Yesnaby Orkney Coast Scotland

Yesnaby, Orkney, Scotland

Yesnaby on the west coast of the main Orkney Island is an area of great natural beauty famed for its rugged, sandstone coast.

Stones

Rock Climbing on Orkney

Yesnaby is popular with rock climbers, who come to climb Yesnaby Castle, a sea stack off the coast. The Old Man of Hoy is another stack on Orkney which draws climbers from all over Britain and abroad.

Puffin on Orkney, Scotland

Puffins

The Orkney coast, especially on Westray, is also popular with another colorful visitor – the puffin – who comes to breed between May and August. Puffins (Fratercula), with their colorful beaks during the breeding season and somewhat clownish appearance, are some of Britain’s best-loved birds.

Puffins are seabirds belonging to the auk family and have predominately black and white plumage. Puffins in the UK gather in a few sites in the north of England, Angelsey in North Wales, and Scotland.

Other places of interest on Orkney include the ancient The Ring of Brodgar and the more recent Scapa Distillery.

Read a book review of The Outrun by Amy Liptrot set on Orkney.