Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hoy
Hoy
, Orkney's second-largest island, rises sharply out of the sea to the southwest of the
Mainland. he least typical of the islands, but the most dramatic, its north and west
sides are made up of great glacial valleys and mountainous moorland rising to over
1500ft, dropping into the sea off the red-sandstone cliffs of St John's Head, and, to the
south, forming the landmark sea stack known as the
Old Man of Hoy
, best accessed
from
Rackwick
. Most of Hoy's four hundred residents live on the gentle, fertile land in
the southeast, around the villages of
Lyness
and
Longhope
. his part of the island is
littered with buildings dating from the two world wars, when Scapa Flow was the
Royal Navy's main base.
North Hoy
Much of
North Hoy
's magnificent landscape is made up of rough grasses and heather,
which harbour a cluster of arctic plants (a lot of midges) and a healthy population of
mountain hares and birdlife. Facilities are minimal, however, with the nearest shop in
Longhope (see p.543), and both the villages - Hoy and Rackwick - are absolutely
tiny, with very little in the way of transport. If you're walking to Rackwick from Hoy,
take the footpath that goes past Sandy Loch and along the large open valley of
Berriedale
(1hr 30min).
15
Dwarfie Stane
Halfway along the road from Hoy to Rackwick, duckboards head across the heather to
the
Dwarfie Stane
, Orkney's most unusual chambered tomb, cut from a solid block of
sandstone and dating back to 3000 BC. Among the copious Victorian gra
ti is an
inscription on the northern exterior, where Major Mouncey, a former British spy in
Persia and a confirmed eccentric who dressed in Persian garb, carved his name
backwards in Latin and also carved in Persian the words “I have sat two nights and so
learnt patience.”
Rackwick
RACKWICK
is an old crofting and fishing village squeezed between towering
sandstone cliffs on the west coast. hese days only a few of Rackwick's houses are
inhabited all year round. A building beside the hostel has a tiny
museum
with a
brief rundown of Rackwick's rough history, but for a deeper insight into how folk
used to live in these parts, head over to the
Craa Nest
, the oldest crofthouse in the
village, just up the path to the Old Man; last occupied in 1940, the place still has
its box-beds, barn and kiln intact.
The Old Man of Hoy
Despite its isolation, Rackwick has a steady stream of walkers and climbers passing
through en route to the
Old Man of Hoy
, a great sandstone stack, 450ft high, perched
on an old lava flow that protects it from the erosive power of the sea. It is a popular
challenge for rock climbers, and a 1966 ascent, led by Chris Bonington, was the first
televised climb in Britain. he well-trodden footpath from Rackwick is an easy
three-mile walk (3hr round-trip) - although the great skuas will dive-bomb you during
the nesting season (May-Aug). he surrounding cliffs provide ideal rocky ledges for
thousands of nesting seabirds, including pu
ns.
ARRIVAL AND GETTING AROUND
NORTH HOY
By ferry
The passenger ferry from Stromness to Moaness
pier, by Hoy village (Mon-Fri 4-5 daily, Sat & Sun 2 daily;
25min;
T
01
856 850624) also serves the island of
Graemsay en route.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
THE OLD MAN OF HOY
ABOVE
; SKARA BRAE
P.532
; THE ITALIAN CHAPEL ON LAMB HOLM
P.537
>
