Old Man of Hoy - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

St Johns Head lies 3km to the north-east of the Old Man of Hoy and is best viewed from the Scrabster to Stromness ferry. The headland is breached by only four routes, three of which begin around the grassy ramps at the bottom of the north face. The horizontal beds of sandstone at St John’s Head have weathered to give dramatic vertical red and yellow cliffs, which are especially vibrant with a low evening sun.

Cuilags is a summit in the Hoy region or range in Scotland. Cuilags is 435 metres high. A good trekking destination and also there are so many other options too. All the walking routes up Cuilags on Mud and Routes can be found below. The top can be identified by the large cairn (third from E) on possibly man-made mound.

This 500 years old monument lies in a steep sided valley between Quoys and Rackwick on the island of Hoy. A huge block of hollowed-out red sandstone measuring about 8.5 metres long, the Dwarfie Stane is thought to be Britain’s only example of a rock-cut tomb. It should be stressed, however, that not all archaeologists share this opinion. The stone is a glacial erratic located in desolate peatland. The site is managed by Historic Environment Scotland.

Graemsay is on of the smaller of the Orkney Islands, which was located between the Orkney mainland and Hoy and features plenty of nature and wildlife attractions. The island is 409 ha in area and is mainly crofted. The island's geology is Old Red Sandstone of the Devonian period, with two volcanic faults. On the north coast there is granite-schist, a great rarity in Orkney.

Ness Battery in Stromness is one of Britain's best-preserved wartime sites and a guided tour offers a fascinating insight into the lives of the soldiers who defended Scapa Flow in two World Wars. Several of the original wooden huts which formed the accommodation camp are still intact, and in one of these is a painted mural covering three walls, depicting rural English scenes. An extensive programme of stabilisation and renovation was completed in 2012 and the site is now open for guided tours.

This lighthouse is on the Isle of Graemsay in the Orkney Isles located on the northeast point of the island. It was built in 1851 by Alan Stevenson, together with a keepers residence. It marks the main channel into the Scapa Flow harbour, and along with other lights in the area, known as range lights, they aid navigation through Hoy Sound.