Discover 7 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Birsay (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Broch of Gurness, Earl's Palace, and Brough of Birsay. Also, be sure to include Loch of Boardhouse in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Birsay (Scotland).
Table of Contents
Broch of Gurness
Tourist attraction in Evie, Scotland. The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village on the northeast coast of Mainland Orkney in Scotland overlooking Eynhallow Sound, about 15 miles north-west of Kirkwall. It once housed a substantial community.[1]
Earl's Palace
Castle in the Birsay, Scotland. The Earl's Palace in Birsay, Orkney, Scotland, is a ruined 16th-century castle. It was built by Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney, illegitimate son of King James V and his mistress Euphemia Elphinstone. The palace is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.[2]
Brough of Birsay
Lighthouse in the Birsay, Scotland. The unmanned Brough of Birsay Lighthouse lighthouse was built in 1925 by David A Stevenson. It is located on the Brough of Birsay, an uninhabited tidal island off the north west coast of Mainland in Orkney, Scotland, in the parish of Birsay.[3]
Loch of Boardhouse
Loch in Scotland. The Loch of Boardhouse is a freshwater loch in the parish of Birsay in the north west of the mainland of Orkney, Scotland. It acts as a reservoir for public water supply and is popular for trout fishing. Nearby are the Loch of Hundland and the Loch of Swannay.
The loch was surveyed in 1906 by Sir John Murray and later charted as part of the Bathymetrical Survey of Fresh-Water Lochs of Scotland 1897-1909.[4]
Loch of Hundland
Loch in Scotland. The Loch of Hundland is a shallow freshwater loch in the parish of Birsay in the north west of the mainland of Orkney, Scotland. The loch lies between the larger lochs of Swannay and Boardhouse and acts as the main water catchment for Loch of Boardhouse. It has a great variety of aquatic plants including species that are unusual locally and nationally, and many types of birds including waders, gulls, larks and ducks that nest or use the loch. It is also popular for trout fishing.
The loch was surveyed in 1906 by James Murray and later charted as part of the Bathymetrical Survey of Fresh-Water Lochs of Scotland 1897-1909.[5]
Twatt
Twatt is a small settlement in the parish of Birsay on the Mainland of the Orkney Islands, Scotland. It was previously the location of RNAS Twatt,1940–1949. Twatt is situated at the junction of the A986 and the A967.[6]
Abune-the-hill
Abune-the-Hill is a place on in the North of the Orkney Mainland and just to the west of the Loch of Swannay.
Abune-the-Hill means "Above the hill" in the local dialect.
The site of a "Romish Church" is at Abune-the-Hill.[7]