Stronsay tourist information

The scenic and flat island of Stronsay is one of the northern Orkney islands, and shares much of the flavour of its neighbours. It boasts a long and interesting coastline made up of many inlets and bays.

The island was once famed for its herring fishing, and the population swelled to many thousands, centred on the village of Whitehall. The industry has now gone, but not forgotten, and the history of these boom times is told in the Fish Mart museum, which also has a cafe.

However the natural landscape and wildlife is the main attraction, particularly the beautiful golden sandy beaches such as at Ayre of the Myres, and some spectacular rocky cliffs.

The Vat of Kirbuster is an amazing rock arch formation, and there are some wonderful sea stacks along this rugged stretch of coastline.

There are also some attractive smaller surrounding islands, such as Papa Stronsay, once home to the most northerly early Christian monastery, and home to a new community of Catholic monks today.