Walk: Yesnaby's two-legged Castle

Orkney Mainland | Yesnaby | Short walk | ★★★★

[Yesnaby Castle from the Point of Qui Ayre]

From the Brough of Birsay at one end to Stromness at the other, the western coastline of Orkney Mainland has a superb array of scenery. One of the most dramatic sections is at Yesnaby, with grand sandstone cliffs, geos, caves and sea stacks just south of the car park at a ruined gun battery left over from World War II. One of the highlights is Yesnaby Castle: balancing on a two-footed plinth, it's the second most spectacular sea stack on Orkney after the Old Man of Hoy. This short walk is a good option whatever the weather, although perhaps best on a wild day with boiling seas, when huge waves smash into the base of the cliffs and drench passers-by with sea spray.

[View south along the coast towards Hoy]

📌 Walk: Yesnaby's two-legged Castle ★★★★
Start / finish at car park at minor road end, Yesnaby, Orkney Mainland, G.R.: HY 221161 ///duet.tangling.hails

▶ 2 km / 1 mi | ▲ 50 m | ⌚ Short | ⬤ Easy
Features: Brough of Bigging; Point of Qui Ayre; Yesnaby Castle
Terrain: Rough paths with cliff edges nearby.

Route & map

Start - Brough of Bigging - Point of Qui Ayre - Yesnaby Castle - return by outward route


Route credit: Scotland Off the Beaten Track

On our visit

Wildlife: A few fulmars and other seabirds; a couple of seals at the Brough of Bigging.
Weather: Overcast with spots of rain in the strong wind.

[Noust of Bigging]

Comments

Post a comment

Popular posts from this blog

Walk: Livingston's jaw-dropping waterfall

Image
West Lothian | Livingston | Short walk | ★★★
❕ Route currently impassable - see red text below

What springs to mind when someone mentions Livingston, West Lothian? Sprawling road junctions, retail parks, 1960s architecture... how about a splendid waterfall? Under a mile from the town's southernmost suburbs, the Camilty Water drops into a short but beautiful gorge sharply at odds with the gentleness of the surrounding farmland. Two substantial waterfalls and several smaller ones tumble into the depths; the largest is actually fed by a crumbling mill lade (the mill no longer exists) but this isn't obvious from below. Parking is limited, but the walk from the nearest road begins promisingly. The last few hundred metres of the route are however a bit sketchy: stepping stones across a side burn, and a very slippery slope to reach the best viewpoint - more details below.

Important

The house and gardens alongside the path are someone’s home, and although we have a so-called "right…
Read more

Loup of Fintry

Image
Stirling | Fintry | Waterfall | ★★★★

Winding through gently scenic nowhere land between the Campsie Fells and Fintry Hills, the Endrick Water unexpectedly takes an almighty 94-foot plunge into a side-on gorge. This is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the Scottish Lowlands (although Corra Linn and Grey Mare's Tail both come close), so why it's not better known is something of a mystery. Perhaps it's because the Carron Valley Reservoir upstream blocks much of the burn's catchment area, so waiting until after a period of local heavy rain is even more important than with other waterfalls. Nevertheless, this awesome cataract should be right at the top of your list.


📌Loup of Fintry ★★★★
By the B818 a mile east of Carron Valley Reservoir dam, G.R.: NS 662862 ///breezy.operation.survived
Always open | Free

Anything else? There are informal laybys with space for about 5 cars in total on both sides of the road near Gallows Knowe, G.R.: NS 661864 ///thanks.hint.curls. From…
Read more

Campsie Glen

Image
East Dunbartonshire | Clachan of Campsie | Waterfalls | ★★★★

In bygone years a path used to snake up the narrow gorge north of Clachan of Campsie. Rockfalls and warning signs now block the middle section, but short linear walks into the gorge from each end are still well worth it. A quick stroll from the bottom car park leads to the lower section of rapids. The upper car park on Crow Road is reached by a steep, 300 metre walk or a winding, 3 mile drive. Heading downhill from here (instead of uphill towards Cort-ma Law) accesses the middle of three more waterfalls. All are worth a visit following wet weather if you don't mind a bit of scrambling, but the bottom one of these 3 deserves special praise - as you can walk behind it!


📌 Campsie Glen Lower Falls ★★
On the Kirk Burn immediately north of Clachan of Campsie, G.R.: NS 610798 ///exploring.pirates.clipped
Always open | Free

Anything else? From the large car park at G.R.: NS 611796 ///quaking.spider.dislikes it's a 5-min walk …
Read more