A lifetime of Islands: Island 116

I thought Sanday was going to be one of my favourite islands and it probably would have been had it not poured with rain almost continuously for the 24 hours we spent on the island in 2010. I returned for a 2nd visit in June 2015, as I wanted to visit the twin tidal islands the Inner and Outer Holms of Ire. It didn't rain but was very overcast, cold and windy for my second visit, so I still haven't seen Sanday at its best.

The name Sanday comes from the Old Norse for "sandy island". It is aptly named, as it is low lying and has lots of lovely sandy beaches. In 2011 the population was 494.

Sanday can be accessed by air or roll-on roll-off ferry from Kirkwall. The ferry docks at Loth at the southern end of the island. The journey time varies from 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes depending on whether or not the ferry visits neighbouring Eday on the way.

Like most Orkney Islands Sanday has its fair share of historic sites – there are impressive chambered tombs at Quoyness and Tresness. The wreck of a German destroyer, which ran aground in 1919 at Lopness is still visible at low tide. A Viking boat burial was exposed at Scar by storms in 1991 and there is a deserted village at Ortie.

We stayed at the Ayres Rock Hostel, which independent but is affiliated to the Scottish Youth Hostels Association. The owners also run a fish and chip shop several evenings a week, so guess what we had for tea?

We visited Orkney Angora and had a chat to the friendly owner and late in the afternoon we discovered the Heritage Centre, which was very interesting. The man on duty was very friendly and knowledgeable and best of all they had 2011 Northern Lighhouse Board calendars on sale. It's lovely with large glossy photos of Scottish lighthouses!

One tearoom had closed down and the other one was shut, which was a shame as it really wasn’t a good day for being outside for very long. We had coffee in the Belsair Bar in Kettletoft and lunch at the Kettletoft Hotel waiting for it to stop raining, which it never did.

Crime is rare on small islands but Sanday has had more than its fair share in the last few years. In 2009 there was a murder and soon after our visit there was an arson attack on 3 business premises in Kettletoft. While we were sitting in the bar at the Belsair my friend glanced out of the window and noticed a police car. She remarked on this and 3 ladies nearby suddenly became rather agitated, so I’m not sure what they had been up to!

One of Sanday's wind turbines

- there was certainly plenty of wind to keep it turning on the day I visited in 2015

Stove

Ruined buildings of a 19th century industrialised 'model farm' with steam engine house, red brick chimney and boiler house

Looking south down Elsness towards Quoyness

Quoyness Chambered Cairn

You can crawl down a narrow passageway into the Quoyness Chambered Cairn. It was a peaceful respite from the gale blowing outside. I thought it was as quiet as the grave in fact, then I remembered that it was actually someone's grave!

Lady Kirk

These are supposed to be scratch marks made by the Devil's fingers.

War Memorial

Brickie Hut - disused control room for a wartime dummy airfield.

Sanday Golf Course Clubhouse

Second World War Radar Station at Lettan in the north east of the island

Burnt mound at Meur - recently uncovered by the sea following a storm and excavated

Bay of Lopness.

You can just see part of the First World War German Destroyer B98, which went ashore here in 1919. This photo was taken a couple of hours after a high spring tide. The remains can be seen much more clearly at low tide.

Cairn at Whale Point on the north west tip of Sanday

Rhubarb on the beach at Roos Wick

Remain of a windmill at Scar

Stone O'Scar or Saville Stone beyond the churchyard wall

It is a glacial erratic. It was moved from its original location a mile away c1879. The aim was to take it to the mansion at Scar to be a landscape feature. However it was too heavy for the cart, which was carrying it and the cart broke under the load.