Walks in Orkney
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
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.
Cleveland Way National Trail
April 3, 2010 by admin
Filed under C, Miles without stiles
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
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
April 3, 2010 by admin
Filed under E, Featured, Featured Walks
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
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.
Chesterfield Audio Town Trail
March 22, 2010 by admin
Filed under C, Featured Walks
Chesterfield Borough Council have developed a downloadable tour guide for the town of Chesterfield.
Chesterfield in Derbyshire is famous for the ‘Crooked Spire’ of its Parish Church, you can discover why the spire is twisted
Courtesy of Chesterfield Borough Council
out of shape along with many other interesting facts such as;
- What is George Stephenson’s connection to Chesterfield?
- Who were George and Caleb Heathcote?
The hour-long Trail provides all sorts of fascinating information, highlighting 29 buildings and sites of interest in Chesterfield. Starting at the Tourist Information Centre, the route circles the town centre and includes optional detours to Holy Trinity Church and Queen’s Park.
The Trail allows for wheelchair access but, in parts, is too steep for manual wheelchair users. A powered scooter is recommended and can be hired from Chesterfield Shopmobility.
An online sample of the tour is available as well as a full download which can be placed on your MP3 player.
The tour audio is currently available in English, French and Dutch
Visit the Chesterfield Borough Council website to download the audio guide.
For those visiting the area, there is also a printed version launched at the end of March 2010 and costs £1.50, available available from the tourist information centre.
More information
Chesterfield Tourist Information website.
Chesterfield Borough Council website.
St. Mary’s and All Saints Church - Famous for it’s crooked spire.
Natural England Walk Finder
Natural England’s Walking for Health (WfH) encourages you to enjoy your local natural spaces and benefit your health by taking part in health walks.
They are currently the largest national body promoting and setting the standards for led health walks.
Walking for Health aims to encourage people, particularly those who take little exercise, to do regular short walks in their communities. They support over 590 local health walk schemes and you can find your nearest English walk using the online Walk Finder.
