Long distance
St Magnus Way
A 58-mile pilgrimage route through Mainland Orkney, following the story of Magnus, Orkney's patron saint, from the island where he was killed to the cathedral that bears his name. Six sections — a short walk on Egilsay, then five across the Mainland; rough coastal walking, farm tracks, quiet roads and one stretch of open heather.
Quick facts
- Distance
- 93 km/ 58 mi
- Typical days
- 6
- Total ascent
- 1190 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Start → Finish
- Egilsay → St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
- Best direction
- West to East
✔ Waymarked throughout
Approximate profile derived from per-stage ascent — accurate on total climb and pattern, not a pixel-precise GPX trace.
Our take
The St Magnus Way is the one long-distance route in the Northern Isles, and it is a pilgrimage before it is a hike: each section carries a theme — peace, loss, growth, change, forgiveness, hospitality — and the St Magnus Way app plays resources at each waypoint. The walking is mixed. Evie to Birsay is a hard shore and clifftop day with the island of Eynhallow across the sound; Dounby to Finstown is gentle and mostly on road; Finstown to Orphir crosses rough heather on Cuween and Lyradale to Earl Hakon's Round Kirk. The Egilsay leg takes most of a day because of the ferry, not the walk. Nobody has to walk it in one go: the operator itself suggests a single base with lifts to and from each section.
Highlights
- St Magnus Kirk and the Magnus memorial on Egilsay
- Broch of Gurness and the Evie coast
- The Round Kirk at Orphir
- Binscarth Wood — rare Orkney woodland
- Scapa Flow shore and St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
Day-by-day itinerary
A suggested 6-day schedule. Adjust to your fitness and conditions.
1Egilsay5.6km · 62m ascent
A short, easy loop linking the pier, the Magnus memorial, the beach and the round-towered St Magnus Kirk, where Magnus was martyred around 1117. Theme: Peace. Allow 2 hours plus the ferry. Orkney Ferries sails three times a day from Tingwall via Rousay; the lunchtime boat is a request service, booked the day before on 01856 751360.
- Terrain
- Minor road and track; a short steep section of pebbles to reach the beach.
- Overnight
- Return to Tingwall on the ferry. Most walkers stay on the Mainland.
- Stats
- Egilsay pier → Egilsay pier · 5.6km · ↑62m
2Evie (Gurness) to Birsay20km · 260m ascent
The route Magnus's body was carried for burial in Birsay. Shore and clifftop walking with views to Rousay, Eynhallow and Westray, steep at Costa Hill and Whitaloo Point. At very high tides or in bad weather the operator advises taking the road from the Sands of Evie toilets up to the A966. Theme: Loss. Allow 7–9 hours.
- Terrain
- Rough coastal path, beach and exposed clifftop.
- Overnight
- B&Bs and self-catering in the West Mainland; many will collect you at Birsay.
- Stats
- Broch of Gurness → Birsay · 20km · ↑260m
3Birsay to Dounby16.6km · 184m ascent
An inland walk to the heart of the West Mainland, past the Mans Well — an ancient spring where Magnus's body may have been washed — and the Mans Stanes. Theme: Growth. Allow 4–6 hours.
- Terrain
- Farmland tracks and quiet roads; animals may be grazing near the Mans Well path.
- Overnight
- West Mainland B&Bs and self-catering.
- Stats
- Birsay → Dounby · 16.6km · ↑184m
4Dounby to Finstown16.6km · 130m ascent
Past Harray Loch, St Michael's Kirk and the Loch of Wasdale, finishing through Binscarth Wood. Theme: Change. Allow 4–6 hours.
- Terrain
- Mostly gentle road walking, with field and woodland track (about 4.4 km off road).
- Overnight
- West Mainland or Kirkwall.
- Stats
- Dounby → Finstown · 16.6km · ↑130m
5Finstown to Orphir15km · 332m ascent
Over Cuween and the Hill of Lyradale, then down to the Round Kirk Earl Hakon may have built after his pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Theme: Forgiveness. Allow 5–7 hours.
- Terrain
- Rough heather across Cuween, steep tracks up and down Lyradale, then road and a coastal track from The Breck.
- Overnight
- B&B and self-catering around Orphir, or Kirkwall.
- Stats
- Finstown → Orphir · 15km · ↑332m
6Orphir to Kirkwall20.4km · 222m ascent
Along Scapa Flow via the Waulkmill RSPB reserve, Scapa Beach and the Crantit Trail, approaching the cathedral from the harbour. At exceptionally high tides the path to the beach at Waulkmill may flood; the operator advises staying on the main road to the next junction. Theme: Hospitality. Allow 5–7 hours.
- Terrain
- Road and track, one rough stretch of heather moorland, and some cliff exposure above Scapa Flow.
- Overnight
- Kirkwall has the widest choice on Orkney.
- Stats
- Orphir → St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall · 20.4km · ↑222m
Best months
Accommodation
The operator lists three ways to do it: a single base in the West Mainland or Kirkwall (many B&Bs will drop you at the start and collect you at the end), a support package from a local business, or moving on each night. Hotels, B&Bs, self-catering and campsites in Kirkwall and the West Mainland. The operator takes no commission on any of its suggestions.
Night-by-night guide: where to stay →Resupply
Kirkwall has the full range of shops. Elsewhere the route passes through small villages — check what is open before relying on a mid-section stop, and carry lunch on the Evie to Birsay and Finstown to Orphir sections.
Current conditions
Weather at the start point (Egilsay)
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 07:15
- Sunset
- 16:37
- Civil dawn
- 06:32
- Civil dusk
- 17:19
NOAA Solar Calculator · 26 October 2026
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