How difficult is Wideford Hill?

Wideford Hill carries a 1/5 (easy) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Ground conditions: Short grass and heather over flagstone with a tarmac service road to the mast.

How much drop does Wideford Hill have?

The drop is 169m: measured from the summit of Wideford Hill down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain. Passing the 150m-drop threshold on all sides is exactly what makes it a Marilyn.

What's the best month to climb Wideford Hill?

Aim for March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October on Wideford Hill. In the remaining months treat it as a winter hill — full kit, solid navigation, and a look at the relevant SAIS avalanche forecast before you go.

Can dogs go up Wideford Hill?

Dogs are fine on a lead. The route passes livestock or ground-nesting bird habitat, so keep them close throughout.

By Gary

Photo: N Chadwick / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Marilyn · Orkney & Shetland

Wideford Hill

Wideford Hill rises directly above Kirkwall and is the most accessible of all the Orkney Marilyns. The 225m summit carries a transmitter mast, an Iron Age chambered cairn lies on its flank, and the view encompasses Scapa Flow, the East Mainland and the lochs of Stenness.

Quick facts

Height: 225m/ 738ft
Prominence: 169 m
Difficulty: 1 / 5Easy
Grid ref: HY 41148 11609
Dogs: Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗

Height and prominence cross-checked against the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY).

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Standard route

grass moorland 70% · heather patches 20% · rocky summit 10%

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Elevation profile coming with the GPX track

A surfaced service road leads almost to the summit from the A965, making this one of Orkney's easiest tops. Walkers can also approach on foot from Kirkwall via the chambered cairn for a richer experience.

Terrain

Short grass and heather over flagstone with a tarmac service road to the mast. The hillside above Kirkwall is grazed and well drained — boots are useful but not essential.

In winter

The summit road can be icy in cold spells but the hill itself stays largely snow-free. With Kirkwall five minutes below, this is one of the few Orkney tops manageable in a short winter day.

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Wideford Hill. SAIS forecasts six areas only — Northern and Southern Cairngorms, Creag Meagaidh, Lochaber, Glencoe and Torridon — and this hill is outside all of them, so there is no avalanche forecast to read for it. No MWIS mountain forecast covers this area either. In winter, work from a local weather forecast, judge snow stability from first principles, and treat any cornice or wind-loaded slope with extra caution.

Best time of year

Best OK Avoid

Getting there

Glasgow9h 41m
Edinburgh8h 52m

Ferry access

Scrabster → Stromness (Orkney)

Crossing time90 min
Summer sailings3 sailings daily (Apr–Oct)
Winter sailings2 sailings daily (Nov–Mar)
Book ahead7 days
Last ferry backCheck NorthLink timetable — last sailing back varies seasonally

Alternative: Pentland Ferries from Gills Bay → St Margaret's Hope (1h, more frequent) or Aberdeen → Kirkwall overnight. Hoy hills are a further short inter-island ferry hop from Stromness.

Book on ferry operator ↗

OS maps: OS Landranger 6, OS Explorer 463

Mobile signal: Reliable up top; EE behaves well. Fine Kirkwall and Scapa Flow views.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

14h 22mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 06:38
Sunset: 19:38
Civil dawn: 05:57
Civil dusk: 20:19

NOAA Solar Calculator · 14 September 2026

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Around Wideford Hill on the SCOT network

Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.

On TripSCOT

station

Getting there: Thurso station

End of the Far North Line — Dunnet Head, Pentland Firth, Orkney ferry

52km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TasteSCOT

distillery

After the hill: Highland Park

Kirkwall, Orkney — heather-infused peat; northernmost Scotch distillery proper

5km from the hill

tastescot.co.uk

Wideford Hill — common questions

How difficult is Wideford Hill?: Wideford Hill carries a 1/5 (easy) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Ground conditions: Short grass and heather over flagstone with a tarmac service road to the mast.
How much drop does Wideford Hill have?: The drop is 169m: measured from the summit of Wideford Hill down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain. Passing the 150m-drop threshold on all sides is exactly what makes it a Marilyn.
What's the best month to climb Wideford Hill?: Aim for March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October on Wideford Hill. In the remaining months treat it as a winter hill — full kit, solid navigation, and a look at the relevant SAIS avalanche forecast before you go.
Can dogs go up Wideford Hill?: Dogs are fine on a lead. The route passes livestock or ground-nesting bird habitat, so keep them close throughout.
Will I get phone signal on Wideford Hill?: Reliable up top; EE behaves well. Fine Kirkwall and Scapa Flow views.
How do I get the ferry to Wideford Hill?: Scrabster → Stromness (Orkney). 3 sailings daily (Apr–Oct) in summer; 2 sailings daily (Nov–Mar) in winter. Book at least 7 days ahead. Alternative: Pentland Ferries from Gills Bay → St Margaret's Hope (1h, more frequent) or Aberdeen → Kirkwall overnight. Hoy hills are a further short inter-island ferry hop from Stromness.
Is Wideford Hill safe in winter?: The summit road can be icy in cold spells but the hill itself stays largely snow-free. With Kirkwall five minutes below, this is one of the few Orkney tops manageable in a short winter day.

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