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South Ronaldsay and
Burray
 On
Burray (ON Borgarey, Broch Island) the Orkney Fossil and
Heritage Centre has displays of Orkney rocks and fossils
and tells the story of Orkney’s geology,
as well as relics of bye-gone days. There is a gift shop
and tea room which is open from April to October. The nearby
Echnaloch is particularly good for wildfowl at all times
of year. Many overwintering species can also be seen from
the Barriers.
South Ronaldsay (ON Rognvald’s-ey) has a special charm.
The small village of St Margaret’s Hope dates from
the 17th and 18th centuries. The bay is said to be named
after a 13th century Norse princess who died in 1290 while
on her way to marry Prince Edward of England, but “Hope” comes
from ON Hjop (Bay), and not the English word “hope”.
 In the village are the Old Smiddy Museum, several interesting
shops and craft workshops as well as the renowned Creel Restaurant.
At Sand O’Right, the Boys’ Ploughing Match is
held each August. The girls dress up as horses and the boys
as ploughmen. Rigs are worked in the sand using ploughs which
have often been handed down over generations.
The Marine-Life Aquarium at Pool Farmhouse “offers
a unique chance to see and understand some aspects of the
marine environment.”, while at the Hoxa Tapestry Gallery,
Leila Thomson weaves wonderful tapestries “inspired
by the life and landscape of Orkney.”
 The Tomb of the Eagles is at the south end, near Burwick.
This Orkney Cromarty type chambered cairn is only one of
two which have been excavated recently, and strongly resembles
Unstan Cairn in Stenness. The remains of about 340 individuals
were found. Of particular interest was the discovery of skeletons
and talons of Sea Eagles - hence the name.
The cairn was built about 3150BC and used for up to 800
years. Over 40 broken Unstan Ware pots were found, as well
as fish and animal bones and charred barley. Beautifully
carved stone objects and rougher stone tools are on display
along with some of the skulls in the museum where they can
be examined closely. The human remains have revealed much
about the lives of these people.
The nearby Liddle Burnt Mound dates from the Bronze Age,
from perhaps 1000BC, and has a central trough which was used
to cook joints of meat by throwing in stones heated in a
fire - hence the mound of burnt stones.
John o’Groats Ferries runs throughout
the summer between John o’Groats in Caithness and Burwick
in around 45 minutes. Pentland Ferries also operate a daily
ro-ro ferry between Gills Bay in Caithness and St Margarets
Hope, offering a scenic alternative to the route between
Stromness and Scrabster.
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