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Northern Isles Library

Explore Ward Hill, the story of Skara Brae and the published guides to hill lists, wildlife and Scottish outdoor access that provide background to walking in the Northern Isles.

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Hiking Route Guides

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1 guide

Route Guide1 GPX download

Ward Hill via Dwarfie Stane

A steep, pathless out-and-back from Dwarfie Stane to Ward Hill, planned around Hoy ferry access.

23 Aug 2026Read Guide

Hill Lists and People

2 guides

Guide

Marilyns: Why a 150-Metre Drop is the Real Test of a Hill

Think altitude is everything? See why a 150-metre drop identifies Britain’s 1,550 Marilyns, and how the list changed in 2025.

24 Aug 2026Read

Guide

The HuMPs: The Geography of Independence

Forget the highest peaks and look at the hills that stand on their own—this is the fascinating, mathematical world of the HuMPs.

24 Aug 2026Read

History and Heritage

1 guide

Guide

Skara Brae: When a Storm Uncovered a Neolithic Village in 1850

Skara Brae wasn't lost through modern displacement—it was abandoned around 2500 BCE and buried by sand until winter gales stripped the dunes from an Orkney bay. The stone furniture and hearths survived because nobody knew they were there.

03 Sept 2026Read

Wildlife and Working Landscapes

1 guide

Guide

How to Spot a Hen Harrier (and Why You Should Stay on the Path)

The pale grey 'ghost of the moor' hunts methodically across upland heather—when you can find one. Here's how to identify Britain's rarest raptor without disturbing its precarious existence.

01 Nov 2026Read

Access and Mountain Safety

1 guide

Guide

The Wild Camping Grey Area: Where You Can, Where You Can't, and Why Scotland's Different

Britain's wild camping laws are a proper muddle: you generally need permission in England and Wales, Dartmoor's commons offer a genuine legal right to pitch, and Scotland grants access across most land under its own statute. The confusion comes from assuming that permission to walk somewhere includes permission to sleep there, which it usually doesn't, and the legal ground shifts beneath your boots without so much as a signpost to warn you.

16 Aug 2026Read

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