Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Storehouse
T
01857 616263,
E
annemaree.carter
@byinternet.com.
A good alternative to the
Stronsay Hotel
is this welcoming little B&B in Whitehall,
wit
h en
-suite
rooms, a guest lounge and full board on request.
£65
Stronsay Fish Mart
T
01857 616339,
W
stronsay.org.
The old fish market, by the ferry terminal,
now serves as a
hostel, and should be newly refurbished by the time you
read this. A cheap and cheerful café is also run from the
same buildin
g -
check Facebook for the latest opening
hours. Dorms
£16
Stronsay Hotel
T
01857 616213,
W
stronsayhotel
orkney.co.uk.
Stronsay's only hotel, right by the ferry
terminal,
has moder
n en
-suite rooms, while the hotel bar
does good pub food.
£80
Sanday
Despite being the largest of the northern isles,
Sanday
is the least substantial, a great
low-lying, drifting dune strung out between several rocky points. he island's
sweeping aquamarine bays and vast stretches of clean white sand are the finest in
Orkney, and in dry, clear weather it's a superb place to spend a day or two. he sandy
soil is very fertile, and the island remains predominantly agricultural even today,
holding its own agricultural show each year in early August. he coastline offers
superb walks, with particularly spectacular sand dunes to the south of the vast,
shallow, tidal bay of
Cata Sand
.
15
Start Point Lighthouse
Accessible only during low tide •
Tours
T
01857 600341
he island has a long history as a shipping hazard, with many wrecks smashed against
its shores, although the construction of the
Start Point Lighthouse
in 1802 on Sanday's
exposed eastern tip reduced the risk for seafarers. Shipwrecks were not an unwelcome
sight as the island has no peat, and driftwood was the only source of fuel other than
cow dung - it's even said that the locals used to pray for shipwrecks in church. he
82ft-high Stevenson lighthouse, from 1870, sports very natty and unusual vertical
black and white stripes and stands on a tidal island, accessible either side of low tide
(it takes an hour to walk there and back) and if you phone ahead, you can arrange a
tour, allowing you to climb the lighthouse.
Quoyness Chambered Cairn
Sanday is rich in archeology, with hundreds of sites, the most impressive of which is
Quoyness
Chambered Cairn
, on the fertile peninsula of Els Ness. he tomb, dating
from before 2000 BC, has been partially reconstructed, and rises to a height of around
13ft. he imposing, narrow entrance, flanked by high dry-stone walls, would originally
have been roofed for the whole of the way into the 13ft-long main chamber, where
bones and skulls were discovered in the six small side cells.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
SANDAY
By plane
The airfield is in the centre of the island and
there are regular flights to Kirkwall (Mon-Fri 2 daily, 1 on
Sat; 10min) and a daily connection to Sanday (Mon-Fri 1
daily; 6min).
By ferry
Ferries from Kirkwall to Sanday (2 daily; 1hr
25min) arrive at Loth Pier, at the southern tip of the
island.
By bus
All sailings are met by the Sanday Bus (
T
01857
600438), which will take you to most points on Sanday.
INFORMATION AND TOURS
Tourist information
W
sanday.co.uk,
W
sandayorkney
.co.uk.
Tours
W
sandayorkney.co.uk) organizes activities and guided
walks throughout the summer, as well as regular Sanday
Bus Tours (May-Sept Wed; £25).
The
Sanday
Ranger
(
T
01857
600341,
