Walks in Orkney

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churchill_barriers70

Wide open spaces, peace, tranquility and the sounds of nature blend together making Orkney one of the perfect places to strap on the walking boots and go for a walk.

Thousands of acres await any visitor to the mainland or the Isles who want to reset their brains and forget about the hustle and bustle of city life.

Looking out across the Churchill Barriers

Looking out across the Churchill Barriers

During every walk you should stop and take in the surroundings. Take a moment to listen and look around and you may hear the sounds of the Atlantic beating against cliffs or see a seal enjoying the afternoon sun.

Signposted

Many walks are signposted and have well maintained paths and gates. Please keep to these paths and take care to keep away from animals. Keep dogs well under control at all times.

For the more adventurous or those people who want a local guide to help, a number of companies are now available to provide assistance. A local guide is especially useful during the winter or in bad weather to ensure your safety.

We have put together details of a number of walks, guides and maps.

If you know of any walks not featured in this list or are a local guide then please get in touch and we can update our information.

Mainland – East

East Mainland Info – 655K
East Mainland Guidance – 324K
Dingieshowe Circular Walk – 395K
Graemeshall Circular Walk – 358K
Mull Head & Covenanter’s Memorial Walk – 382K
Newark Bay to the Point of Ayre Walk – 400K
Rerwick Head Walk - 410K
St. Mary’s Circular Walk – 296K
Tankerness Walkway – 364K
Wideford Burn Walk – 387K

Mainland West

Mainland Guidance(1) – 169K
Mainland Guidance (2)
Binscarth Woodland- 179K
Marwick Circular
– 244K
Point of Ness
– 131K
Swartland Drovers Rd
. – 142K

Papa Westray

Papa Westray Guidance
Papa Westray Walks – 825K

Sanday

General Sanday Info
Backaskaill Bay – 150K
Broughtown – 131K
Burness and the Holms of Ire – 228K
Doun Helzie – 144K
Lady Village to Cata Sand & Tressness - 223K
Lady Village to Elsness – 183K
Scouthvie Circular – 146K
Whitemill Circular - 162K

Stronsay

General Stronsay Info
Stronsay Guidance
Holland Farm Walk – 131K
Rothiesholm Walk – 148K
Vat of Kirbister Walk – 163K
Whitehall Village Walk – 205K

Westray

General Westray Info
Westray Guidance
Castle O’ Burrian – 177K
Kirk to Castle via Grobust – 168K
Noup Head Loop – 181K
Tuquoy & Mae Sand – 170k
West Westray Coast – 224

Guides and walking companies

Five Senses - We have spent years exploring Orkney off the beaten track and all the best sites – and we care about how you experience Orkney, whether you live here or are on holiday.

More information

Walk Orkney - Orkney Island Council

Walking Scotland – The official site of Scotland’s national tourism organisation.

Highpoint, New Langdale Base

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Brasher walking boots

Easter 2010 will see the opening of a new base in Langdale for Highpoint Mountain Guides.

Brasher walking bootsHighpoint will be offering Mountain Bike hire from their new base at Elterwater, Langdale. You’ll also be able to hire supremely comfortable Brasher walking boots, Canadian Canoes and other items of walking equipment.

The new Highpoint Mountain Guides base will also be open for anyone interested in courses and activities to call in and have chat and pick up information.

The Wayside Pulpit

Easy to find on the road to Langdale from Skelwith Bridge, cross over the cattle grid at the start of Elterwater Common and continue for about 500m to a small crossroads just before the Langdale Hotel and Timeshare.

Turn right at the crossroads and you can park after 50m. Highpoint’s base lies just another 100m along the road towards High Close and Grasmere at The Wayside Pupit, a newly built stone building on the left side of the road.

MOUNTAIN BIKE HIRE  – Specialized Hard Rock Bikes for hire

WALKING BOOT HIRE – A wide range of boots for hire from Brasher

COURSE BOOKING CENTRE AND OFFICE – Call in for a chat, book courses, ask for information

All hire enquiries to 07970 138591

More information

Highpoint Mountain Guides Website – A wide range of activities to suit all ages and abilities.

Lake District Conditions Update

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Lake District National Park Logo

Following the floods of November 2009, a few of the accessible routes around the Lake District National Park have suffered water damage, with sections washed away or affected by flood debris.

Lake District National Park LogoAlthough the Lake District National Park Authority are checking all of these areas, be prepared that present surface conditions may not be as good as originally described.

Visiting the Lake District National Park website is best way to find out if you chosen walk is affected.

Cleveland Way National Trail

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Cleveland Way courtesy of National Trail

The Cleveland Way crosses the North York Moors national Park, a diverse landscape of heather moorland, scenic dales and villages.

Cleveland Way courtesy of National Trail

Cleveland Way courtesy of National Trail

A warm Yorkshire welcome awaits walkers in this region as the route enjoys the dramatic cliffs of the North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast as well as enchanting settlements such as Staithes and Robin Hood’s Bay.

You can stop along the way at the towns of Whitby and Scarborough.

Apart from the scenery, there is an incredible wealth of history not far from the Cleveland Way at the famous Castles and Abbeys, including 7th century Whitby Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey which was England’s first Cistercian church and Scarborough Castle.

Accessible

While some parts of the Cleveland Way are quite strenuous, there are sections without barriers which are accessible to everyone.

A series of four Easy Access walks along the Cleveland Way vary in their level of difficulty.

The Sutton Bank, Ravenscar and Robin Hood’s Bay walks are short ones that may be suitable for people with impaired mobility, with a pushchair, wheelchair or mobility scooter, where there are no kissing gates.

The Baysdale walk is far more challenging. None of the detailed walks have steps or stiles and comprehensive information is provided on the gradients and surfaces to expect.

Download the Cleveland Way easy access walks from the National Trail website.

More information

National Trail Guides – Natural England has worked in partnership with Aurum Press to produce a series of official National Trail Guides which cover all the established National Trails in England and Wales.

National Trail website – National Trails are long distance routes for walking, cycling and horse riding through the finest landscapes in England and Wales.

North Sea Trail – The coastal length of the Cleveland way form part of the North Sea Trail.

Evesham Blossom Trail

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Apple Blossom

The Vale of Evesham is well known for it’s apple, pear and plum orchards and for a few short weeks between mid March and May, the road sides are ablaze with the pink tones of cherry and apple blossom contrasting with the delicate white of pear and plum.

The Vale of Evesham has been famous for fruit growing since medieval times with most of the apple and pear crop used to make cider and perry.

Apple Blossom

Apple Blossom

By the 19th century fruit growing had become big business with new varieties being developed, including the famous Pershore Yellow Egg plum which had been discovered growing wild in Tiddesley Wood in 1827.

Blossom walks

Three walks take in the blossom of this unique region.

Walk 1 i a 3  mile stroll through rolling countryside has open views of the surrounding area including some of the vales’ orchards.  Taking in the hamlet of Atch Lench and a recently planted wood.

Walk 2 is 4 1/2 mile walk starting from the recreation ground in the attractive riverside village of Fladbury with an extensive view of the Vale of Evesham and the distant Cotswolds.  Discover the site of a medieval village in the hamlet of Hill.  This walk will take in many apple and pear orchards with the final section being a stroll across the local golf course above the River Avon.

Walk 3 is a slightly more ambitious 6 mile walk, starting from the Tiddesley Wood Nature Reserve Trust car park and includes some of the orchards around the edge of the wood before visiting the attractive areas if Besford and Birlingham.  The route returns through the main part of the wood before emerging into open fields.

More information

Evesham Town Council – Blossom Trail details

Blossom Trail – Evesham Blossom Trail events for 2010

Evesham Vale Tour Guides – A regular programme of guided walks and coach tours.

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