Plan a trip

A week in Hoy and West Mainland

Stay in Stromness. Day 1: Ring of Brodgar, Maes Howe and Hill of Heddle; day 2: Maeshowe Visitor Centre, Stones of Stenness and Mid Hill; day 3: Cringla Fiold, Orkney Folklore and Storytelling Centre and Skaill House; day 4: Cuilags, Craa Nest and Dwarfie Stane; day 5: The Old School, Moor Fea and Old Man of Hoy near Rackwick; day 6: Orkney Cycle Hire, Stromness Museum and Unstan Cairn; day 7: Heddle Hill Circuit, Cuween Hill and Keelylang Hill.

Make it yoursstart from your town, pick the month, swap any stop

Day 1 · Hoy and West Mainland

  1. Ring of Brodgar 2.0 km from Stenness
  2. Maes Howe Scheduled monument, 1.8 km from Stenness 2 km from the last stop
  3. Hill of Heddle 1.0 km from Finstown, just outside the area 4 km from the last stop
Lunch
Beiting & Brew at the Waterside in Finstown, just outside the area
If it rains
Pier Arts Centre in Stromness

Open day 1 in Google Maps

Night 1 · Stromness

4 bus stops within 400 m; boats from Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminal

Day 2 · Hoy and West Mainland

  1. Maeshowe Visitor Centre in Stenness
  2. Stones of Stenness Scheduled monument, in Stenness 1 km from the last stop
  3. Mid Hill 2.8 km from Orphir 5 km from the last stop
Lunch
Gerry's Ice Cream Parlour in Stenness
If it rains
Waterfront Gallery in Stromness

Open day 2 in Google Maps

Night 2 · still in Stromness

Day 3 · Hoy and West Mainland

  1. Cringla Fiold 5.5 km from Stromness
  2. Orkney Folklore and Storytelling Centre 7.1 km from Stromness 3 km from the last stop
  3. Skaill House Category A listed, 9.8 km from Stromness, just outside the area 4 km from the last stop
Lunch
Skara Brae Cafe 10 km from Stromness, just outside the area
If it rains
Stromness Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre 1.1 km from Stromness

Open day 3 in Google Maps

Night 3 · still in Stromness

Day 4 · Hoy and West Mainland

  1. Cuilags 4.2 km from Rackwick
  2. Craa Nest in Rackwick 4 km from the last stop
  3. Dwarfie Stane Scheduled monument, 8.6 km from Stromness 5 km from the last stop
If it rains
Gallery + Studio in Stromness
On the way
Crow's Nest (Craa Nest) Museum including crofthouse with adjoining barn, circular kiln to west and detached net store to south, Rackwick, Hoy Category A listed, in Rackwick

Open day 4 in Google Maps

Night 4 · still in Stromness

Day 5 · Hoy and West Mainland

  1. The Old School in Rackwick
  2. Moor Fea 1.0 km from Rackwick 1 km from the last stop
  3. Old Man of Hoy near Rackwick 2.6 km from Rackwick 2 km from the last stop
If it rains
Glen House in Rackwick

Open day 5 in Google Maps

Night 5 · still in Stromness

Day 6 · Hoy and West Mainland

  1. Orkney Cycle Hire in Stromness
  2. Stromness Museum in Stromness Next door to the last stop
  3. Unstan Cairn Scheduled monument, 2.2 km from Stenness 4 km from the last stop
Lunch
The Bayleaf Delicatessen in Stromness
If it rains
North Light Gallery in Stromness

Open day 6 in Google Maps

Night 6 · still in Stromness

Day 7 · Hoy and West Mainland

  1. Heddle Hill Circuit 1.1 km from Finstown, just outside the area
  2. Cuween Hill Scheduled monument, 1.1 km from Finstown, just outside the area 1 km from the last stop
  3. Keelylang Hill 4.0 km from Finstown, just outside the area 3 km from the last stop
If it rains
Orkneyinga Saga Centre 1.7 km from Orphir, just outside the area

Open day 7 in Google Maps

How this plan is made

No one picks these by hand and no one pays to be in them. The planner's rules take the places and roads Hoy and West Mainland's pages rank, for anyone, any month: one town to stay in, and each day its best stop with the best ones close to it, three a day, with lunch nearby and an indoor stop if it rains. Distances are as the crow flies, so the road is longer. Check opening times on each place's page before you go. How the ranking works.

Questions

Where should I stay for a week in Hoy and West Mainland?

Stromness. It is the town with the best stops within 15 km for this trip, so you don't pack up every morning. Stromness: 4 bus stops within 400 m; boats from Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminal.

What should I do first?

Day 1 is Ring of Brodgar, Maes Howe and Hill of Heddle: the best stop for this trip, then the best ones within 5 km of it.

Who picked these places?

Nobody. The same rules make every plan from the places and roads the site ranks with one open formula, and no place pays to be in a plan.

How it works, in full

Free, and made for the love of the UK

offyougo is free, with no adverts and no paid places. It is made by one person, Pavel, who loves this country, every park, coast, town and back lane of it, and would like people from everywhere on Earth to travel round it more. The servers and the AI that writes the short descriptions cost money every month. If offyougo helped you plan a day out, please consider a one-off gift.

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Have an idea, a place that should be here, a feature you would like, or want to work together? Write to offyougo@guzh.uk.