20 Attractions to Explore Near Start Point Lighthouse

Sanday Heritage Centre is situated on the outskirts of Lady Village. Located within Temperance Hall, the centre displays some of Sanday’s natural and man-made treasures and showcases some of the community’s history. Current displays focus on farming, the sea, archaeology, natural history and Sanday’s contribution to the First World War.

North Ronaldsay is the northernmost island in the Orkney archipelago of Scotland. With an area of 690 hectares, it is the fourteenth-largest. It is mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga; in modern times it is known for its historic lighthouse, migratory bird life and unusual breed of sheep. The island is famed for its rare breed of seaweed-eating sheep. These hardy and colourful characters live almost entirely on the wild shoreline, feeding on a diet of seaweed.

The Quoyness chambered cairn, in Sanday, is yet another example of the Maeshowe-type cairns found in Orkney. It is located on the peninsula known as Elsness, in the Sanday parish of Cross. The cairn is about 4 metres high and can be accessed by crawling through the entrance passage, itself 9 metres long. Only half the entrance passage is roofed. A stone platform surrounds the cairn, and when originally built the cairn would have looked like Maeshowe today.

The Holm of Huip is a small island in the Orkney Islands, in Spurness Sound to the north west of Stronsay. This charming Island stretches over a surface area of approximately 250,000 square meters. Whilst most of its beaches are made up of slate and stone, a long, sandy beach can also be found towards the south of the island, close to the ruins of an old, stone house.

The Calf of Eday is an uninhabited island in Orkney, Scotland, lying north east of Eday. It is known for its wildlife and its prehistoric ruins. There is a Neolithic chambered cairn in the southwest overlooking Calf Sound, which separates the island from Eday. Rectangular in shape, the cairn was excavated in 1936–37 and contains a small chamber with two compartments and a larger one with four stalls that has a separate entrance and was probably added at a later date.

The Vat of Kirbister is the jewel in Stronsay's crown. A stunning natural rock arch, this delicate structure is a real island highlight. The roof of a very large, almost circular, cave has collapsed, leaving an inlet accessible via the original mouth of the cave and under the remaining arch. In the surrounding area, there are also a number of other sea caves and sea stacks including one stack called the Malme which as the remains of an early Christian hermitage on its summit.

Holm of Papa Westray is a small, uninhabited island just east of Papa Westray island, one of the most northerly islands in the Orkney group. It is around 21 hectares in size. It can be visited from its neighbouring island Papa Westray, or Papay, an island less than a hundred metres west of the Holm. Visitors can arrange privately for small boat access through the Co-op shop on Papa Westray. The cairn is readily visible from the larger island.

Papa Westray is one of the smallest islands in Orkney, off the far north coast of Scotland. Known to locals as Papay, this is a fascinating destination to visit and an engaging, sometimes challenging, place to live. It is the ninth largest of the Orkney Islands with an area of 918 hectares.

This is a Neolithic site on the island of Papa Westray in Orkney, Scotland. The building preserved at the site is considered the oldest stone house in northern Europe and is dated to 3700-3500 BCE.The small buildings are similar to Skara Brae and include hearths, pits, built-in cupboards and stone benches. They could have been in use for around 500 years.

Egilsay is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, lying east of Rousay. The island is largely farmland and is known for its corncrakes and St Magnus Church, dedicated or re-dedicated to Saint MagnusIt is home to acres of moorland, steep hills and cliffs, whereas both Egilsay and Wyre offer a more traditional Orcadian landscape of green fields and fertile farmland.

The heavily fortified Noltland castle lies approximately half a mile from Pierowall Bay and was built by a Scotsman, Gilbert Balfour from Fife. It has 7ft thick stone walls and no less than 71 gun holes. Its position above Pierowall Bay would also have given those inside the building the perfect view of any potential attackers. It dates mainly to the later 16th century, although it was never fully completed. The castle is protected as a scheduled monument.

Links of Noltland is a brilliantly preserved farming settlement dating from about 3300 BC to 800 BC. Neolithic remains include a dozen buildings and the ‘Westray Wifie’ figurine. Grobust Bay is also home to Orkney’s largest Bronze Age settlement. The site contains the remains of both a Neolithic village and later Bronze Age dwellings.

Wyre is one of the Orkney Islands, lying south-east of Rousay. It is 311 hectares and 32 metres at its highest point. It is one of the smallest inhabited islands in the archipelago. Orkney Ferries sail from the island to Tingwall on the Orkney Mainland, Egilsay and Rousay.

Cubbie Roo's Castle is one of the oldest examples of its type in Scotland. Built as the base for a Viking named Kolbein Hruga, it's thought the structure could have been three storeys high, commanding strategic views out over Gairsay Sound and the surrounding approaches. The ruin we see today has been identified as the castle described in the saga, and 'Roo' is probably a corruption of 'Kolbein Hruga'.

Trumland is a Category B listed house and associated estate on Rousay, in Orkney, Scotland, built in its present form in 1875. This house is of a strong baronial design, with crow-stepped gables and canted windows, made from the local Rousay stone, with fine carved finials and architectural detailingExplore the woodland and water gardens, as well as the lawns, walled garden and orchard. There is also a picnic area at Trumland House Gardens which are open between May and October.

Taversöe Tuick is a Neolithic burial cairn on Rousay, Orkney, Scotland, thought to date from between 4000 and 2500 BCE. The monument includes a rare example of a double-tiered chamber, an upper chamber approached via a passageway and a lower subterranean chamber, originally separate, which can now be reached via a modern ladder from the upper chamber. The site is a scheduled monument in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.

The Brough of Deerness is one of the best places to spend a sunny day in Orkney. The gentle walking route in the East Mainland begins at The Gloup and winds its way along the craggy coastline, offering beautiful views out over the North Sea, the island of Copinsay and the chance to spot passing cetaceans.

Mull Head is a nature reserve extending to over 200 acres, taking in coastal grassland, heather moorland, spectacular cliffs and coastal scenery. Paths through the reserve provide for circular walks ranging from 3-5 miles. The highlights of this area are the Gloup, a collapsed cave, Deerness Brough and the headland. In addition, the area sees abundant birdlife in season.

This beautiful Lighthouse stands tall amongst it all, nearly 80 metres above sea level. This Stevenson lighthouse was built in 1898 with a principal lightkeeper, an assistant and their families living at the site until the light was automated in 1964. The lighthouse became automatic in 1964 and was converted to wind and solar power using a solar array in 2000.

Blackhammer Chambered Cairn is a Neolithic cairn on Rousay, in Orkney, Scotland. It is a scheduled monument in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.It is thought to date from around 3000 BC. The structure is a typical stalled cairn, with an interior divided into seven compartments by pairs of upright stone slabs. The cairn has a modern roof, as the cairn originally was only a few feet high. Access is by a hatchway and ladder in the roof, as the original entrance was sealed