2018 highlights of walking the Westray Coast 50
In 2017 I had a wild idea; I was going to walk the entire coast of the Orkney island of Westray in …
the landscape of Westray
In 2017 I had a wild idea; I was going to walk the entire coast of the Orkney island of Westray in …
My adventures on the fifth of five days walking the entire coast of Westray.
My adventures on the four-and-a-half-th of five days walking the entire coast of Westray.
My adventures on the fourth of five days walking the entire coast of Westray.
My adventures on the third of five days walking the entire coast of Westray.
My adventures on the second of five days walking the entire coast of Westray.
My adventures on the first of five days walking the entire coast of Westray.
The law on who owns what land isn’t as simple as you might think. Living in a country with a name like …
On a glorious day on Westray this boat on the Ouse on the Bay of Skaill makes a beautiful scene:
There are precious few trees on Westray. Wood for buildings was a scarce material and driftwood was always salvaged by Islanders and …
The coast of Westray on any day is invigorating:
Get out of the house. Stop staring at a screen. Ignore the day-to-day. Take some time. Go on a trip. Immerse yourself …
They say ‘Take only pictures, leave only footsteps,’ but we decided to take a footstep home. I just need to draw a …
At the north end of Westray the Atlantic is unrestrained and waves crash into the coast making blowholes, sea caves and spectacular …
Much of Mae Sands is so low-lying that it never really drains of seawater. Walking on it looks beguiling, but wet feet …
Westray’s coastline has magnificent layers of sedimentary rocks. In places there are folds and cracks: A crack in the rocks leads to …
Westray has two sides: a North Sea side and an Atlantic Ocean side. They meet with dramatic consequences at the northernmost and …
The Westray coastline is so beautiful on a glorious day it’s hard to know whether to look up, look across or look …
A trip to the Bay of Skaill reveals the shallow turquoise waters which look Caribbean to someone as starved of heat as …
The Bay of Tafts is nearly my nearest beach. I love it here. There’s a never-ending procession of moods as the weather and seasons change.
I love the walk from Mae Sands to the Knowe o’ Skea. It’s a magical place, where currents meet, the sea boils and where an Iron Age burial ground gives views out towards the island of Rousay.
The weather on Westray may be dull, but there’s never a dull day on Westray.
A white blanket of cloud shrouds the island but life continues as normal for the incredible menagerie which inhabits the shores of Westray.
We’re on Westray and only have a few hours before sunset to see some wildlife at the Castle o’ Burrian. At least …
Nothing can fully prepare you for coming to Orkney for the first time but I’m going to try. You probably already know …
Westray wears its working clothes most of the time. It has an endless supply of beautiful green garments which it accessorises with …
The sedimentary rock on Westray breaks into hundreds of ledges where the layers of time wear them away.
Rock lines and circles surround us in a sea cave on Westray.