NORTH RONALDSAY
North Ronaldsay may be small, but a visit to Orkney’s most northerly island is a must for anyone looking for a unique and rewarding taste of island life. North Ronaldsay boasts not one but two lighthouses — the Old Beacon and the New Lighthouse. The former, at the north-east tip of the island, was one of the first four lights erected around the Scottish coast in the late 1780s.
Today, it stands as the sole survivor, and much in its original form, and is recognised as an ancient monument.
The beacon’s replacement, the New Lighthouse, was lit in 1854, and is the tallest land-based lighthouse in the UK. Complete with café, visitor centre and gift shop, it is open to the public, offering panoramic views of the entire island and beyond.
The island is most famous for its native breed of unique seaweed-eating sheep.
Due to their diet and special taste, North Ronaldsay mutton is highly sought after by restaurants and chefs around the world, while their wool is transformed into fine yarn at the local spinning mill.
Crucial to the preservation of this rare breed of sheep is the Grade A listed 13-mile sheep dyke that encircles the entire island.
This keeps the animals on their home on the shores of the island, and so integral and important are the native sheep and sheep dyke to the island, that several wardens are employed to help with the challenge of maintaining the dyke, which was built by hand in 1832.
There is also a North Ronaldsay Sheep Festival held every year — a week-long conservation event that sees visitors from around the world come to help with rebuilding the stormdamaged sheep dyke, and celebrate island life and culture through a variety of talks, workshops and a dance.
North Ronaldsay is also renowned among birdwatchers as an excellent site for migrating birds, with many rare and unusual species spotted annually.
The North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory is open all year round, and is the central point for observing and recording birds and other island wildlife. It also boasts a guesthouse, restaurant, shop and bar.
Other wildlife to spot on your travels include the numerous common and grey seals that breed around the island’s shore and, further out to sea, dolphins and porpoises are often spotted, as well as a number of sightings of orca pods (killer whales).
Archaeology fans will enjoy the island’s rich history, with the island’s Stan Stane (standing stone) a main attraction. Standing 13ft (4m) tall, it has a hole running through it — unusual in
Orkney, and thought to be a sighting hole or to commemorate a celestial event.
The remains of an extensive Iron Age settlement — the Broch of Burrian — can be found on the easterly side of the island. The island’s New Kirk, housing the North Ronaldsay Archives Exhibition, is certainly worth a visit for a fascinating glimpse into the island’s people and their history.
A range of accommodation awaits you on the island. The North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory, less than a five-minute walk from the pier, offers a guesthouse, hostel and camping.
There are also several well-appointed selfcatering cottages, and for a unique experience, you can even stay in two former lighthouse keepers’ cottages.
Golf course “baggers” may be interested in playing a round on the most northerly golf course in Orkney. Take care not to hit the groundkeepers — the native shore sheep!