, bars, and tombolos. The wetlands behind the ayre are an important habitat for a variety of plants - such as yellow iris - and birds including oystercatcher, ringed plover, lapwing, snipe, curlew and redshank.
Continue along the track towards a turf-roofed longhouse with attached kiln. To avoid disturbing the inhabitants drop down onto the shingle beach where possible and continue along the shore, heading up a grassy ramp at the northern end of the bay. This leads to a concrete track which then becomes a surfaced road (Back Road) and continues uphill through the Lowertown area of South Ronaldsay. Follow this quiet road for around 1.25km as it continues roughly east before turning abruptly south.
As the road makes a sharp left turn at Heatherum farm make a decision whether to follow it down to St Margaret's Hope (about 500m) or continue straight ahead to return to the Sands of Wright car park. If continuing, head along the farm track to the Heads farm. A grassy lane leads out of the farmyard (hidden behind a muck spreader at the time of writing) which curves left after 300m to meet the B9043. Turn right and follow this past the wonderfully-named Oyce of Quindry, an sandy lagoon impounded by an ayre at the head of the bay. The road turns sharply right and rises slightly to pass Roeberry House and gardens, known locally as the "The Castle" and previously home of the Lord Lieutenant of Orkney. Follow the road downhill to the start.
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