Mull Head, Deerness

This walk in the far east of the Orkney mainland is evidence for Walkopedia's growing belief that low(ish) cliffs are preferable for walking to high ones: after the initial wow at the grandeur of big cliffs, you can be removed from the detail of what is going on at sea level, and, unless at the top of said cliffs and benefiting from wide landscape views, can be curiously limited.

From the car park you will reach the coast at The Gloup, a long, collapsed sea cave running a surprising way back into the hill. Maybe a km to the north, over broken sandstone pavements, you will find that almost-island the Brough of Deerness, cliff-girt (the path up is narrow enough to merit chains) and sporting the ruins of a C12 Norse-era chapel, itself built on the site of Pictish wooden chapel. A delightful place of long folded grass under which you will find the tunnels of Orkney voles.

Another km of really lovely walking on the pristine, heathery, boggy heath above the cliffs gets you to the corner of the eastern mainland at Mull Head. When we were there, the fine swell and breakers of the east coast turned to almost sinister calm round the corner, the junction marked by some very turbulent water.

Another lovely km+ along the north coast gets you to a fence and a right turn back over the moorland and traditional farmland of the interior to complete your circuit.

You will see sea-birds aplenty and, if lucky, seals basking on the flat cliff-base shelves.

See the Cicerone guide for details.

The full circuit is around 7km, 3 hours or so without extended time out at the Brough.

Find relevant books by using our Amazon search function:

ALL IDEAS AND PHOTOS WELCOME!

For more information and photos, including detailed practical information and some warnings, see our Orkneys walk page.