• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to footer

ZigZagonEarth

Plan unforgettable road trips!

  • FRANCE
    • CORSICA
    • NORMANDY
    • PARIS
  • EUROPE
    • ANDALUCIA
    • CANARY ISLANDS
    • CRETE
    • ICELAND
    • ICELAND WINTER
    • MADEIRA
    • MALLORCA
    • MENORCA
    • PORTUGAL
    • SANTORINI
    • SCOTLAND
    • SLOVENIA
  • REST OF WORLD
    • NEW ZEALAND
    • OMAN
  • TIPS
  • EBOOKS
  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • English
    • Dutch
    • Italian
    • Danish
    • Portuguese (Portugal)
    • Swedish

Yesnaby Cliffs (Orkney, Scotland) – Coastal Walk + Castle + Map + Tips

Last updated on December 23, 2023 by Claire Robinson - this article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I get a small commission (more)

Often overlooked compared to the famous archeological sites of Mainland Orkney, the Yesnaby cliffs are well worth a visit. A beautiful coastal walk including the Yesnaby Castle Sea Stack.Below is my guide to help you plan your visit with map, tips and pictures.

Content
Why visit the cliffs of Yesnaby, Orkney?
PLANNING TIPS & Map – Yesnaby Cliffs, Orkney, Scotland
Yesnaby Cliff walk – Map and starting point
The beautiful Orkney cliffs in pictures
Brough of Bigging
Qui Ayre
Yesnaby Castle Sea Stack
Ramna Geo

This article contains affiliate links (Disclosure page). If you purchase using my link, I get a commission at no extra cost to you.

Why visit the cliffs of Yesnaby, Orkney?

The Orkney islands are not all about ancient sites.The cliffs on most of the islands are spectacular. And on Mainland Orkney, one of the best areas is the Yesnaby cliffs.The layers of rocks sculpted by the erosion are already fascinating, but, on top of that, many birds settle in the holes.Yesnaby is an area on the West coast of Mainland Orkney Island famous for its sandstone cliffs, birdlife and sea stack.

Yesnaby Castle sea stack Orkney 2
Yesnaby coastal walk

Below is a short video to give you an idea of what to expect from the Yesnaby coastal walk and its cliffs – get a virtual tour!

More photos after the planning tips.

PLANNING TIPS & Map – Yesnaby Cliffs, Orkney, Scotland

How to get to Yesnaby Orkney – Map and location

  • On the West coast of Mainland Orkney
  • Stromness to Yesnaby = 12min drive
  • Kirkwall to Yesnaby = 30min drive
  • On the road to the famous Neolithic village of Skara Brae, just 10 min drive South of it (West coast of Mainland Orkney).
  • Below is a map to help you get oriented and locate Yesnaby:
Map Yesnaby cliffs coastal walk location
Map – Yesnaby cliffs coastal walk location
Plan your dream trip in Scotland thanks to my guide
eBook Travel Guide Mallorca
  • 15 maps to easily plan your itinerary
  • 170+ pre-selected locations
  • GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
  • Tips to make the most of your time
  • 170+ original photos to help you choose
Discover it!

Visit Tips

  • You can park near what remains of the old Gun battery
  • There are no facilities
  • Most bus tours just stop quickly so people can only see the first cliffs
  • Plan 1h30 to walk at a slow pace to the Yesnaby castle sea stack and stop several times to observe birds and enjoy the scenery – the walk is easy but can be slippery when wet
  • Don’t forget to bring binoculars to make the most of those views!!!! – Check out my guide to find the best travel binoculars for your needs.
  • Wear windproof jackets – it is very very windy
  • It is possible to walk further in both directions

Where to stay on Mainland Orkney

Most Orkney accommodations are in the main towns:

  • Stromness is small, close to the ferry and charming – Check out the accommodations in Stromness
  • Kirkwall is bigger and more lively – Check out the accommodations in Kirkwall
  • But you can also find accommodation more isolated in guesthouses and farms if you want a more peaceful experience – check out the best rated accommodations on the Orkney islands
Need to rent a car in Scotland?

My tips:

  • Compare prices on my favorite platform:  Discovercars.com – one of the best rated comparison sites!
  • Prefer a compact car for the single-lane roads
  • Consider their full coverage option – it for peace of mind! 
  • Book early to have a large choice of vehicles!

See all my tips

See available cars

Yesnaby Cliff walk – Map and starting point

The road to the cliffs does not look like much but after a while you see the remains of the Gun Battery in the distance.This is where the carpark is.

Yesnaby Gun Battery and Parking

Next to the buildings are a few signs with explanations on: 

  • the geology of the place,
  • the flora
  • and the fauna.
Yesnaby signs

You can also see a map of the Yesnaby Coastal Walk with the different points of interest – here is a picture:

yesnaby Coastal Walk Map

Yesnaby Coastal Walk Map

As you can see below, there is no difficulty to walk. Just small sections may be watery. Pay attention to your children.

yesnaby Coastal Walk

Apparently in season, a rare flower grows in that area: the Primula Scotica (Scottish Primrose) . I might have seen it, but I must admit it does not look that special…

The beautiful Orkney cliffs in pictures

At first, you can approach the first cliffs and see the layer of red sandstones.They create perfect areas for birds to nest. I was hoping to spot puffins but did not. It is not they favorite ground, but they are sometimes spotted.

Yesnaby Orkney Cliffs
Yesnaby Orkney Cliffs 4

Yesnaby cliffs

If you are limited in time and cannot walk all the way to the Yesnaby Castle, you should still walk to the other side of the first cove as the views are even more impressive. See below:

Yesnaby Orkney Cliffs 2
Yesnaby Orkney Cliffs 3
Yesnaby Orkney Cliffs birds

Brough of Bigging

The first stop is the Brough of Bigging. The site is not fascinating but from the promontory you can see great views.In the picture below (coming back to the carpark you can see the small brough on the left

Yesnaby Brough of Bigging 1
Yesnaby Brough of Bigging 2

Once there you can see the high cliffs of the Isle of Hoy and even notice the Old Man of Hoy.

Yesnaby Brough of Bigging - View of Hoy

Qui Ayre

Next on the map is Qui Ayre. I am not sure exactly what it is. Maybe the area that slipped into the water or maybe the small arches. Anyway, below are pictures around it.

Yesnaby Cliffs 1
Yesnaby Cliffs 2
Yesnaby Cliffs 3

Yesnaby Castle Sea Stack

But the highlight of the area is the Yesnaby Castle Sea Stack. Its height is of 115ft (35 meters) (although it might change with erosion…). It is now standing on 2 legs. It might give up in the years to come, who knows…

If you are a climber, check out the Orkney seastacks website for information on how to climb the Yesnaby Castle.

Yesnaby Castle sea stack Orkney 1

Yesnaby Castle – sea stack

As you can see from the side, the light was great for photography but the shape of the Yesnaby Castle sea stack from this angle was unfortunate…

Yesnaby Castle sea stack Orkney 3
Yesnaby Castle sea stack Orkney 4
Yesnaby Castle sea stack

Yesnaby Castle sea stack

Yesnaby Castle sea stack Orkney 8

Ramna Geo

I did not go in the other direction to walk along the cliffs. The map indicates another point of interest called Ramna Geo. Check out here, a photo by another photographer, to help you decide if you want to continue walking.

Want to see more? Here are other amazing things to do in Orkney:

  • The fascinating Ring of Brodgar – read article
  • The impressive Standing Stones of Stenness – read article
  • The pink St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall – read article
  • The Broch of Gurness by the sea – read article
  • The ancient village of Skara Brae – read article
  • Or enjoy my complete article about the best things to do in Orkney
Plan your dream trip in Scotland thanks to my guide
eBook Travel Guide Mallorca
  • 15 maps to easily plan your itinerary
  • 170+ pre-selected locations
  • GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
  • Tips to make the most of your time
  • 170+ original photos to help you choose
Discover it!

And keep track of your own trip!

Scotland road trip Journal

Want to see more of SCOTLAND?

PREVIOUS: 

SKARA BRAE ON ORKNEY

NEXT: 

CAERLAVEROCK CASTLE

Travel Scotland Destination Guide

Inspired? Share it on your favorite platform!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Yesnaby Castle - Yesnaby Orkney - Yesnaby Coastal Walk Pin

Footer

  • English
  • Nederlands
  • Italiano
  • Dansk
  • Português
  • Svenska

Par Claire Robinson
Region Lovers SARL
76600 Le Havre
FRANCE
VAT FR21845103191

CONTACT ME

Search

Follow ZigZag on Facebook

Follow ZigZag on Pinterest

Website in French: ZigZagvoyages.fr

Website in German: ZigZagreisen.de

Website in Spanish: ZigZagviajes.com

And discover the French regions:

Normandielovers.fr
LoireLovers.fr
CorsicaLovers.fr
Provencelovers.fr

 

Privacy / Terms of Use / Disclosure Policies / Refund policy

Become an affiliate for the ZigZag road trip guides

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. ZigZagOnEarth.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.uk and Amazon.ca

Copyright © 2025 ZigZag On Earth · Log in

If you continue browsing this site you agree with the use of cookies in this website.OkRead more