1
Begin in Victoria Street, part of the cobbled thoroughfare that runs through the heart of the town of Stromness. The street changes its name along the way but has many shops and cafes and quaysides and slipways to explore. After ½ mile/1km it merges into the coastal path which curls around the Ness headland past a campsite before turning west.
2
Across the waters of Scapa Flow are the dramatic high hills of the island of Hoy. Look up to your right across the golf course and you will see the Ness Battery, which defended Scapa Flow against enemy attack in both world wars. The site can be visited and inside you will find a beautiful mural painted by soldiers depicting idyllic scenes of rural life.
3
The paved path passes Warebeth Cemetery before winding its way above Warebeth Beach. Here it meanders away from the shore and follows a quiet paved lane for around 1 mile/1.5km before ascending the flanks of the hill Black Craig above high cliffs to reach a huge chasm in the coast known as Whale Geo (HY224104).
4
The path crosses several small burns via small footbridges and threads through increasingly dramatic scenery to reach a point high above the sea, opposite a stirring sea stack known as the Castle of North Gaulton (HY216134). The coastal drama increases as you head north with the yellow-red sandstone cliffs collapsing into huge slabs. Several paths traverse this stretch – stay as close or as far from the cliffs as you wish. You pass another superb seastack, known as the Castle of Yesnaby, 35m high. This is roughly the half-way point of the walk
5
Passing just below the Brough of Bigging, a huge headland, you reach the rudimentary car park for Yesnaby (HY221161). This is a good place to see short-eared owls and the bluish-purple Scottish primrose.
6
You pass the Broch of Borwick (HY224167) though beware the sheer drop behind it. Open ground and footpaths then lead up Ward Hill (HY224183) to a cairn. The views here are superb: the Neolithic village of Skara Brae is clearly visible below by the shore of the vast Bay of Skaill. Looking east, you can see much of the West Mainland of Orkney, from lochs to valleys and glacially rounded peaks.
7
From the summit of Ward Hill descend to the north east, walking around the back of Skara Brae and Skaill House to reach the site.
