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Top 10 Things to Do When Visiting and Touring Isle of Egilsay

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by

eduKate Asia
Three students work together at a classroom table, reviewing open textbooks and notes.

The best things to do on Egilsay bring together St Magnus Church, the island’s pilgrimage walk, quiet east-coast beaches and the wildlife of Onziebust. This small Orkney island rewards a packed lunch, comfortable shoes and enough time to notice what is around you. Several of the ten experiences below fit into the same walk; you can enjoy them without treating the day as ten separate appointments.

Start by deciding what you want from the visit. A history enthusiast might spend longest around the church and memorial. A family could choose a shorter walk with a picnic. A birdwatcher may give most of the day to patient observation. The useful question is how much time your group can comfortably spend outdoors between its confirmed ferry journeys.

Two details deserve attention before booking. Historic Environment Scotland currently lists the church as open, with the tower interior closed. Also, the area’s official visitor guide warns that not every ferry departure serves Egilsay. Build the outing around the actual island calls and the places you can visit on that day.

Choose your Egilsay route

First principles: how to plan a small-island day

Think of your visit as a time window with a fixed return point. The ferry defines when the window opens and closes; walking, stops, meals and a margin for delay must fit inside it. Start with the activity that matters most, then add a second only when the remaining time is generous. A short distance on a map does not tell you how long a muddy gate, a beach descent or a tired child will take.

This also helps you decide whether Egilsay suits the day’s conditions. A long indoor lunch and several staffed attractions are a different kind of outing. For Egilsay, plan food and shelter carefully, take a weather forecast seriously, and give yourself permission to change the day before leaving your base. Once you have arrived, shortening the route is often the easiest adjustment.

Use Orkney Ferries’ current timetable and booking information to identify your outward and return services. Read all notes about island calls and booking requirements. If a connection is unclear, obtain an answer from the operator before travelling. An attractive itinerary becomes useful only when it has a workable beginning and end.

1. Read the islands from the ferry

The journey can be your first activity. The North Isles ferry-journey guide for Egilsay identifies the contrasting profiles of Rousay and Wyre, the sounds between them, and features visible on the approach. The precise calls depend on the sailing. Watch from the passenger areas and let the changing view introduce the geography before you step ashore.

Try a simple observation exercise: choose one distant landmark and keep looking at it as the boat turns. Its shape and position change because your viewpoint changes. A child who has only seen islands as coloured shapes on a map can suddenly understand that a route through water has corners, sheltered approaches and places where another island blocks the view.

There is no need to name everything. Sketch three outlines, note which land looks higher, and compare your impressions with the map later. This gives the journey a purpose without turning it into homework. It also keeps expectations sensible: birds or marine animals would be a bonus, while the landscape itself is already enough to enjoy.

Keep cameras and bags secure, avoid standing in working areas, and follow crew instructions. If the deck is uncomfortable, watch through a window. On arrival, make a mental picture of the pier and the route away from it; recognising that approach later can make the final part of your walk much calmer.

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2. Explore St Magnus Church and its distinctive round tower

St Magnus Church is the island’s main architectural landmark. Historic Environment Scotland describes a surviving nave, eastern chancel and western round tower, with construction associated with Magnus’s recognition as a saint in the twelfth century. These are useful clues for reading the building: separate its spaces before trying to imagine a complete medieval service.

Begin with the overall shape. Where would a congregation stand? Which part feels more enclosed? How does the tower relate to the lower walls? Then look at a doorway or window and notice how its stones carry the opening above it. You do not need specialist vocabulary to enjoy the difference between a distant silhouette and a close view of masonry.

The current official visit page says that the roofless church is free to visit throughout the year, while the tower interior is not accessible. Respect any additional barriers or signs on arrival. An open church site does not mean that every part of the structure can be entered or climbed.

Allow time to stand back again before leaving. The building’s relationship to fields, sea and sky is part of the experience. If you take photographs, include the surrounding landscape in one frame and a permitted architectural detail in another. Those two pictures will tell a clearer story than several nearly identical tower shots. Treat the graveyard as a place of remembrance and keep your visit considerate of anyone using it for that purpose.

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3. Pause at the memorial to St Magnus

The martyr’s memorial is a separate stop from the church. The St Magnus Way route description identifies the cairn beyond the community centre and dates the modern memorial to 1938. Follow the published access route and current signs; the field approach may be muddy. The cairn commemorates the place associated with Magnus’s death, rather than being a building from his lifetime.

That distinction makes this a rewarding place to think about how history is remembered. A medieval account, a later monument and a modern walking route belong to different periods. Each tells you something, but they do not provide exactly the same kind of evidence. Read the interpretation, notice the memorial’s form, and allow the landscape to give the story some physical scale.

With children, keep the explanation appropriate to their age. You can discuss a failed agreement, a struggle over power and the later choice to remember a figure associated with peace without dwelling on violent details. Ask what makes a memorial effective: its words, its position, the journey to reach it, or the quiet time a visitor spends there.

If the approach is too wet for your group, leave this stop out and read about it later. Following a different visitor across damaged or unsuitable ground rarely improves the experience. The history remains meaningful even when the day’s practical choice is to view the wider setting from a better surface.

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4. Walk the Egilsay section of the St Magnus Way

The St Magnus Way’s own Egilsay route connects the pier, community centre, memorial, beach and church. Its theme is peace. The route publisher describes roughly 5.6 kilometres with about two hours of walking, while Orkney.com’s version is 5.9 kilometres. The published distances differ slightly; follow one current route map consistently.

Treat the walking estimate as moving time. A picnic, a long look at the church, photography and careful passage through gates can turn it into a much fuller outing. Put your planned return-to-pier time into the day before adding stops. Then decide which optional part you will drop first if the group is moving more slowly than expected.

You can enjoy a pilgrimage route without sharing a particular faith. The way gives the walk a sequence and a subject to think about. Perhaps spend one short section quietly, then compare what different people noticed. Someone may hear birds, another may notice stonework, and a third may simply enjoy walking without a screen.

Download the route beforehand and carry a way to consult it if connectivity is poor. At each important junction, check where the next section goes and how you will return. This is more useful than following a line on a screen without looking up. If conditions change, the route description is a planning aid, not a demand to complete every metre.

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5. Enjoy the beach at South Geo of Canquoy

South Geo of Canquoy is the sandy inlet reached on the eastern side of the published island walk. The Orkney.com Egilsay walking guide identifies it as a place to pause along the pilgrimage route. The route publisher also notes a short, steep pebbly section at the beach approach, so judge the final descent separately from the easier road walking.

This is a lovely place to change pace. Find a comfortable, suitable spot away from the water’s reach and watch how waves arrive at the shore. Look at the boundary between sand and stones, the line left by earlier water, and the difference between the near surface and the distant sea. A beach visit becomes richer when you have something small to observe.

For a family picnic, set a clear area for children to stay within and keep an adult attentive to the water. Bring the food you need and take every wrapper away. Keep the visit on land unless you have separately assessed the conditions and competence required for entering the water; a peaceful appearance does not establish safe bathing conditions.

Photographers can try three scales: the whole inlet, the pattern of waves, and a close view of a surface without moving anything. Let the scene remain as you found it. If the descent feels awkward, a view from an appropriate point above can still be satisfying. Choosing where to stop is part of enjoying the place well.

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6. Compare the shoreline at Ossin Bay

When time, tide and footing permit, the official island walking guide suggests continuing south from Canquoy to the larger neighbouring bay of Ossin. Keep this an optional extension. Assess the return as carefully as the outward approach and do not carry on around a headland simply because the next stretch of shore looks inviting.

The interest here is comparison. After seeing one inlet, ask what changes at the next: the width of the shore, the balance of rock and sand, the angle of incoming waves, or how exposed you feel to the wind. You are looking at differences within a small area, which is often more memorable than collecting photographs of unrelated places.

A useful stopping rule is to decide in advance when you will turn back, even if you have not reached a particular photo position. Take a moment to eat or drink before you become tired. A coastal extension should add pleasure to the day, not create a hurried final walk toward a departing ferry.

If the group already feels satisfied at Canquoy, stay there and leave Ossin for another visit. The two beaches offer a choice of pace as much as a choice of scenery. You do not lose the value of the island by making a deliberate decision to spend longer in one place.

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7. Watch quietly around Manse Loch

Manse Loch lies behind Ossin Bay and is identified as a birdwatching opportunity in Orkney’s Egilsay route guide. View it from the appropriate existing route. Keep clear of nesting or roosting birds and avoid approaching the water through vegetation just to improve a photograph.

Start with behaviour rather than names. Is a bird feeding, resting, swimming or repeatedly moving between two places? Watch for a few minutes before consulting an identification guide. Size, movement and the habitat being used can be more helpful than a fleeting impression of colour, especially when the light is changing.

Binoculars are useful because they let you stay back. Share them patiently and help a beginner find a fixed landmark first, then the bird near it. If the birds become alert to your presence or move away, increase the distance. The success of the stop is not measured by how close you can get.

For children, suggest a quiet observation challenge: notice one animal doing something and describe it in a sentence without guessing what it feels. “The bird walked along the edge and put its beak down” is a stronger observation than an invented story about a hungry bird. Afterwards, you can discuss possible explanations while keeping fact and interpretation separate.

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8. Discover how farming and wildlife share Onziebust

The RSPB’s Onziebust reserve includes grassland, wildflower areas, wetlands and coast. Its visitor information highlights waders and the Great Yellow Bumblebee, with different wildlife opportunities across the seasons. Expect a living habitat, not a guaranteed sequence of sightings or a staffed visitor attraction at every stop.

There is a particularly interesting lesson here: nature conservation can involve active land management. In its account of farming at Onziebust, the RSPB explains how grazing and other management help maintain habitats. That gives you something to look for from the roads and permitted paths: differences in vegetation, wetness and the ways land is being used.

Do not assume that a conservation landscape should look untouched. Instead, ask what a particular patch might provide: cover, feeding space, flowering plants or wetter ground. You cannot diagnose a field’s full ecology by glancing over a fence, but you can begin to see why varied conditions may matter. The most useful observation is often a question you want to investigate afterwards.

In warmer months, look for insects on flowers without stepping into the vegetation or trying to handle them. At other times, concentrate on birds, water and the shapes of the fields. Follow the reserve’s current advice for dogs and livestock, and keep gates as instructed. The working landscape deserves the same consideration as the wildlife it supports.

If you are unsure where visitor access runs, check the reserve information before setting out. A farm building, vehicle track or open gate is not an invitation to enter someone’s working space. Enjoy the view from the route and let the people managing the land get on with their day.

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9. Take in the view from the trig-point road

The RSPB’s Onziebust facilities guide identifies the trig point on the road toward Onziebust Farm as a viewpoint over the reserve and surrounding islands. This is a separate choice from the beach route, so check its position on your map and include the extra walking in your plan.

A wider view can help you put the day back together. Look for the relationship between roads, fields, buildings and water. Which landmarks have you already visited? Which are still hidden by the shape of the ground? Even on a low island, a modest change in viewpoint can make the arrangement of the landscape much clearer.

Try drawing a very simple panorama with labels for features you can confidently identify. Leave the others as question marks. That small act of honesty makes a better travel record than confidently naming the wrong distant island. Later, compare the drawing with a map and correct it.

Choose a position that does not obstruct traffic, a gate or farm work. There is no need to climb on the surveying pillar, enter neighbouring land for a better angle or wait in uncomfortable weather. If visibility is poor, use the stop to orient yourself and continue. A viewpoint is an opportunity, not a promise of a clear horizon.

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10. Visit the community centre and heritage room

The Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Development Trust lists self-service tea and coffee at Egilsay Community Centre and welcomes visitors while the building also serves local meetings and events. Orkney’s area guide identifies the neighbouring heritage room and an honesty system for refreshments. Check current availability and respect any private activity taking place.

This can be a welcome place to connect the day’s scenery with the lives of the people who live here. If displays are available, choose one subject to read properly rather than scanning everything. Look for a date, a named person or an everyday object, and consider how it changes your impression of the island outside.

An honesty facility works because people take responsibility for small actions. Leave the requested contribution, wash or clear anything you use as directed, and leave the space ready for the next person. These details matter more than a grand statement about responsible tourism.

Do not rely on the centre as a restaurant, guaranteed shelter or overnight accommodation. Carry your own lunch and a complete return plan. If a local person has time for a conversation, ask a specific, considerate question rather than expecting an impromptu guided tour. A short exchange about a photograph or a place name can give the visit a human connection while respecting someone else’s time.

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Worked itineraries: choose a route you can finish comfortably

The following plans are editorial examples, not ferry schedules. Insert the confirmed sailing times for your date before using them. Work backwards from when the operator requires you at the pier, then keep an additional walking margin that suits your group. Avoid choosing a return that leaves no room for a slower pace.

A shorter visit: church, community and one unhurried stop

Make the church your main objective, with the community facilities only if available. Take a break somewhere appropriate and enjoy a view rather than adding the eastern coast automatically. This suits visitors who prefer shorter walking or want time to study the architecture. Check the surface and distance of the exact approach with anyone who has mobility needs before travelling.

A full day: pilgrimage route with a picnic

Use one published Egilsay walking route as your framework. Include the memorial if the field approach is suitable, choose a beach pause and allow a proper church visit. Place the meal before the group becomes tired. Keep Ossin and Manse Loch optional until you have checked the time, weather and return distance at Canquoy. Completing fewer stops comfortably is a successful day.

A wildlife day: fewer landmarks and more observation

Read the reserve guidance in advance and pick a small number of observation places accessible by the current routes. Spend longer watching from each, with a picnic and warm clothing. You might include the church briefly, but do not combine a patient wildlife outing with a demanding sightseeing timetable. Observation needs stillness, whereas a ferry connection needs a reliable departure from the last stop.

A longer Orkney trip: base your nights elsewhere

Do not assume an overnight stay on Egilsay is available. The RSPB’s current visitor information says there is no overnight accommodation on the island. Plan a base on Mainland Orkney or a separately confirmed neighbouring-island stay, and give Egilsay its own day. If you want to combine islands, verify every transfer and the final return independently; physical proximity does not create a usable connection.

Food, weather, access and a practical packing plan

Bring a complete picnic, drinking water and whatever food your group needs if the outing takes longer than planned. The published visitor guidance does not offer an ordinary café-and-shop circuit on Egilsay. Self-service refreshments, when available, are a pleasant addition. They should not carry the whole responsibility for feeding your group.

Choose food that is easy to manage outside. Pack a bag for rubbish, a small sitting mat if useful, and a container that will not spill inside your day bag. With children, separate the main meal from an easily reached snack. A warm drink can be welcome, but keep enough plain water for everyone too.

Match clothing to standing as well as walking. Birdwatching and reading interpretation can leave you stationary for much longer than expected. Waterproof outerwear, a warm layer and footwear suitable for the chosen surfaces are useful. Check the forecast and Orkney Ferries’ live service notices again before leaving your base; a timetable alone does not describe that day’s operating conditions.

Accessibility information needs a direct check. Orkney’s area guide describes accessible toilets at the pier, while the RSPB’s Egilsay information says accessible toilets are unavailable. These published descriptions conflict. If toilet access is essential, confirm the current facilities with the relevant local provider before booking. Ask about your particular needs, including dimensions, steps, assistance and whether the facility will be unlocked.

For the reserve paths, the RSPB describes loose or uneven surfaces, gates, narrow places and slopes. A quiet island is not automatically an accessible island. Discuss the actual route with each traveller, identify a shorter option, and check ferry boarding arrangements with the operator. A wheelchair, mobility aid or pushchair needs specific information that a general description such as “easy walk” cannot supply.

Use the Scottish Outdoor Access Code when deciding how to travel through working countryside. Respect private space, livestock and current signs; avoid damaging vegetation or interfering with work. Keep your route within your group’s ability to navigate, and choose an early return when the weather or energy level is deteriorating.

Common planning mistakes and how to correct them

  • Using a ferry departure without checking the island call. Verify Egilsay appears on both the outward and return journeys for your actual date.
  • Treating a two-hour route as a two-hour outing. Add stops, food, careful passage over awkward ground and a return margin.
  • Expecting a tower climb. Plan to appreciate St Magnus Church from the parts currently open to visitors.
  • Depending on an honesty kettle for lunch. Bring enough food and treat any refreshments as an extra.
  • Adding every optional coastal stop. Reassess at the beach and choose a turnaround that leaves the final walk comfortable.
  • Equating a nature reserve with a public path everywhere. Follow current access guidance around farmland and sensitive habitat.

A useful check halfway through the day is simple: how much time remains, how is everyone feeling, and how long will the return take at the slowest person’s current pace? Answer those questions before deciding whether to continue. This turns a vague hope that everything will fit into a practical decision the whole group can understand.

Family observations that make Egilsay memorable

Keep learning light and connected to what you can actually see. Offer a choice of one small task: sketch a doorway, compare two shores, record a bird’s behaviour or identify a landmark from the ferry. Let the child choose. A few thoughtful observations often survive in memory better than a long set of questions asked while everyone is walking.

At the church, compare a direct observation with an interpretation. “The building has a round tower” describes visible evidence. “The tower helped people recognise the site” is an explanation to check against historical information. At the memorial, ask why a later community might create a monument to a much earlier event. These questions encourage curiosity without demanding a single clever answer.

At the reserve, make a three-column note: what I saw, what I think it means, and what I would like to check. A patch of flowers or a feeding bird is enough. Leave room for uncertainty and avoid inventing a species name. On the journey home, each person can share one discovery and one question for another day.

Frequently asked questions about visiting Egilsay

Is Egilsay worth visiting?

It is a rewarding choice when your interests include medieval history, quiet walking and wildlife observation. Choose it for an unhurried outdoor day and prepare the transport and food carefully. If your group needs a wide range of indoor attractions or dependable restaurant stops, consider how those preferences fit before committing to the visit.

How do you get to Egilsay?

Use Orkney Ferries and check the current services connecting Tingwall, Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre. Confirm that your selected journeys actually call at Egilsay and meet any booking or request requirements. Arrange the journey to Tingwall as part of the same plan, rather than treating the ferry ticket as the whole transport solution.

Can you explore Egilsay without a car?

Walking is a practical way to visit the main places when the distances, surfaces and weather suit your group. A car does not remove the need to walk into particular sites, and a small road network does not justify assuming rental transport will be waiting. Decide from the actual route and any individual access requirements.

Is St Magnus Church open?

Historic Environment Scotland currently lists the church as open throughout the year and free to visit, with the interior of the tower closed. Check the official page close to departure and follow signs at the site. Build your expectations around viewing the church and its setting, with no promise of a tower visit.

How long should we allow for the island walk?

The published Egilsay routes are roughly six kilometres and quote around two hours of walking, with small differences between versions. Most visitors should allow additional time for the things they want to do along the way. Use your group’s pace and the confirmed return sailing to decide whether to take the full route or a shorter visit.

Are there cafés, shops and somewhere to stay?

Bring your own food. Community refreshments may be available, but they do not amount to a conventional café-and-shop itinerary. The RSPB’s current information says no overnight accommodation is available on Egilsay, so arrange your nights elsewhere unless you obtain a specific confirmed arrangement. Never rely on missing a boat as a way to extend the visit.

Is Egilsay suitable for children or visitors with limited mobility?

The answer depends on the individual and the chosen route. Shorter outings may suit some families well, while beach approaches, loose tracks, gates and wet ground need separate consideration. Published toilet-access information conflicts, so obtain current details where these matter. Ask specific questions about ferry boarding and ground surfaces before deciding that an “easy” description fits your needs.

What wildlife will we see?

Onziebust supports a range of habitats and seasonal wildlife, but no particular sighting is guaranteed. Plan to enjoy observation itself. Bring binoculars if you have them, stay on appropriate routes, and keep enough distance that your presence does not make birds or other animals move away. The reserve’s own information is the best starting point for seasonal interests.

Can we visit Rousay and Egilsay on the same day?

Only use that plan when the actual ferry connections and time ashore work for both visits. Write out every leg, including the final return to your base. If the arrangement forces you to rush either island, give them separate days. A nearby island can still require careful scheduling, particularly when a service has intermediate calls.

Make the most of one well-planned island day

Egilsay is best enjoyed with a clear return plan and a generous attitude to time. Let the church, memorial, working landscape and shore add different pieces to the day. Leave space for a good observation, a shared picnic or a conversation when one naturally happens. You do not need to complete every option to come away with a satisfying understanding of the island.

For the wider journey, continue with our Rousay guide, Orkney Islands guide and world country and island travel directory. Choose the next place according to the time and interests you have, then check its own transport and access arrangements.

Official and local sources

Access and service information checked on 20 October 2026. Follow current operator notices and on-site instructions when visiting.