Orkney - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 356

the exiled queen and was forced to flee to Sweden. There he was found guilty of
plotting to murder the Swedish king and was executed in 1576. The most striking
features of the interior are the huge, carved stone newel at the top of the grand, main
staircase, and the secret compartments built into the sills of two of the windows.

Noup Head
The northwestern tip of Westray rises up sharply, culminating in the dramatic sea
cliffs of Noup Head , particularly spectacular when a westerly swell is up. During the
summer months the guano-covered rock ledges are packed with over 100,000 nesting
guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars and puffins: a heady sensation of sight,
sound and smell. The open ground above the cliffs, grazed by sheep, is superb maritime
heath and grassland, carpeted with yellow, white and purple flowers, and a favourite
breeding-ground for arctic tern and arctic skua.

7

The south of the island
The four-mile coastal walk in the south of Westray, along the top of red-sandstone cliffs
from Noup Head south to the Bay of Kirbist is thoroughly recommended, as is a quick
ascent of nearby Fitty Hill (557ft), Westray's highest point. Also in the south of the
island is the tiny Cross Kirk which, although ruined, retains an original Romanesque
arch, door and window. It's right by the sea, and on a fine day the nearby sandy beach
is a lovely spot for a picnic, with views over to the north side of Rousay. The sea cliffs
in the southeast of the island around Stanger Head are not quite as spectacular as at
Noup Head, but it's here that you'll find Castle o'Burrian , a sea stack, the best place on
Westray at which to see pu ns nesting - there's even a signpost from the main road.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE WESTRAY

By plane You can fly from Kirkwall (Mon-Fri 2 daily, Sat
& Sun 1 daily; 15min) and go on the world's shortest
scheduled flight between Westray and Papa Westray
(Mon-Sat 1 daily; 2min).

By ferry Westray is served by car ferry from Kirkwall (2-3
daily; 1hr 25min; T 01856 872044) and there's a passenger
ferry between Pierowall (Westray) and Papa Westray
(Mon-Thurs 6 daily, Fri & Sat 4 daily, 3 on Sun; 25min).

GETTING AROUND
By bus A minibus (May-Sept; at other times phone
T 01857 677758) meets the ferry and connects with the

Papa Westray ferry at Gill Pier in Pierowall; book a seat for
the bus on the ferry.

INFORMATION AND TOURS
Tourist information W westraypapawestray.co.uk.
Tours and bike rental Westraak T 01857 677777,
W westraak.co.uk. Guided tours of the island by minibus

can be arranged with Westraak, who will meet you at the
ferry. They also offer bike rental.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Ì The Barn T 01857 677214, W thebarnwestray
.co.uk. A converted farm hostel at the southern edge of
Pierowall; it's luxurious inside, with family rooms and twin
bunks available, has a small campsite adjacent to it and
a games ro om and genuinely friendly hosts. Dorms £20 ;
camping £5 /person
Haf Yok T 01857 677777. Café in a little shed in
Pierowall itself (opposite the Lady Kirk) owned by the
couple who also run Westraak tour company. Great
for soup, toasties and cakes, with a few tables in a
south-facing suntrap. Mid-May to Sept: Mon-Sat

10.30am-5pm, Sun noon-4pm.
No. 1 Broughton T 01857 677726, W no1broughton
.co.uk. Top-notch, good-value B&B in a renovated mid-
nineteenth-century house with views acr oss t he bay, a
lovely conservatory and even a small sauna. £60
Pierowall Hotel T 01857 677472, W pierowallhotel
.co.uk. The social hub of Pierowall itself, is unpretentious
and very welcoming - the cheaper rooms have shared
facilities. The popular bar has a well-justified reputation for
excellent fish and chips, fresh off the boat s (much of the
catch you're unlikely to have heard of ). £76