Ayres Rock

Orkney Islands, United Kingdom Youth Hostels

New price structure
£15.00 per bed price includes continental breakfast and free cycle hire
£18.00 for single occupancy of a twin room price includes continental breakfast and free cycle hire
£45.00 for the familyroom price includes continental breakfast and free cycle hire
£50.00 for exclusive use of hostel per night

.Seals and Otters can be seen in our bay and even the odd Basking shark or Porpoise can be spotted from the camp site and just a short walk around the cliff may produce sightings of Puffins. Walk on one of our many lovely golden sandy beaches or climb our sand dunes to get great views of Sanday. Visit our light house with our island ranger or go on one of his many organised walks such as rock pooling at Ayres Rock. Continental breakfast included for Hostel guest and free cycle hire. New for 2012 Camping pods

About Sanday
The attractive island of Sanday is the largest of the North Isles of Orkney and as the name suggests its most outstanding features are the sweeping bays with their white un-spoilt sandy beaches. Sanday is a peaceful place which requires time to savour its gentle charm. You can fish for trout in the lochs or wander the beaches, visit archaeological sites or watch the basking seals. Sanday offers unlimited opportunities for wildlife enthusiasts both professional and amateur. The island has a swimming pool and community centre adjoining the school as well as a nine-hole golf course. There are a number of shops selling general goods and a market garden, so there's no shortage of food and drink.
Although the pace of life is slow here, we know how to enjoy ourselves. We keep ourselves entertained with a variety of sports, music of all kinds, dances and a range of other activities.

Ideal location for water sports Kayaking, Kite Surfing, Windsurfing
1. Quoyness Chambered Tomb - This Neolithic chambered tomb, at least 2000BC, is one of Orkney's archaeological showpieces. It has a main chamber, six cells and served a whole community. Admission free, open all year.
2. Cata Sand - Tidal sandy bay flanked by a unique series of spectacular dunes. Waders andCommon Seals can be seen here and in nearby Newark Bay.
3. Tresness Farm - Horse Engine House - Nineteenth century engine house with octagonal pyramidical roof. A horse turned machine which drove a threshing-mill in an adjoining barn.
4. Tresness - Wasso Broch and Chambered Tomb - Part of the wall of the broch can be seen and at the end of the Ness lies an unexcavated tomb.
5. Bay of Lopness - Wreck of German Destroyer - At low tide the remains of WW1 destroyer BOS which went ashore in 1919 can be seen; Picnic site and information board.
6. Start Point - Lighthouse - First tower was erected in 1802', in 1806 it was fitted with the first revolving light in Scotland by Robert Stevenson, grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson. Visited by Sir Walter Scott in 1814 the tower was rebuilt in 1870 and subsequently painted with distinctive vertical black and white stripes.
7. Lettan - War-time Radar Station - Remains of part of the 1940 air-defence chain up the east coast of Britain.
8. Northwaa - Site of Special Scientific Interest - Botanically this area of shallow lochans and wet machair is very rich. Waders, breeding ducks, swans and migrants can all be seen.
9. Tofts Ness - Prehistoric Funerary Complex - Potentially one of the most important Prehistoric sites in Britain comprising 500 burial mounds. The whole complex represents thousands of years of man's development.
10. Otterswick - Waders and Seals
11. Ortie - Abandoned 19th Century Village - Arranged in a remarkably long straight 'kloss', the village at one time housed more than 60 people.
12. Orkney Angora Craft Shop - knitwear and craft shop
13. Quoy Banks - Viking-Age Boat Burial - Highly significant boat burial. Finds include the famous whalebone plaque, gaming pieces, a comb, a sword and a brooch. It was washed away in a storm shortly after excavation finished
14. Scar - Nineteenth Century Westove Estate House - Extensive house, steadings and garden wall indicate the size and importance of this estate. Close by are the remains of a circular stone windmill used for grinding meal.
15. Holms of Ire - St Colm Chapel and Wreck - The remains of the chapel are on the Inner Holm, while the steam trawler 'Alex Hasting' was wrecked on the Outer Holm in 1939.
16. Rethie Taing - Burial Mound - Probably a chambered tomb similar to Quoyness
17. Ness of Brough - Pagan Viking Graves - One barrow was excavated in the 19th century and yielded a Viking sword, spearhead, shield boss and axe. An investigation in 1997 by 'the Time Team' showed the other mound to be much older than Viking.
18. Boloquoy Mill - Early l9th century water-driven meal mill constructed of random rubble with slated roof.
19. Pool - Early Settlements - Badly eroded. The lower level is Neolithic. before 3000 BC, and above that, Pictish and then Viking remains (unfortunately no access to building).
20. Stove 'Model Farm' - Ruined buildings of a 19th century industrialised farm with a steam engine house, red-brick chimney and boiler house. (unfortunately no access to building).
21. Holms of Spurness - A favourite breeding site of the Grey Seal, which pups in October.
22. Neolithic Settlement - Implements and signs of settlement from before 2000BC have been found here. The navigation cairn at Hacks Ness is on a prehistoric burial mound.
23. Cross Kirk - Medieval Church and Burial Ground - The ruins date from the 16th century but probably stand on the site of a Viking settlement.

Directions

Our nearest airport is Kirkwall where you can get a flight to Sanday where the air field is 2 miles (10 min) from our hostel. Or ferrys daily from Kirkwall.

Facilities

Breakfast Included, Internet Access, Airport Pick Up, Bicycle Hire, Wheelchair Friendly, Linen Included, Towels, Swimming Pool, Common Room, Bike Parking, BBQ Area, Free Carpark, Breakfast Not Included, Gym

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Orkney Islands, United Kingdom Youth Hostels

Orkney Islands, United Kingdom Youth Hostels