Orkney - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 336

Yesnaby
At Yesnaby , to the south of the Bay of Skaill, the sandstone cliffs have been savagely
eroded into stacks and geos by the force of the Atlantic. Come here during a westerly
gale and you'll see the waves sending sea spray shooting over the wartime buildings and
the neighbouring fields. The clifftops support a unique plantlife, which thrives on the
salt spray, including the rare, and very small, purple Scottish primrose, which flowers
in May and from July to late September. The walk south along the coast from here is
exhilarating: the Old Man of Hoy is visible in the distance and, after a mile and a half,
you come to an impressive sea stack known as Yesnaby Castle.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE SANDWICK

By bus Services to Skara Brae are limited (Mon, Thurs &
Sat only), albeit supplemented by extra services on school-
days and a flexible Octobus service from Finstown, which

you must pre-book ( T 01856 871536, W octocic.co.uk).
Alternatively, since it's only 7 miles from Stromness, you
could just hire a bike.

ACCOMMODATION
Hyval Farm T 01856 841522, W hyval.co.uk. A working
beef cattle farm in Quoyloo within walking distance of Skara
Brae, the seaside and Orkney Brewery. There's a guests'

7

lounge, and breakfast is taken in the little con serv atory with
great views over the Bay of Skaill. April-Oct. £50

EATING AND DRINKING
Ì Orkney Brewery, Quoyloo T 01856 841777,
W sinclairbreweries.co.uk. The old schoolhouse in Quoyloo
has been tastefully converted into a state-of-the-art micro-
brewery, with tasting tours (£5) and also a great café where

local produce is very much to the fore - try the beef and
beer sausages - and all dishes are under £10. Mon-Sat
10am-4.30pm, Sun noon-4.30pm.

Birsay and around
Occupying the northwest corner of the Mainland, the parish of BIRSAY was the centre
of Norse power in Orkney for several centuries before Kirkwall got its cathedral.

Earl's Palace
A tiny cluster of homes is gathered around the imposing sandstone ruins of the
Earl's Palace , built in the late sixteenth century by Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney,
using the forced labour of the islanders, who weren't even given food and drink for
their work. By all accounts, it was a “sumptuous and stately dwelling”, built in four
wings around a central courtyard, its upper rooms decorated with painted ceilings and
rich furnishings; surrounding the palace were flower and herb gardens, a bowling green
and archery butts. The palace appears to have lasted barely a century before falling into
ruin; the crumbling walls and turrets retain much of their grandeur, although inside
there is little remaining domestic detail. However, its vast scale makes the Earl's Palace
in Kirkwall seem almost humble in comparison.

Brough of Birsay
Accessible 2hr either side of low tide • Tide times available at Stromness and Kirkwall tourist of ces and on Radio Orkney (93.7FM; Mon-
Fri 7.30-8am)
Just over half a mile northwest of Birsay village is the Brough of Birsay , a substantial
Pictish settlement on a small tidal island. On the island, by St Peter's Church, is a small
ticket office (see below), where you have to pay an entrance fee in season.

St Peter's Church
Mid-June to Sept daily 9.30am-5.30pm • £4.50; HS
The focus of the village of Brough of Birsay was - and still is - the sandstone-built
twelfth-century St Peter's Church , which stands slightly higher than the surrounding