Yesnaby

About this place

Dramatic sea cliffs on Orkney's west coast, with sea stacks, wildflowers and coastal walking trails.

The cliffs at Yesnaby, on Orkney's exposed west coast, take the full force of the Atlantic, and the result is a genuinely dramatic stretch of coastline with sea stacks, arches and blowholes carved out over millennia. A path along the clifftop gives sweeping views without needing to approach the edge too closely, and the area is known for its unusual wildflowers, including a variety of Scottish primrose found almost nowhere else in the world. It's a wilder, more exposed outing than many family attractions, best suited to a calm day given how much of the walk is right along an unfenced cliff edge. It's free to visit, with parking at the site, and the clifftop paths are uneven and unsuitable for buggies.

Make a day of it — within 5km