Sanday is a beautiful island in Orkney’s ‘Northern Isles’ off the Northern coast of Scotland. It is an island of unique charm and character. Sanday literally means ’sandy’ in Norse. This has given the island some astonishing beaches. You can literally have miles of white sand to yourself, even in high summer. The ocean is clean and clear and SCUBA enthusiasts will appreciate Sanday’s incredible kelp forests. The island’s wildlife includes large colonies of grey seals containing a high proportion of the UK’s entire population of these beautiful animals. Spring and summer find thousands of birds breeding in the fields and you can easily see the chicks of curlew, lapwing, snipe and oystercatcher as skylarks soar overhead. Throughout the year the beaches the beaches harbour countless waders on their migrations – Sanday is a year round bird watching paradise. The island’s fly fishing is legendary, boasting some of the largest trout found in Orcadian waters. Visitors often can’t believe the fly fishing is free!
The island’s archaeology covers many thousand years and is often in plain sight. There is a fine and accessible chambered cairn at Quoyness – warning, not for the claustrophobic. Scar is the site of an amazing Viking boat burial discovered after a storm in the 1980s. Farms in Sanday sometimes sit on mounds which are essentially middens containing the waste of literally thousands of years of continuous occupation. At Stove you will see the impressive remains of a Victorian ‘model’ farm which include a steam engine shed. Kirks and chapels abound as do disused 19th Century schools, all teaching having long since been centralised on one excellent school. The Victorian Volunteer movement is represented by a postional battery, once equipped with a 64 pounder rifled muzzle loader and complete with magazine at Colligarth, South of Otterswick Bay and a drill hall and instructor sergeant’s cottage in Lady Village – now a private home. The B98, a WW1 German destroyer can still be seen in the form of two boilers and turbines on the beach at the Bay of Lopness. If you are interested in World War Two heritage, you can see the remains of two radar installations at Whale Head and Lettan.
There are lots of things to do on Sanday, even if you choose not to participate in the island’s thriving social calendar. The island has an excellent ranger service run by Roderick Thorne which gives a series of events explaining the islands wonderful natural and archaeological heritage.
There is a complete network of well planned walks that are subtly signposted and have stiles to aid you in crossing fences. You can get a copy of the Walking Guide to Sanday from any post office, shop or hotel on the island. However, the island has highly unpredictable weather – the islander’s sometimes refer to this as ‘four seasons in a day’! Kettletoft boasts two hotels, an amazingly well stocked general store, a butcher’s(!) and a garage. There are also shops at Lady and Roadside.
Sanday is an ideal place for a relaxing retreat. At night you can see the milky way as no city dweller ever sees it. Walk the endless sandy beaches and dunes and listen to the seabirds and seals. Bring your loved ones to the island and discover a slower pace of life.
Backaskaill is a quaint, but immaculately decorated Sanday bed and breakfast run by Geoff and Jane who moved to Sanday to start a great place to stay on Sanday focused on delivering excellent customer service. Geoff is a trained chef and offers quality local produce and fine cuisine including vegetarian. Well behaved pets are most welcome.