A walk to skirt the town.

This popular walk takes you from Balfour Hospital, along The Crantit Trail and down to Scapa Beach.

The day we did this was hot so we set off in the late afternoon when it had cooled down, a bit. At the Balfour Hospital you cross the road which takes you down towards The Crantit Trail.

This walk is easy to follow as the path is clear . It is notable for the many little bridges that you cross throughout the journey.

The path is a hard surface. I have walked this in wet weather too and if the grass is long and less tramped down your legs will gather up that moisture.

In summer the fields and edges of the path are filled with flowering plants.

There is a bench at one point providing a place to picnic and view your surroundings.

The Crantit Trail is for walkers, wheelers, cyclists and horse riders so it can be busy, but it is wonderful to be able to walk off the road and yet you are still in Kirkwall.

This is yet another place in Orkney whose development was supported with funds from the EU amongst others.

At some point you do have to come back onto the road. Although there are road signs advising drivers that there are walkers and cyclists sharing the roadway with them unfortunately it was our experience that some drivers pay no attention to this.

On this occasion we did not walk down to Scapa Beach although there is a pavement that will lead there. We decided to head back but this meant we were walking on the road.

We were keen to visit Arcadia Park before we headed home. It is always a delight and a tribute to those volunteers who developed it and continue to do so. It provides a much needed place where you can rest in the shade after a walk in the sun.

This walk is excellent for all ages and the well trodden pathway keeps vegetation down underfoot. Here’s a short video of some of the highlights.

The Sandwick Stroller