Ten hills to climb in Orkney

Although Orkney is known for its rich green farming landscape, there are some reasonably tall hills here and there, and these peaks provide magnificent vantage points across the islands. I decided early in 2026 to climb some of the most notable peaks and had a super time exploring brilliant new places and rediscovering some old favourites.

The name Ward Hill comes from the Old Norse ‘varda’ which means beacon, and on many islands the tallest point is called Ward Hill, and can be spotted easily from the sea. Ward Hill on Hoy seems to rise out of nowhere to dizzying heights, along with its sister hill, the Cuilags.

1. Kame of Corrigall, Dounby (180m)

Grid Ref: HY 33551 20631 / Lat, long: 59.06743, -3.16060

Reasons to climb: Stunning views over the West Mainland

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The Kame of Corrigall is to the east of the B9057 road from Dounby to Evie, in a wild peaty part of Orkney. The name is a mixture of Norse and Scots – ‘Kame’ means ‘ridge’, ‘Corri’ means ‘stream’ and ‘gall’ means ‘poor quality of land.’

To find the Kame of Corrigall, look for a gravel track just off the road, and a lone wind turbine. I parked my car (well into the side) and followed the track past the wind turbine up the hill. There are old peat roads to follow, but many of the tracks were waterlogged on my visit, so I took a rougher path which required big steps over deep heather to reach the summit. As a result, this is a mid-sized hill that took a lot of effort to climb, but for the incredible view – I’d recommend it wholeheartedly! From here you can enjoy a picnic, looking across the farmland of Harray and over to the hills of Hoy, across lochs that shine like a mirror.

An interesting fact – in 1881, a crouched female skeleton was found in the peat at the southern side of the Kame of Corrigall. The adolescent had been buried in the bog sometime in the 17th century.

2. Mid Tooin, Rendall (222m)

Grid Ref: HY 35832 20730 / Lat, long: 59.06868, -3.12085

Reasons to climb: For a glimpse of some of Orkney’s wilder places.

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The previously mentioned Kame of Corrigall is one of the range of hills that sweep down though the West Mainland, and, on the drive through the parish of Rendall towards Evie, these hilltops are always in sight. One stands out as it is topped by a telecommunications mast. This is Fibla Fiold (aka Milldoe) and a peedie bit further up is Mid Tooin – the 8th highest summit in Orkney.

I parked the car at Tingwall Ferry Terminal and followed the road upwards, passing a cluster of houses. After that, the road turned into a lumpy and rocky track, not ideal for cars, but it’s an easy ascent on foot all the way to the telecommunications mast. The view from here is fantastic, taking in Rousay, Kirkwall and some of the wild areas of Rendall – it’s very close to the Cottascarth bird hide and the wind turbines on Hammars Hill.

To reach the summit of Mid Tooin though, you must leave the gravel track and climb further, towards a fencepost on the skyline. It’s a tricky journey which involves walking through spongy, mossy moorland littered with waterlogged craters (a good place to see red-throated divers, though I visited too early in the year for those.) To avoid the water, I needed to take lots of detours, but finally, I arrived at the trig point. The word ‘Tooin’ comes from an Old Norse word meaning ‘mound’ and the summit area of Mid Tooin also lacks a little poetry! It is very broad and flat, which means the more impressive views are further down the slope. I had a good time getting there nonetheless…

3. Fitty Hill, Westray (169m)

Grid Ref: HY 42976 44871 / Lat, long: 59.28645, -3.00261

Reasons to climb: Super views across Westray. The word ‘Fitty’ comes from the Old Norse ‘viti’ – a fire beacon used to signal danger.

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The tallest point in Westray is not, as many believe, Noup Head, with its elegant lighthouse perched on the edge of an unnervingly tall cliff. No – Westray’s tallest point is Fitty Hill, located on the western spine of the island. It’s around 7 miles from the Rapness ferry, and I walked there, following the sign marked ‘Westside’ and admiring the lovely sandy Bay o’ Tuquoy along the way.

Eventually, I spotted the abandoned farm at Heatherbank, huddled under Fitty Hill, and ventured up the slope. Of all the hills in Orkney, Fitty Hill has the most clearly marked out footpath, with fences guiding visitors in a straight line uphill. Adorable baby rabbits hopped in front of me – I imagined taking one home in my rucksack to love forever!

I crossed a stile, and the path uphill became much steeper. After a short climb, avoiding stepping on yellow primulas and, from time to time, stopping at an ancient stone strainer to catch my breath, I reached the summit. To my great disappointment, the hilltop was shrouded in fog! I will need to return for the view, which I believe is sensational – you can see as far as Fair Isle and Foula from the top of Fitty Hill.

It’s possible to continue along the high ground to Gallo hill or to visit graves from an ancient battle called the Bloody Tuaks (ON muddy mounds). I chose to return the way I came, and took a relaxing walk to Pierowall village instead.

4. Blotchnie Fiold, Rousay (250m)

Grid Ref: HY 41811 28961 / Lat, long: 59.14344, -3.01880

Reasons to climb: For a unique view of Orkney’s north mainland and some of the difficult to reach places in Rousay.

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There’s a coastal road around the island of Rousay, and most of the houses lie close to it. Much of the centre of the island is an uninhabited RSPB reserve, which rises to a series of tall dark hills. The tallest of these is Blotchnie Fiold.

I visited early one morning and found the path to the RSPB reserve next to a garden fence, ½ mile from the ferry. The day hadn’t yet warmed up, and I had to be careful where I stood, as sleepy bumblebees were settled on the grassy slope. The path leads gently uphill and offers fine views across the island and surrounding waters. It also passes above Trumland House, which was built in 1873 for a tyrannical laird known locally as ‘The Little General’. He was known for evicting tenants who spoke against him.

White-topped posts mark the way to the top of Blotchnie Fiold, and I soon found the landscape becoming wild, heathery, and dotted with tiny hill lochs. The name comes from the Old Norse ‘blotna’ meaning ‘moist land’ and ‘fjall’ meaning ‘hill’. The environment is perfect for skylarks, hen harriers, short eared owls, and red throated divers. Eventually I reached the cairn at the summit of Blotchnie Fiold, and, as it wasn’t very grand, spent a moment trying to find another taller point! The view was spectacular though, taking in the north isles, and areas in the centre of Rousay I’d never seen before, including the lochs Peerie Water and Muckle Water. The cairn marking the top of nearby Knitchen Hill (which is 23m lower) was much more impressive for some reason!

On the ferry home, I found an elevated bench on the outer deck. Sitting there with the wind in my coat, I felt as content as a cat in the sun.

5. Keelylang Hill (221m)

Grid Ref: HY 37801 10303 / Lat, long: 58.97534, -3.08358

Reasons to climb: Radio masts and a good vantage point for Scapa Flow traffic.

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Keelylang is well known in Orkney as it has had radio and TV transmitters on its summit since 1975, and so telly aerials have been pointed in its direction for many years! It’s the 9th highest hill in the Orkney Islands, located between Finstown and Kirkwall, and there’s a dusty service road to the summit, but on walking there I found it too rocky, uneven, and for the last 200m, too steep to ever contemplate taking my own car up there.

When planning the climb, I wasn’t sure of the best spot to park the car, so I opted for the Cuween Cairn carpark near Finstown. I began my climb by walking to the top of Cuween hill, and following St Magnus Way markers, continued along the heathery ridge towards Keelylang. I felt like I was in the mountaintop scene from The Lord of the Rings – except Frodo, Gandalf and Aragon didn’t have to avoid so many boggy patches! Peedie birds, including stonechat and twite flitted about, and the view over the Bay of Firth and its islands was quite arresting.

Eventually I met the service road from Cruan to Keelylang and it led me almost in a straight line, right to the summit. The name comes Old Norse – the hill is shaped like a boat’s keel, and ‘lang’, means ‘long’. At the very top of Keelylang there’s a complex of buildings, larger than you’d expect, and tall transmitter masts. As Keelylang is positioned in the dead centre of the Orkney mainland, it offers unrivalled views of Scapa Flow in particular, and of Orphir and Hoy.

6. Mid Hill, Orphir (275m)

Grid Ref: HY 33535 08719 / Lat, long: 58.96048, -3.15729

Reasons to climb: It’s the tallest hill on the mainland of Orkney.

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There are many routes to Mid Hill in Orphir, but the one I usually take starts at the Stenness Primary School. These hills were often used as peat banks, so there are old tracks for rickety lorries to take. I remember outings here when I was peedie and, whilst my parents toiled away cutting peats for the fire, losing a red welly boot forevermore in the black bog.

As Mid Hill is the tallest hill on the mainland of Orkney it’s difficult to lose sight of your destination. But, eventually the peat track runs out, and, as the landscape gets wilder and the heather gets thicker, Mid Hill becomes trickier to climb. I wondered how many Orkney voles must live here, and you may see the birds that hunt them, including hen harriers and short-eared owls, as you struggle upwards! The summit is very modest – just a few stones, but the view from the top on a gin clear afternoon takes in the hills of Hoy, Stromness, the Neolithic heartland, Orphir, and Scapa Flow. The wind is something else also – I was nearly blown over!

The ‘mid’ of Mid Hill refers to the fact it marks the boundary between Stenness and Orphir. Though it is possible to climb Mid Hill from the Orphir side, there are firing ranges for the MOD and the clay-pigeon shooting club nearby, so I tend to avoid it.

7. Wideford Hill (225m)

Grid Ref: HY 41153 11615 / Lat, long: 58.98761, -3.02563

Reasons to climb: Overlooks Kirkwall and the North Isles.

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For much of the drive from Finstown to Kirkwall the imposing Wideford Hill looks down on you. It’s a brown hill with radio and offshore communications masts on the top, and there’s a prehistoric cairn on its western slope.

It’s quite easy to drive to the top of Wideford Hill, and there’s a footpath from the Old Finstown Road too. However, I’d recommend walking from Kirkwall, taking the Muddiesdale track through young woods and past the Orkney Golf Club, then, after a swerve to the left, through farmland all the way to the top. There’s so much of Orkney to see from here – reflected in the hill’s Old Norse name – Vidr-fjord, after the wide bay it looks out on – from busy Kirkwall harbour, out to the North Isles, and looking down on Finstown and the Bay of Firth. If you need a hand, there’s a topographic map on the summit which names all the hills and islands you see before you. Viewing all the cars speeding along the Stromness to Kirkwall road from above is fun too.

Wideford Hill is a great place to visit on a midsummer evening as the sun begins to set and the sky turns pink as a flower. As much of the walk is on a footpath or a tarmac road zigzagging to the summit, the climb isn’t too tough either.

8. Ward Hill, Hoy (481m)

Grid Ref: HY 22875 02248 / Lat, long: 58.90060, -3.34029

Reasons to climb: The highest hill in Orkney with a cracking view of Stromness.

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Ward Hill is a tough climb – it’s the highest point on Orkney, set on the beautiful island of Hoy. The name Ward Hill comes from the Old Norse ‘varda’ which means beacon, and on many islands the tallest point is called Ward Hill, and can be spotted easily from the sea. Ward Hill on Hoy seems to rise out of nowhere to dizzying heights, along with its sister hill, the Cuilags (more on that later!) The folk of Stromness say that if the hills of Hoy appear closer, there will be rain.

I took the ferry from Stromness to Moaness and walked to the Dwarfie Stane car park. Just above the parking area, I opened a gate and began the brutally steep ascent.

As a teenager in the Boys Brigade (an organisation similar to the Scouts) we often took trips to Hoy, and this was always the route we took to climb Ward Hill. The north-facing side is a little too steep – some parts resemble a cliff face – so going up here, on the eastern side, is one of the safest ways to scale it.

Nonetheless, it was still a relentless ascent, and I needed to grip heather at times to avoid tumbling backwards. I also needed to stop to catch my breath, so much so I’m a little embarrassed, but I did enjoy the view when I did so.

Two thirds of the way up, the gradient eased off and I felt much happier as I made my way along a ridge. The relief was short-lived though – another steep (but shorter) climb was needed to get to the very top of Ward Hill.

Finally there, I felt an immense sense of achievement! The broad summit of Ward Hill is like a battleground, with a barren windswept landscape, grey with bare slabs of rock. On winter days it must be a very hostile place, and the trig point is surrounded by a wall. I wonder how many hillwalkers must have sheltered from the elements here. On my summer visit it was peaceful and I ate my lunch in wonderment of the view over to Stromness.

I descended Ward Hill’s western flank, which is less steep, but thick with heather. I aimed well south of Sandy Loch to avoid boggy ground. As I did so, a Sea Eagle rose to the sky.

9. The Cuilags, Hoy (435m)

Grid Ref: HY 20997 03371 / Lat, long: 58.91033, -3.37329

Reasons to climb: A great viewpoint to watch MV Hamnavoe sail past the western cliffs of Hoy.

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The footpath to the lovely valley of Rackwick in Hoy meanders between Ward Hill and the Cuilags. Just off the path, next to Sandy loch, there’s a route up the steep steep slopes of the Cuilags. Taking this was a good test of my fitness!

Reaching the top of the Cuilags is a tiring endeavour which seemed to get steeper as I progressed. When I stopped to enjoy the impressive view of Ward Hill, it all became worthwhile though, and higher up, I could see Rackwick between the two hills. Large boulders appeared to jut out of the heathery slopes – as if they had been thrown into the hill. As I neared the top of the Cuilags, the steep gradient eased off, which was most welcome!

Like Ward Hill, the summit of the Cuilags is a desolate affair, though the stone cairn here is an odd chess piece. Oddly, some grey boulders are pockmarked and look like they have been shot. The summit of the Cuilags is 46m lower than Ward Hill and the name comes from the Old Norse ‘kollr’ meaning ‘summit’ and ‘ag’ meaning ‘smaller’.

A little south of the summit there’s the wreckage of a plane from World War 2. This was a B-24 Liberator which failed to gain sufficient height and crashed into the Cuilags on 1st January 1945, killing all 8 crewmen.

For the experienced hiker I’d recommend the following circuit on Hoy – first visiting the Old Man of Hoy, then marching along the cliffs to St John’s Head, and from there it’s not so steep to climb to the top of the Cuilags before descending the hill (taking care as you do so) and joining the road downhill towards Moaness and the ferry back to the Orkney Mainland.

10. Cringlofiold (148m)

Grid Ref: HY 23725 14179 / Lat, long: 59.00786, -3.32968

Reasons to climb: Beautiful wildflowers at the top and views over Yesnaby.

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We’ll end the article with this hill near Yesnaby which is quite special to me. It stands above my childhood home in the green valley of Kirbister, 4 miles outside Stromness.

Cringlofiold is brown but turns purple in the summer when the heather flowers on it. In the autumn we used to collect heather berries from its slopes, and in the winter, it was a sledging paradise. We climbed it regularly as children (and many of the valley’s residents still do) though it is a devil to ascend, being very steep with many false summits, but the view from the top is worth the effort. You can see Stenness loch, the busy farming valley below with its patchwork fields, and the cliffs of Yesnaby stretched out before you.

I always think the name Cringlofiold has a pleasing sound to it. I was very fortunate to receive a birthday poem each year from my great-uncle George Mackay Brown. In these, he always mentioned Cringlofiold so I think George had a soft spot for the name too. In Old Norse it means ‘circle hill’ – perhaps because of its round shape on the horizon. Another hill, a much greener and slightly taller slope called Miffia, stands a half mile south, but it doesn’t have my heart the way Cringlofiold does.

Every summer the summit of Cringlofiold is covered in lovely pale blue wildflowers.

By Magnus Dixon
Orkney and Shetland enthusiast, family man, loves walks, likes animals, terrible at sports, dire taste in music, adores audiobooks and films, eats a little too much for his own good.

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