Eday Travel Guide - Scotland

A very small island located among the North Isles of Orkney, Eday is only 8 miles wide and 3 miles long and is home to only 120 people. The island connects to the mainland by a ferry service that runs twice a day to Kirkwall. The ferry ride itself is only a little over an hour. The mainstay of the economy in Eday is cattle farming, but there is also a salmon farm and several craft businesses. Orkney chairs, made in the traditional design of 1, 2 and 3 seated chairs are manufactured here in Eday.

The Stone o'Setter is a popular tourist attraction and provides evidence of the existence of prehistoric man on this island. It towers over many cairns in the area and is the tallest megalith in Orkney. It is believed that the area around the stone was of religious significance to the early people who built it. Even with the erosion of the centuries, this stone still stands over 15 feet high and is 7 feet wide at the bottom.

Take a heritage walk around Eday to see the chambered cairns at Vinquoy, Braeside and Huntersquoy. Carrick House is famous, or infamous, as the place where the last pirate in Britain, John Gow, was captured in 1633.

Visitors to the island can avail of several day tours with guides that will make sure you see all the historic and interesting places. The Explorer Tour will take you to the places where you can see the wildlife, such as seals, and take in the panoramic view of the sea and the other islands and then to the historic sites. This tour takes about 2.5 hours and will delight you with all the sights and sounds that await you. You can also take a longer tour, lasting about 4 hours, which takes you into the hills so you can really appreciate life here on this island. Carrick House is also open for guided tours.

For such a small place, Eday does have accommodations for tourists. There are four bed and breakfast establishments to choose from as well as a small hotel. The peace and quiet of this small village is unmatched anywhere else so you will leave here refreshed even if you do take the long walk.