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58 miles · 6 stages · 5 nights

Where to stay on the St Magnus Way

Night-by-night accommodation from Egilsay to St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall — what's actually at each stop, and where booking ahead matters.

Back to the full St Magnus Way guide

The overall picture

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

Overnight options at the end of each stage, walking Egilsay → St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall. Search links open Booking.com for that stop — where a night is wild-camp or bothy only, there's nothing to book and no link.

  1. Night 1: Egilsay pier

    Day 1 · Egilsay pier → Egilsay pier · 5.6km, 62m ascent

    Return to Tingwall on the ferry. Most walkers stay on the Mainland.

  2. Night 2: Birsay

    Day 2 · Broch of Gurness → Birsay · 20km, 260m ascent

    B&Bs and self-catering in the West Mainland; many will collect you at Birsay.

    Search stays in Birsay

  3. Night 3: Dounby

    Day 3 · Birsay → Dounby · 16.6km, 184m ascent

    West Mainland B&Bs and self-catering.

    Search stays in Dounby

  4. Night 4: Finstown

    Day 4 · Dounby → Finstown · 16.6km, 130m ascent

    West Mainland or Kirkwall.

  5. Night 5: Orphir

    Day 5 · Finstown → Orphir · 15km, 332m ascent

    B&B and self-catering around Orphir, or Kirkwall.

    Search stays in Orphir

  6. Night 6: St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall

    Day 6 · Orphir → St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall · 20.4km, 222m ascent

    Kirkwall has the widest choice on Orkney.

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St Magnus Way accommodation — common questions

How many overnight stops does the St Magnus Way take?
6 walking days on the standard itinerary, so 5 nights on the trail. Budget an extra night at Egilsay before you start or at St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall after you finish if your travel connections are long.
Should I pre-book my overnight stops on the St Magnus Way?
In the peak months (May, June, July, August, September) — yes, book ahead; the overnight stops are small places with limited beds and they fill weeks out. Off-season you have more slack, but phone ahead anyway: some accommodation closes entirely outside the walking season.