SmiddyThe Retreat
SmiddyExploreTrails
Self-guided · From Smiddy gates

Explore from
Smiddy.

Four considered itineraries — cycling and walking — starting at the Smiddy gate. Each is written like a walking guide: waypoint-by-waypoint, with distances, grades, terrain notes and the local knowledge that keeps you on the right line.

Included
2 e-bikes / pod
Per ride
10 – 25%
Routes
4 self-guided
Terrain
Lane · sand · cliff
Before you set out
  • ·Always maintain a safe distance from cliff edges; coastal grass can mask undercut rocks.
  • ·Do not attempt to walk across the top of the Vat of Kirbister rock arch.
  • ·Close all livestock gates behind you to respect our neighbouring island crofters.
01Cycling route

The Historical Coast & Whitehall Village Loop

A gentle circular through the 19th-century herring capital of Orkney. This loop leans on the island's classic stone masonry — the same tradition that built our mill and forge — and links Smiddy to Whitehall's harbour, a coastal ayre, and the village store.

Distance
19 km · 12 mi
Grade
2 — Easy
Duration
2 hrs riding · half-day with stops
Shape
Circular
OS map
OS Explorer 465; OS Landranger 5
Start
Smiddy gate (HY 62 27, approximate)
Terrain

Single-track island lanes, well-metalled all the way. One short stretch of concrete farm road near Whitehall pier. Mostly level, with two short rises.

Route files
GPX file
KML file
Route PDF
Downloadable files coming soon — ask the host at check-in.
Route directions

  1. Smiddy gate

    Leave the smallholding through the north gate and turn right onto the lane. Two-metre wide, single-track. If a tractor comes the other way, use the passing places — Stronsay drivers will always wave you through.

  2. The east coast turn

    The lane bends north-east at the old dry-stone dyke. This is the highest point of the ride at a modest 22 m — briefly higher e-bike assist here, then coast the descent toward the shore.

  3. Ayre of Myres

    A sheltered strip of pale sand between two low bluffs — this is the picnic stop. Prop the bikes against the dyke and walk down. On a still day the North Sea here reads more like a mill-pond than a working ocean.

  4. Whitehall Village

    The road drops you straight into Whitehall — Orkney's most complete surviving 19th-century herring village. In the 1920s over 400 boats fished from this harbour; today it's creel boats and the community-run Stronsay Hotel. The Fish Mart café is worth the stop.

  5. Ebenezer Stores

    Small village shop — pick up supplies, a card, or a bottle for the pod. Ask about the herring years; someone always has a story.

  6. The narrow green lanes

    Cut back through the middle of the island on the quiet interior lanes. Meikle Water is on your left through the gaps — the largest freshwater loch on Stronsay, good for trout in summer.

  7. Smiddy gate

    Back through the north gate. Lock the bikes in the pod's charging bay — they'll be topped up by morning.

On this route specifically
  • Single-track lanes — pull over to the verge for tractors and oncoming vehicles.
  • Close every livestock gate behind you.
  • The Ayre of Myres has soft sand at the tide line — walk, don't ride.
Places of interest

Whitehall Village is the heart of the ride — the community-run Stronsay Hotel, the Fish Mart Hostel & Café, and the Stronsay Heritage Centre are all within a five-minute walk of the harbour.

Food & drink

The Fish Mart Hostel & Café serves light bites and hot drinks; the Stronsay Hotel does full meals — check hours in advance. Ebenezer Stores in the village, and Olivebank shop centrally, both stock groceries and fuel.

Transport & services

The lanes are quiet but shared with farm traffic. No public toilets between Smiddy and Whitehall — the pier toilets are the reliable stop mid-ride.

02Cycling route

The Sands of Rothiesholm Expedition

A shorter, sharper ride south-west onto the island's peninsular arm and its finest beach. Rothiesholm is a mile-long crescent of near-white silver sand, backed by low marram dunes. Shell-hunters, seal-watchers and low-tide swimmers all end up here.

Distance
13 km · 8 mi
Grade
2 — Easy – Moderate
Duration
1 hr 30 mins riding · 3 hrs with shell-hunting
Shape
Out & back
OS map
OS Explorer 465; OS Landranger 5
Start
Smiddy gate
Terrain

Metalled lane most of the way, with a short section of grazed sheep track approaching the dunes. Exposed to south-westerly winds — plan the harder half into the wind.

Route files
GPX file
KML file
Route PDF
Downloadable files coming soon — ask the host at check-in.
Route directions

  1. Smiddy gate

    Leave through the south gate and take the lane south-west. Expect a headwind on the outbound leg — set the e-bike assist a notch higher.

  2. The moor edge

    The lane skirts the edge of Stronsay's open moorland. Curlew and lapwing nest in the tussocks in early summer; give any birds on the verge a wide arc.

  3. Rothiesholm approach

    The tarmac ends. From here it's a firm sheep track across grazed machair to the dune line. Walk the last 100 m if the bikes struggle.

  4. Sands of Rothiesholm

    Silver sand as far as the arm bends. Shell-hunting is best in the hour after low water — cowries (grottie buckies) turn up along the strandline. Seals watch from the middle of the Bay of Holland; keep 50 m distance.

  5. The far ayre

    Walk the sand to the far end of the crescent — the dune arm curves round and gives you the entire bay, empty. Best sit-down spot on the ride.

  6. Smiddy gate

    Return the same lane — the wind is now behind you, so drop the assist a notch. Bikes back on charge.

On this route specifically
  • Coastal headwinds can be strong — switch to a higher e-bike assist level on the outbound leg.
  • Tide times matter for shell-hunting; check before you ride out.
  • Keep back from resting seals — 50 m is a good rule.
Places of interest

Rothiesholm is one of the three beaches that give Stronsay its 'island of bays' nickname — the others (Mill Bay and St Catherine's Bay) are easy add-ons if the wind's kind.

Food & drink

No cafés on this route — pack water and a bar. There's a natural sheltered spot behind the second dune line where you can lay a picnic out of the wind.

Transport & services

The last kilometre is off-tarmac. Sturdier e-bike tyres (all included pods have gravel-suitable tyres) handle it comfortably in dry weather; walk it if it's been wet.

03Walking route

The Vat of Kirbister & Lamb Head Circular

A wonderfully atmospheric stretch of Stronsay's Atlantic edge, with hints of human habitation stretching back through millennia. This walk combines the impressive geology of the Vat with a challenging but rewarding coastal walk — and if the significant section of road walking at the end doesn't appeal, leaving the e-bikes at Housebay farm road will cut the final miles.

Distance
11.4 km · 7 mi
Grade
4 — Moderate — Challenging
Duration
4 hrs
Shape
Circular
OS map
OS Explorer 465; OS Landranger 5
Start
Vat of Kirbister car park (HY 68152408)
Terrain

Mainly coastal heath and rough grazing, wet in places during winter. Significant stretch of tarmac and concrete road at the end. Cliff-edge paths — stiles and drystone dykes to cross.

Route files
GPX file
KML file
Route PDF
Downloadable files coming soon — ask the host at check-in.
Route directions

  1. Vat of Kirbister car park (HY 68152408)

    Start at the car park. Pass through the wooden gate, then along a hard-surfaced footpath 500 metres towards the coast. This is the only easy section — enjoy it.

  2. Cliff-top junction

    After passing through the last of a series of gates you'll arrive at the clifftops. Turn right to head south along the coast.

  3. The Vat of Kirbister

    The impressive collapsed sea cave with Orkney's finest natural rock arch. The walkway across the tiny burn that flows into the Vat provides the best — and safest — viewpoint. Fulmars nest among the pink thrift near the top of the crumbling cliffs; shags stand out sharp against white guano-encrusted ledges below.

  4. Stile & drystone dyke

    Carry on down the coast until you pass over a wooden stile that crosses a drystone dyke. The next section is predominantly short coastal heath — comparatively easy walking, blanketed with wildflower near the clifftops.

  5. Burgh Head (37 m)

    The headland is a modest 37 metres but on a clear day gives fine views north past Odiness towards Sanday. South, the distinctive outline of Lamb Head is echoed by tiny Auskerry, with its lonely lighthouse.

  6. The Brough

    On the southern side of Burgh Head — a broad sea stack carrying archaeological remains, upright slabs and stonework. Its inaccessibility means it's yet to be fully explored, but it's believed to be a prehistoric fortification once connected to the land.

  7. Lamb Head & the broch

    Connected to Stronsay by a narrow neck of land. Two bays either side sheltered any wind — an obvious spot for an Iron Age broch. Only the foundations of the great stone tower remain, but two holes into the roots of its cavity walls give a real sense of its scale.

  8. The Danes' Pier

    From the remains of the broch, look west — a boulder spit stretches out from the land. Once thought manmade, it's now understood as a natural phenomenon caused by strong tidal conditions. The pier would have been a landing place for the broch's inhabitants, and later for the Norse who named it.

  9. Bay of Housebay

    Retrace to the wooden stile, over the fence, then straight along the coast following the long sweep of Housebay. Listen for the plaintive cry of seals — this bay is an important breeding ground for both common and grey seals.

  10. Cattle grid — the bike stash

    Small sandy bay with a large farm at its far end. Cross the cattle grid onto a well-maintained concrete farm road — this is the ideal spot to have stashed the e-bikes at the start of the day.

  11. Public road junction

    The concrete road joins the tarmacked public road. Turn left and head north — a gently rising 2 km with Meikle Water opening to your left.

  12. Signed junction

    The signs to the Vat of Kirbister lead you right and right again on the final 1.5 km back to the car park.

  13. Vat of Kirbister car park

    You're back. If you did stash the bikes at Housebay, you cut a solid hour off the final leg and the last 5 km of tarmac.

On this route specifically
  • Cliff-edge paths — never walk across the top of the Vat of Kirbister sea arch.
  • Coastal grass can mask undercut rocks — stay back from the edge.
  • Stout boots required even in summer; the ground is wet and uneven.
  • Wet in places during winter — the coastal heath between km 1.25 and Burgh Head holds water.
Places of interest

The Vat itself, Burgh Head's Brough sea stack, the Lamb Head Iron Age broch, and the Danes' Pier — all in a single 11 km arc.

Food & drink

No provisions between the car park and Housebay — pack lunch and 1.5 L of water per walker. The Stronsay Hotel or Fish Mart café in Whitehall are the natural post-walk stops.

Transport & services

The Vat of Kirbister car park is 4 km from Smiddy by lane — cycle in on the included e-bikes and lock them at the wooden gate. If splitting the loop, stash a second e-bike at the Housebay cattle grid (km 6.7) before starting.

04Cycling route

The Stronsay Heritage & Craft Trail

A relaxed cultural circuit — cutting across the working island to visit its heritage centre, its three craft studios and its café. Best on a day when the weather doesn't quite invite the cliffs. Ring ahead: the studios are one-person operations and open by arrangement.

Distance
14 km · 9 mi
Grade
2 — Easy
Duration
3 – 4 hrs with stops
Shape
Loop
OS map
OS Explorer 465; OS Landranger 5
Start
Smiddy gate
Terrain

All metalled island lanes and short village streets. Level throughout, with two very gentle rises. No cliff work.

Route files
GPX file
KML file
Route PDF
Downloadable files coming soon — ask the host at check-in.
Route directions

  1. Smiddy gate

    Leave through the north gate. Same route as Route 01 for the first stretch, but you'll bend earlier.

  2. Airy Fairy studio

    First stop — the Stronsay-based textile and mixed-media studio run by a local maker. Small pieces, big colour palette pulled straight out of the island's summer wildflowers. Check ahead; it's a working studio, not a shop.

  3. Marion Miller Jewellery

    Silver and enamel jewellery pulling directly on Orcadian coastal shapes — thrift petals, cowrie curves, tide-lines. If she's in and working, you can watch a piece being finished.

  4. Whitehall — Fish Mart Café & Heritage Centre

    The main halt of the ride. The Stronsay Heritage Centre traces the herring years, the war, and the island community that stayed. The Fish Mart Café next door does the coffee and cake stop. Budget 45 min for both.

  5. Star Island Soap

    Small-batch cold-process soaps made from locally-blended botanicals — hedgerow, seaweed, wild rose. The workshop is small; if the sign says 'Open' you walk in; if not, ring the number on the door.

  6. The Olivebank shop

    Central-island community shop — good for last-mile groceries, cards, and fuel if you drove over from the ferry. Also stocks a handful of the makers' pieces you've just been visiting.

  7. Smiddy gate

    Roll back through the north gate. The bikes have done about 25% of a charge — plug them into the pod bay overnight.

On this route specifically
  • Studios are one-person operations — always call ahead before adding to the route.
  • Ebenezer Stores in Whitehall and Olivebank centrally have different opening days; check on the Stronsay community noticeboard at the pier.
  • Single-track lanes throughout — same passing-place etiquette as Route 01.
Places of interest

Airy Fairy, Marion Miller Jewellery, Star Island Soap — the three signature Stronsay makers, all reached in one relaxed ride.

Food & drink

The Fish Mart Hostel & Café in Whitehall is the coffee-and-cake anchor of this loop. The Stronsay Hotel next door does hot meals; check hours. Ebenezer Stores + Olivebank both stock groceries.

Transport & services

The full loop is well inside the range of a fully-charged e-bike. If you plan to ride onto the ferry the same day, note that the Whitehall pier is a natural drop-off point at the end of the ride.

Closer than you'd think

Two pods. Four trails. Endless light.

Every stay includes two premium e-bikes — helmets sized to fit, in-pod chargers, no rental forms. Just unclip and ride out the gate.

Smiddy — The Retreat

Two timber pods on the east coast of Stronsay, Orkney. Quiet, considered, and built for the long view.

The island
Stronsay · Orkney · 59.13°N
Orkney Ferries from Kirkwall (≈ 1h 35m)
Or Loganair direct to Stronsay airfield
Contact
hello@smiddysmallholding.com
Ferry & arrival logistics on request
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