Mar Wick

Bay in Orkney

Scotland

Mar Wick

Mar Wick bay, Orkney — Mar Wick bay, Orkney Credit: John Ferguson

Mar Wick, located in Orkney, Scotland, is a picturesque bay renowned for its natural beauty and historical significance. Situated on the eastern coast of the Mainland, the largest island in the Orkney archipelago, Mar Wick offers visitors a captivating blend of stunning landscapes, rich wildlife, and ancient ruins.

The bay is characterized by its pristine sandy beaches, rugged cliffs, and crystal-clear turquoise waters, which attract nature enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers alike. It is a popular spot for hiking, birdwatching, and water sports such as kayaking and paddleboarding. The area is home to a diverse range of seabirds, including guillemots, razorbills, and puffins, making it a haven for bird lovers.

Mar Wick also boasts a significant historical heritage. The bay is home to the remains of a Norse settlement dating back to the 8th century, providing a glimpse into Orkney's Viking past. The site includes a well-preserved church and a settlement with stone houses, offering visitors a fascinating insight into ancient Norse culture.

In addition to its natural and historical attractions, Mar Wick offers amenities for visitors, including a car park, public toilets, and a nearby café serving refreshments and local delicacies. The bay is easily accessible by road, with regular bus services connecting it to the nearby towns and villages.

Overall, Mar Wick is a captivating destination that combines stunning natural beauty with a rich historical heritage, making it a must-visit location for those exploring the Orkney Islands.

Show me another place!

If you have any feedback on the listing, please let us know in the comments section below.

Mar Wick Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 59.09774/-3.3505445 or Grid Reference HY2224. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Mar Wick bay, Orkney

Mar Wick bay, Orkney

Kitchener Memorial, Orkney

Kitchener Memorial, Orkney

Cliffs at Marwick Head The cliffs here are a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve, being used for nesting by birds of many species. The tower is the Kitchener Monument.

Cliffs at Marwick Head

The cliffs here are a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve, being used for nesting by birds of many species. The tower is the Kitchener Monument.

Path to Marwick Head The path leads from the car park at Mid Comloquoy to the cliff edge north of Marwick Head.

Path to Marwick Head

The path leads from the car park at Mid Comloquoy to the cliff edge north of Marwick Head.

Rabbit There&#039;s no shortage of rabbits here, and plenty of evidence of burrows on the cliff tops.

Rabbit

There's no shortage of rabbits here, and plenty of evidence of burrows on the cliff tops.

Cattle at Comloquoy A herd apparently of mixed breeds of cattle.

Cattle at Comloquoy

A herd apparently of mixed breeds of cattle.

Cliffs at Marwick Head The cliffs here are getting on for 100 metres in height.

Cliffs at Marwick Head

The cliffs here are getting on for 100 metres in height.

Kitchener Memorial The memorial is a prominent feature on Marwick Head.

Kitchener Memorial

The memorial is a prominent feature on Marwick Head.

Bird Monitoring Camera The camera is aimed at the nesting seabirds on the cliffs at Marwick Head. Notice how it is weighed down with stones against westerly gales.

Bird Monitoring Camera

The camera is aimed at the nesting seabirds on the cliffs at Marwick Head. Notice how it is weighed down with stones against westerly gales.

Plaque on Kitchener Memorial The plaque on <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/7585917">HY2225 : Kitchener Memorial</a> is self-explanatory.

Plaque on Kitchener Memorial

The plaque on HY2225 : Kitchener Memorial is self-explanatory.

Memorial Wall The <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/7585917">HY2225 : Kitchener Memorial</a> on Marwick Head originally mentioned only Field Marshal Earl Kitchener by name. This wall, erected only as recently as 2016, finally commemorates 737 other officers and men lost when HMS &#039;Hampshire&#039; was sunk by a mine on 5 June 1916. Only twelve men survived.

Memorial Wall

The HY2225 : Kitchener Memorial on Marwick Head originally mentioned only Field Marshal Earl Kitchener by name. This wall, erected only as recently as 2016, finally commemorates 737 other officers and men lost when HMS 'Hampshire' was sunk by a mine on 5 June 1916. Only twelve men survived.

Photographer and Rabbit The photographer was hoping for photographs of birds, but was, for the moment, targeting a rabbit. We managed to avoid spooking it and I hope he got a good image.

Photographer and Rabbit

The photographer was hoping for photographs of birds, but was, for the moment, targeting a rabbit. We managed to avoid spooking it and I hope he got a good image.

Boundary Marker I assume that the stone is a boundary marker between two properties. In the distance are the cliffs around Yesnaby and, further away, the hills on the island of Hoy.

Boundary Marker

I assume that the stone is a boundary marker between two properties. In the distance are the cliffs around Yesnaby and, further away, the hills on the island of Hoy.

Cliffs at Marwick Head A long line of cliffs makes up Marwick Head, on top of which stands the Kitchener Monument.

Cliffs at Marwick Head

A long line of cliffs makes up Marwick Head, on top of which stands the Kitchener Monument.

Standing Stone by the Path The path starts to descend here from Marwick head to sea level, and the stone is one of several that stand beside it. I don&#039;t think they are ancient.

Standing Stone by the Path

The path starts to descend here from Marwick head to sea level, and the stone is one of several that stand beside it. I don't think they are ancient.

Standing Stones I don&#039;t think these stones are ancient monuments. They are beside the path down from Marwick Head to the beach.

Standing Stones

I don't think these stones are ancient monuments. They are beside the path down from Marwick Head to the beach.

Storm Beach The rock strata on the cliff top have been progressively stripped away by winter storms.

Storm Beach

The rock strata on the cliff top have been progressively stripped away by winter storms.

Dipping Strata On the south side of Marwick Head, with a view south to Yesnaby and the island of Hoy.

Dipping Strata

On the south side of Marwick Head, with a view south to Yesnaby and the island of Hoy.

Show me another place!

Mar Wick is located at Grid Ref: HY2224 (Lat: 59.09774, Lng: -3.3505445)

Unitary Authority: Orkney Islands

Police Authority: Highlands and Islands

What 3 Words

///reverted.hands.topping. Near Birsay, Orkney Islands

Nearby Locations

Gunnagairn Choldertoo Geo Mar Wick Minna Geo Choldertoo Choin

Related Wikis

HMS Hampshire (1903)

HMS Hampshire (1903)

HMS Hampshire was one of six Devonshire-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She was assigned to the...

RNAS Twatt (HMS Tern)

RNAS Twatt (HMS Tern)

Royal Naval Air Station Twatt, (RNAS Twatt; or HMS Tern) is a former Royal Navy Air Station located near Twatt, Orkney, Scotland. It was built by the Admiralty...

St Magnus Church, Birsay

St Magnus Church, Birsay

St Magnus Church, Birsay is a 17th century church located in the parish of Birsay on Mainland, Orkney in Scotland. Built in 1664 on the site of an earlier...

Earl's Palace, Birsay

Earl's Palace, Birsay

The Earl's Palace in Birsay, Orkney, Scotland, is a ruined 16th-century castle. It was built by Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney (1533–1593), illegitimate...

Buckquoy spindle-whorl

Buckquoy spindle-whorl

The Buckquoy spindle-whorl is an Ogham-inscribed spindle-whorl dating from the Early Middle Ages, probably the 8th century, which was found in 1970 in...

Twatt, Orkney

Twatt, Orkney

Twatt is a settlement in the parish of Birsay on the Mainland of Orkney, Scotland. It was previously the location of RNAS Twatt (HMS Tern), 1940–1949....

Brough of Birsay Lighthouse

Brough of Birsay Lighthouse

The unmanned Brough of Birsay Lighthouse lighthouse was built in 1925 by David A Stevenson. It is located on the Brough of Birsay, an uninhabited tidal...

Brough of Birsay

Brough of Birsay

The Brough of Birsay is an uninhabited tidal island off the north-west coast of The Mainland of Orkney, Scotland, in the parish of Birsay. It is located...

Nearby Amenities

Located within 500m of 59.09774,-3.3505445

Parking

Capacity: 3

Parking: surface

Surface: unpaved

Lat/Long: 59.1002617/-3.3488642

Marwick Head

Addr City: Orkney

Addr Postcode: KW17 2NB

Leisure: nature_reserve

Operator: RSPB

Lat/Long: 59.0988345/-3.3469738

Leisure: picnic_table

Lat/Long: 59.0967108/-3.3469544

Power: pole

Lat/Long: 59.1018065/-3.3490934

Power: pole

Lat/Long: 59.101954/-3.3479886

The data included in this document is from www.openstreetmap.org. The data is made available under ODbL.

The Noust Orkney

Pound's Pool Devon

Have you been to Mar Wick?

Leave your review of Mar Wick below (or comments, questions and feedback).