Walking on the Orkney and Shetland Isles

80 walks in the northern isles

By Graham Uney

Walking guidebook to 80 routes on the Orkney, Shetland and Fair Isles. Day walks include routes on Hoy, Rousay, Foula, Yell and Unst as well as the mainlands. Walks range from 1 to 16 miles and provide options for walkers of all abilities. Information on interesting sites, getting there and getting around the islands included.

Seasons

April, May and June are the best months to go for daylight, sunshine and nesting birds, but the Northern Isles are a year-round destination - hardly ever getting midges or snow!

Centres

Sumburgh, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Stromness, Hamnavoe, Scalloway

Difficulty

From short walks to ancient monuments and waymarked coastal strolls to 10-mile traverses, there is something for everyone. Some routes will require basic navigational skills.

Must See

Superb wildlife - whales, otters, seals, puffins, whooper swans, birds of prey, seabirds; ancient archaeological sites - Skara Brae, Jarlshof, the Mousa Broch; the Old Man of Hoy; and the North Ronaldsay Coastal Traverse.
ISBN
9781852848347
Availability
Published
Published
13 Apr 2016
Reprinted
11 Jul 2022
Edition
Second
Pages
240
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.40cm
Weight
270g
Overview

A guidebook to 80 walking routes on Scotland's Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland. Routes are described on the islands of Orkney (Orkney Mainland, Hoy, South Ronaldsay, Burray, Rousay, Eday, Westray, Papa Westray, North Ronaldsay) and the islands of Shetland (Shetland Mainland, West Burra, East Burra, Foula, Fair Isle, Isle of Noss, Bressay, Whalsay, Papa Stour, Muckle Roe, Out Skerries, Esha Ness, Yell, Fetlar and Unst). Routes vary in length from 1 mile to 16 miles, with something to suit all abilities. Offering a variety of landscapes together with a wealth of remarkable archaeological sites such as Skara Brae and Jarlshof, Orkney and Shetland are a walker's dream.

Step-by-step route descriptions are accompanied by clear OS mapping and a time estimate for completing each route. The book includes plenty of information on the region's wildlife, archaeology and history, as well as practical tips such as when to go, what to take and getting to and around Orkney and Shetland.

Quiet, remote and abounding in rare plants and wildlife, together with some of the world's most fascinating archaeological sites, Orkney and Shetland offer a treasure trove of natural and historic wonders, and makes an ideal walking holiday destination.

Table of Contents
Maps
Updates
Reviews
Downloads
Graham Uney Cicerone author UNEY

Graham Uney

Graham Uney runs Wild Walks Wales from his home in Welshpool, where he leads walking groups in the beautiful hills of the Welsh borders and mid-Wales. He previously ran Shetland Walking and Wildlife from his home on the Westside of Shetland. Graham also runs week-long skills courses for hillwalkers, National Navigation Award Scheme courses at all levels and digital photography workshops for beginners.

Graham has had 15 books published to date. He is also a freelance journalist and photographer, and an occasional ecological surveyor. In his spare time he is rediscovering rock climbing and is a keen bird ringer, mandolin and guitar player, gardener and dog walker.

View author profile