Hoy is the hilliest island in Orkney. The name means “high island” from the Old Norse word haey. Ward Hill stands 479m tall and is quite a tough climb, there being no well-trodden path and potentially many hostile nesting bonxies!
The island has a seemingly unpredictable weather system which can catch travelers by surprise, but the landscape is quite unique among the isles of Orkney.
Hoy is home to two very famous landmarks: The Old Man of Hoy, and the Dwarfie Stane. It contains many other places of interest such as Bettie Corrigal’s sad grave and the beautiful Rackwick Bay. During WW1 and WW2 Hoy was a major base of British naval operations, and there are many historic remnants of this time.
Rora Head, Hoy.
Black and white photograph of Rora Head, Hoy, by Martin Laird. HMS Pheasant was sunk off this headland in 1917.
Clouds over Hoy
Dramatic clouds over Hoy, seen from the ferry from Moaness to Houton.
