RSPB - giving nature a home
Search
Close
Skip to content
Shop | Community
Log in | Sign up
  • About the RSPB
      About us
    • Our history
    • Our mission
    • How the RSPB is run
    • RSPB Media Centre
    • RSPB job vacancies
    • At home & abroad
    • International
    • England
    • Northern Ireland
    • Scotland
    • Wales
    • Get in touch
    • Contact us
    • RSPB offices
    • Connect with us your way
      Our activities
    • Gardening for wildlife

      Gardening for wildlife

      See our ideas to keep you connected to nature during coronavirus

    • Connect with us your way

      Connect with us your way

      From our regular emails to your favourite social media, there’s more than one way to keep in touch with nature

    • Martin Harper Blog

      Martin Harper Blog

  • Our work
      Nature conservation
    • Conservation and sustainability
    • Projects
    • Landscape scale conservation
    • Centre for Conservation Science
    • Satellite tracking birds
    • RSPB News
    • RSPB News
    • 'Our work' blog
    • Our positions and casework
    • Our positions
    • Casework
    • State of Nature report
      Featured news
    • Mindful mornings

      Mindful mornings

      If you can’t get outside, why not bring the outside in by downloading our bird song radio app?

    • How nature can help protect our homes

      How nature can help protect our homes

      Following the floods this winter, watch how one area is using nature as a natural protector.

    • Casework

      Casework

      Catch up with the RSPB’s own nature detectives on the case as they look to save some very special places.

  • Birds & wildlife
      Wildlife guides
    • Identify a bird
    • Bird A-Z
    • Other garden wildlife
    • Guide to birdwatching
    • UK conservation status explained
    • Nature's Calendar: January
    • Nature's Home magazine
    • About Nature's Home magazine
    • Birds and wildlife articles
    • RSPB Podcasts
    • Nature's Home blog
    • Advice
    • How you can help birds
    • Gardening for wildlife
    • Ask an expert
    • Wildlife and the law
    • How to report crimes against wild birds
    • Bird songs
    • Which bird song is that?
    • Most popular bird guides this month
    • Which bird song is that?

      Which bird song is that?

      Find out how to identify a bird just from the sound of its singing with our bird song identifier playlist.

    • Who to contact if you spot an injured or baby bird

      Who to contact if you spot an injured or baby bird

      Read more advice about what to do if you find a bird that needs help

    • In for a duck

      In for a duck

      It’s nesting season for our waterfowl too but what are the rules you need to follow for ducks, geese or swans?

  • Get involved
      Activities
    • Big Garden Birdwatch
    • Help nature at home
    • RSPB Competitions
    • Dolphinwatch
    • Community & advice
    • Join our local groups
    • How green are you?
    • RSPB Community
    • Get involved blog
    • Volunteering & fundraising
    • Volunteer
    • Fundraise
    • Help nature thrive as a corporate partner
    • Our grant funders
    • Campaigning
    • Climate change effects on nature and wildlife
    • Protecting wildlife sites
    • Campaign with us
    • Five actions to Revive Our World
    • Let nature sing
    • OxCam Arc
    • Top activities to do
    • Help nature at home

      Help nature at home

      Great ideas on how your garden, or even a small backyard or balcony, can become a mini nature reserve

    • How green are you?

      How green are you?

      See some of the ways you can get into green living.

    • Campaigning

      Campaigning

      See our toolkit for ways to campaign with us to protect nature and save wildlife.

  • Reserves & events
      Reserves A-Z Events, dates & inspiration
    • Events
    • COVID-19 information
    • Dates with nature
    • Places to visit blog
    • #ThanksToYou
    • Find a reserve
      Top reserve this month
    • Marshside

      Marshside

      This fantastic wetland site is located north of Southport town centre and has some of the best wildlife in the region.

    • Lytchett Fields

      Lytchett Fields

      The reserve has seen more than thirty species of wading birds.

    • Arne

      Arne

      Heathland home to more than 2565 species.

  • Fun & Learning
      For teachers
    • Supporting resources
    • Wild Challenge
    • School outreach visits
    • Big Schools Birdwatch
    • Sign up for the newsletter
    • School trip ideas
    • For families
    • Big Wild Sleepout
    • Wild Challenge
    • Nature reserves for families
    • For kids
    • Fun factoids for all the family
    • Games and activities
    • Kids stories
    • RSPB kids competitions
    • Latest kids' activities
    • Wild Challenge

      Wild Challenge

      Nature is an adventure waiting to be had. Get out, get busy and get wild!

    • Fun factoids for all the family

      Fun factoids for all the family

      Find out more about the nature and wildlife outside your window.

    • Youth membership

      Youth membership

      As well as a free gift and magazines, you’ll get loads of ideas for activities to try at home.

  • Join & Donate
      Join us
    • Choose a membership
    • Family membership
    • Youth membership
    • Gift membership
    • RSPB Life Fellow Membership
    • Renew your membership
    • Our 2020 film
    • Donate
    • Our appeals
    • Make a one-off donation
    • Make a regular donation
    • Memorial donations
    • Plant a memorial tree
    • In memoriam booklet download form
    • Thank you
    • Leave a gift in your Will
    • Other people's gifts
    • Legacy donation FAQs
    • Legacy administration
    • Legacy booklet download form
    • Thank you
    • Other ways to help
    • Gift Aid
    • Support us when you shop
    • RSPB Images
    • RSPB second-hand binocular scheme
    • Win with the RSPB
    • Payroll Giving
    • Stamp out albatross deaths
  • Login to your account Sign up for an RSPB account
  • Shop
  • Community
  • Home
  • Reserves & events
  • Reserves A-Z
  • Hoy

Hoy

Following the latest mainland lockdown and island restrictions many of our facilities are currently closed. We ask that all visitors follow the latest Scottish Government restrictions on travel and group sizes and advice on physical distancing and hygiene. See below for reserve details and our dedicated Covid-19 updates page for the latest safety information (link below). Thank you for your continued support and patience in these challenging times. Stay safe everyone.
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
Address
RSPB Hoy, Stromness KW16 3NJ, UK
Grid ref
HY222034
See our reserves Covid-19 updates page for which sites are open and other important details.

Discover the beauty of a wild landscape that ranges from sweeping moorland to dramatic clifftops. A range of fascinating birds, from fulmars, puffins and red-throated divers, to great skuas, hen harriers and stonechats make this their home. Wrap up warm and don't leave without a nod to the Old Man.

Plan your visit

Opening times

Open at all times.

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free, but donations are very welcome.
Children
Free, but donations are very welcome.

Facilities

  • Guided walks
  • Nature trails

Accessibility

  • Full accessibility information (external website)

How to get here

By bus

Details of bus/minibus taxi services on Hoy can be found at hoyorkney.com/travel.

By bike

Passenger ferry from Stromness to Moaness on Hoy. From the Moaness Pier, travel straight up the hill and follow the signs for the Dwarfie Stone toward Rackwick. There is an information board after 1.5 miles (2.5 km) on the Post Road footpath.

By road

Car ferry from Houton on Mainland Orkney to Lyness on Hoy. From Lyness ferry terminal turn right (signposted 'Hoy') onto the B9047 and take the first left after 8.5 miles/14 km (signposted for Dwarfie Stone) toward Rackwick. Park at Dwarfie Stone or Rackwick beach.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Other ways to get there

Hoy can be reached from Mainland Orkney from either Houton (passenger and car ferry) or from Stromness (passenger ferry only). Visit orkneyferries.co.uk for information.

For flights and ferry information to Orkney, contact VisitOrkney at West Castle Street, Kirkwall, KW15 1GU. Website: visitorkney.com Tel: 01856 872856.

Get directions from Google Maps
RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Group booking information

Group visits are welcome.

Schools booking information

School visits are available on our Orkney reserves on a variety of topics. Please contact the Orkney Office on 01856 850176 for further details.

What will the weather be like?

10 degrees, Light rain

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 120Kb

Hoy trail guide

Contact Hoy

  • RSPB Hoy, Stromness KW16 3NJ, UK
  • orkney@rspb.org.uk
  • 01856 850176

What will you see?

Our star species

    Great skua adult

    Great skua

    They come to Hoy to breed but spend all their other time at sea.

    Hen harrier male

    Hen harrier

    Hen harriers can be seen here at any time of year.

    Puffin, adult in summer plumage

    Puffin

    Enjoy the comical antics of puffins in spring and early summer.

    Red throated diver, breeding plumage

    Red-throated diver

    Red-throated divers are adapted for life on the water, look for them on the sea as they go fishing.

    Male stonechat

    Stonechat

    They are a common sight at Hoy. Pairs remain together throughout the year and you can see family groups in summer.

Nature spectacles

The towering sandstone cliffs are spectacular at any time of year, particularly when slanting sunlight highlights the glorious shades of pink, orange, yellow and purple.  In June, the calls of thousands of fulmars, guillemots, razorbills and puffins echo around the rugged coast from the world-famous Old Man of Hoy sea-stack to the highest vertical sea cliff at St John's Head.

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter

This is the best time of year to spot hen harriers on the moorland. Seabirds arrive during May - look out for puffins at the Old Man of Hoy and bonxies (great skuas) on the moorland. Primroses and Arctic alpine flowers are in bloom.

June is the best month to visit the seabird cliffs. Keep an eye on the horizon to spot white-tailed eagles soaring overhead. Red-throated divers can be seen on the Sandy Loch and stonechats on the moorland. Look out for amazing insects such as green tiger beetles and common hawker dragonflies along the footpaths as well as an ever-increasing profusion of wildflowers.

Look out for thrushes and finches from Scandinavia, and the chance of flocks of migrating barnacle and greylag geese overhead. 

A quiet time of year on the reserve, though you might spot hunting hen harriers, merlins and peregrines among small flocks of snow buntings and finches. Mountain hares look dazzling in white winter coat on the hill tops. Wintering birds such as long-tailed ducks and great northern divers can be seen around the coast.

About Hoy

Habitat

Visit the high island of Orkney, where the harder sandstones have been ice-shaped to form the dramatic hills and valleys we see today. The second biggest island in Orkney boasts a surprising range of habitats. Take a stroll through the wild moorland where you might spot hen harriers floating above the delicate summer wildflowers. Enjoy a coastal walk where the awe-inspiring coloured sandstone cliffs along the west coast are home to thousands of wheeling seabirds and precious maritime wildflowers.

The dramatic beach at Rackwick is a local favourite with golden sand and huge, coloured sandstone boulders overlooked by the pink cliffs. Perhaps surprisingly, there is ancient woodland here too- the atmospheric woodland at Berriedale is the the most northerly native woodland in the UK.

Conservation

We are working to maintain a mosaic of moorland habitats, including blanket bog, dry heath and wet heath. This provides suitable conditions for breeding white-tailed eagles, hen harriers, merlins and red-throated divers and allows us to safeguard important plants, including great sundew, alpine bearberry, fragrant orchid and dwarf cornel. We are also maintaining wildfire control measures.

We monitor the annual breeding populations of our white-tailed eagles, hen harriers, merlins and red-throated divers, as well as monitoring set areas for other wildlife, including wading birds, great skuas, mountain hares, mining bees and seabirds. We also keep tabs on any invasive mammal and plant species, survey under-recorded groups and contribute to national surveys.

Site information

Hoy is the largest RSPB Scotland nature reserve in Orkney, at 3,926 hectares, and is home to an impressive range of wildlife.

Most of the reserve is glorious wild moorland with pockets of native woodland, sub-alpine heath and blanket bog. There are also impressive, colourful sea cliffs rising to more than 350 meters above the sea, which offer a dramatic backdrop against which to spot swirling seabirds and hardy wildflowers.

The importance of the range of habitats and wildlife found here is recognised by its designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Protection Area (SPA) and a Special Area for Conservation (SAC). It is also designated as a National Scenic Area (NSA) for its beauty.

Latest forum posts

read our forum

Latest blog posts

read our blog

Activities and events

Activities for children and families

Good for active families who enjoy walks in spectacular scenery. Guided walks run in the summer months. 

There are family-friendly events here in the summer. 

Leisure activities

Hoy offers a rewarding experience for visitors, including groups and appeals especially to those who enjoy walking in remote locations.

Birdwatching, walking, botany, photography, geology, geomorphology. Don't miss the archaeological site the Dwarfie Stone which is the only rock-cut tomb in Britain and was hollowed out by people around 5,500 years ago.

Share this

  • Facebook Facebook Created with Sketch.
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

You might also be interested in

Ring of Brodgar / Brogar, Orkney Mainland, dating to late Neolithic period. A Historic Scotland site.

Brodgar

Discover a wildlife haven in the heart of Neolithic Orkney, with curlews, drumming snipe, lapwings, and oystercatchers.
RSPB Giving Nature a Home Campaign

Adopt a puffin

Sadly, if current declines continue, the UK could lose up to eight million puffins over the next 50 years.
RSPB Giving Nature a Home Campaign

Join us - legacy

Become an RSPB member by signing up here.

We spend 90% of net income on conservation, public education and advocacy

Quick links

  • Contact us
  • Online Community
  • Vacancies
  • Media centre

Information for

  • Teachers
  • Policy makers
  • Farmers & landowners
  • Scientists

Our work in

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Northern Ireland
  • International

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Partnering with

BirdLife_logo

The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International. Find out more about the partnership

Fundraising Regulator logo OSCR logo

© The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

  • Terms & conditions
  • Cookie policy
  • Privacy policy
  • Charter and statutes
  • About our site
  • Modern Slavery Act

Cookie Preferences

Accepting all non-essential cookies helps us to personalise your experience

Edit settings
Accept all

Essential cookies are required

These cookies are required for basic web functions

Enable analytics cookies

Allow us to collect anonymised performance data

Enable marketing cookies

Allow us to personalise your experience

Save settings
Read our cookie policy