Hoy

The 9,000acre/3,700ha of land around Ward Hill has been designated as a bird reserve (RSPB) and it makes an ideal spot for observing the great skuas and Arctic skuas that breed on the island.

The section of coastline at St John's Head is noted for the sheer stack known as the Old Man of Hoy a little further south. Fulmars, auks, shearwaters and gannets glide gracefully around the red sandstone column while the waves crash relentlessly against the base.

Usually the ferry service between Scrabster and Stromness goes past the Old Man of Hoy.

The landscape of Hoy could be described as harsh and mountainous but the 1,134ft/346m drop down to the sea at St John's Head on the northwest corner of the island is a stunning sight.

Surrounded by heathers in a lonely valley between Ward Hill and Knap of Trovieglen lies the Dwarfie Stone. This 5,000-year-old burial chamber was carved from a huge rock by Stone Age man.