Marwick Head and the Kitchener Memorial

The walk starts from the car park at Marwick Bay on the west coast of Orkney Mainland. A grassy path leads north from the bay to the small car park at Cumlaquoy, and from there a cliff-top path runs west and then north along the RSPB's Marwick Head reserve, above a seabird colony, to the Kitchener Memorial, a stone tower on the clifftop. The people of Orkney put it up in 1926 for Lord Kitchener and the crew of HMS Hampshire, which was sunk by a mine offshore in 1916. Beyond the memorial a footway turns east across the fields to a lane, and quiet lanes lead back to the bay.

It is 4.5 km round with 130 m of ascent; allow about 1½ hours. The grade is Easy: a short walk on grass paths and quiet lanes, with a gradual climb to the cliffs.

The RSPB says the path up to the cliff top is grassy with some steep inclines and can be wet and slippery, and there are two narrow kissing gates on the second half of the walk. The cliffs are high, so keep back from the edge. The RSPB gives 1 April to 15 August as the ground-nesting season on the reserve and asks you to keep your dog close, preferably on a short lead. Barbecues are not permitted on the reserve at any time.

The RSPB says Marwick Bay has ample car parking and that Cumlaquoy has room for around six cars. There is no station on Orkney.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.