Walking Orkney: Evie Sands to the Broch of Gurness

By theorkneynews on June 2, 2023 • ( 3 Comments )

A short walk back in time.

sign post to the Broch of Gurness with the road stretching from it

For this walk we started at the Evie Sands end, but you could start at the broch and walk the other way. If you are travelling by vehicle park at the Aikerness beach car park. This car park is small and fills up quickly all year round. The car park at the Broch of Gurness is much bigger and you may have to park there. The beach car park has public toilets and waste bins.

If the tide is out you can walk along the beach part of the way. For this walk we took the road and came back via the beach – all will be revealed later.

Occasionally vehicles will use this road so be aware, however, it does contain many large potholes and in wet weather these fill up with rain. On the day we walked it had been dry for many days although a cold wind brought rainy showers with it.

The wide stretch of Aikerness Bay and the stunning white sands

The Evie Sands are always stunning and the wide Bay if very popular especially for dog walkers.

Continue along this road and you will come to a clear part where it branches off – one track to the beach and one track towards the public road.

the track branches into tow parts, one off to the left towards the beach and the other straight on between fields

The public road which you then come to can be quite busy in the summer season when the Broch of Gurness is open to visitors.

Bird song and stunning views are all around as you approach the Broch site.

A view of the Bay through the lush plants growing on the road verge

A display board giving information about how the area was used as a trade route coast to coast

There are seats in this area but no waste bins , so please take your trash away with you.

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age site managed by Historic Environment Scotland and you pay to visit. The site was used by people for thousands of years. As well as the Broch, which is spectacular, there is a structure from the later time of The Picts and a Viking grave. Dogs are permitted if on a leash.

This is one of the best places to visit in Orkney Mainland if you are interested (or even if you are not) in history and archaeology.

Curved walls and stone of the dwelling once occupied at the time of The Picts — The house from the time of The Picts

display board and the broch tower in front surrounded by the remains of a village — The house from the time of The Picts

Having spent some time exploring the broch we left to take an alternative route back along the beach.

There is a point you can cross down onto the beach if the tide is low and the burn is low – or if you are wearing wellies/don’t mind getting your feet wet.

the point where the burn runs into the bay can be a crossing point.

This walk is also part of the St Magnus Way.

Standing carved stone marker for The St Magnus Way

This is an easy going walk suitable for wheeling too – but beware of the potholes on the first half of the walk as they are large in places and that track is uneven. Getting around The Broch of Gurness site also has accessibility issues due to the nature of the archaeology but HES has tried to make it open for all.

Sandwick Stroller.