Ward Hill

About Ward Hill

As the highest point in the Northern Isles, this "J" shaped ridge offers a surprisingly sub-arctic character. While lower slopes are deep in heather, the summit is a stark landscape of sand and stone. The views are immense, stretching across Scapa Flow to the Pentland Firth and the Scottish mainland.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Old Norse 'varda', meaning a beacon or lookout. As the highest peak in the archipelago, it has served as a primary signaling station for centuries, allowing watchers to spot approaching ships from the Atlantic or the Pentland Firth.
• •Despite its modest elevation of 481 metres, the hill is the highest point in both Orkney and the Northern Isles. Its isolation and the fact that most routes begin at sea level give the ascent a scale and atmosphere usually reserved for much higher mainland peaks.
• •The hill is of significant botanical interest; it is the type-site for the Orkney Notchwort (Anastrepta orcadensis). This rare liverwort was first identified here in 1808 by the botanist William Jackson Hooker among the damp, north-facing heathery slopes.
• •A popular approach from the south passes the Dwarfie Stane, a massive, isolated block of Old Red Sandstone. It is famous for being the only Neolithic rock-cut tomb in the United Kingdom, carved out with nothing more than stone tools.
• •The summit trig point offers a commanding perspective of the naval history of Scapa Flow. Looking south and west, the views extend beyond the cliffs of Hoy to the distinctive silhouettes of Ben Hope and Ben Loyal on the Scottish mainland.
• •The hill is notorious for its own microclimate; it is a local saying that if you can't see the summit of Ward Hill it is raining, and if you can see it, it is just about to start.