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Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre

Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre are a group of three fascinating islands accessible by ferry from Tingwall on the Orkney Mainland. The nearby islands of Gairsay and Eynhallow have no ferry access today but remain of significant historical interest. Alongside their archaeological importance, the islands are distinctive in other ways. Rousay is all high cliffs, steep hills and coastal paths to explore on foot or bike. Egilsay and Wyre are more traditional Orkney farmland featuring wetland and wildflowers.

Rousay, the largest of the five islands, and the sixth largest in Orkney, has long been nicknamed ‘The Egypt of the North’ due to its wealth of archaeological riches. These include the Iron Age Midhowe Broch and Chambered Cairn, the 5,000-year-old Neolithic settlement being excavated at the Knowe of Swandro, and the superb Neolithic burial chambers found at Blackhammer and Taversoe Tuick.

Small islands with a big place in history

The most populated of these islands, Rousay is home to about 200 people and has a busy and active community. Rousay Crafthub showcases arts and crafts from all three islands. Egilsay and Wyre are two of Orkney’s smallest inhabited islands with limited services, but much to discover, and walking on both is a delight for visitors of all ages with the quiet roads and wonderful wildlife to enjoy.

St Magnus was martyred on Eligsay over 900 years ago, and the site, which is marked by a cenotaph, features on Orkney’s 55-mile-long St Magnus Way. On Wyre, the historical attractions are equally rewarding and include the remains of Cubbie Roo’s Castle, built for a 12th century Norse chieftain.

The islands of Gairsay and Eynhallow lie between Rousay and the Orkney Mainland. Gairsay, with a population of just three today, was also once home to a high-status Norse family. Tradition tells that the ruins of a great 12th century Viking hall still lie beneath the stones of derelict Langskaill House.

Meanwhile, Eynhallow, which was abandoned in the 19th century in the wake of a plague epidemic, remains uninhabited. Named in Norse as ‘Eyin Helga’ or Holy Island, Eynhallow has a special place in Orkney folklore and can only be visited on one day a year on a trip led by the Orkney Heritage Society.

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