EDAY

One of the smaller North Isles, Eday, has land made up of heathery moorland, long attractive beaches and red sandstone cliffs.

A number of historic attractions, including chambered cairns and derelict crofts, can be sighted on the island, and at the end of a line of tombs stands a popular tourist attraction – the mysterious Stone of Setter.

The island offers many wonderful panoramic views, and from the Red Head you can see not only the other North Isles, but Fair Isle beyond.

Orkney’s most notorious pirate, John Gow, was overpowered by Eday locals at Carrick House, situated just past the Stone of Setter. Gow and his band of pirate followers were hanged at Execution Dock at Wapping on June 11, 1725.

A local woodcarving and furniture-making business Sui Generis – which is Latin for One of a Kind – is situated at Fersness in Eday, the site where much of the stone used to build St Magnus Cathedral was quarried. Run by self-taught craftsman Colin Kerr, Sui Generis provides accommodation and meals for visitors in rooms kitted out with their own furniture, designed by Colin’s wife Sherry.

An attraction on Eday that will be of particular interest to the island’s visitors and walking enthusiasts alike is the Warness Walk. Run by Peter and Rosemary Joy of Carrick House, the walk is funded entirely by the couple and takes people past some of the island’s historical attractions, taking short detours through fields of cattle and sheep.

Flotta and Graemsay >