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The Great Britain Guide logoThe Great Britain Guide

Islands · Scottish Islands

Damsay

In or near Finstown.

Free admission🐾 Dog-friendly

Damsay — island in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK.

Damsay, islands in Scottish Islands

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
4 h–12 h
  • Free entry
  • Dog-friendly

Getting there & planning your visit

Damsay is located in the Orkney Islands, with the postcode KW15 1TX. Entry to the island is free. Please note that there is no railway station nearby.

Directions on Google Maps →

About

Damsay is a island in the United Kingdom. Part of Orkney Islands. Wikidata describes it as: "island in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 59.0086°, -3.0631°.

Photo gallery

From the Wikipedia article

Damsay is an islet in the Orkney archipelago in Scotland. It is approximately 18 hectares (0.07 sq mi) in extent and rises to only 11 metres (36 ft) above sea level. It is situated in the Bay of Firth north of the Orkney Mainland near Finstown. Nearby is the smaller islet of Holm of Grimbister.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

It is now uninhabited, but at one time a Norse hall stood there, and it was the scene of the killing of Earl Erlend Haraldsson by Earls Rögnvald Kali Kolsson and Harald Maddadsson in 1154. Erlend celebrated after returning to the islet for Christmas and retired to his ship the worse for drink on the night of 21 December. Despite being warned of an attack by Sweyn Asleifsson and the presence of a full moon his men were taken by surprise by the attack by his co-rulers and Erlend was killed. Later a small nunnery was built on the islet leading to a legend that no frogs or toads (or possibly rats and mice) could live there. Jo Ben's 1529 Descriptions of Orkney says of Damsay: <blockquote> Here…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
59.0086, -3.0631
Postcode
KW15 1TX
Parliamentary constituency
Orkney and Shetland

Sources

Other places nearby

Nearby

Damsay Chapel (St.Mary's) - geograph.org.uk - 2384507📷 5

Natural landmarks · Scottish Islands

Bay of Firth

Bay of Firth — a natural feature in scotland islands.

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Field near Ingashowe - geograph.org.uk - 4742640📷 3

Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands

Ingshowe Broch

Ingshowe Broch — a archaeological in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.

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Wind turbine near Rennibister - geograph.org.uk - 7445994📷 5

Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands

Ingshowe Broch

Ingshowe Broch — archaeological in scotland islands.

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Islands · Scottish Islands

Holm of Grimbister

Holm of Grimbister — inhabited tidal islet in the Orkney archipelago of Scotland.

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Rennibister Earth House📷 3

Hill forts · Scottish Islands

Rennibister Earth House

Rennibister Earth House — souterrain in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK.

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Wave-cut platform, Point of Backaquoy - geograph.org.uk - 2103443📷 3

Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands

Chapel Knowe Broch

Chapel Knowe Broch — a archaeological in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.

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Where to eat & stay near Damsay

Places to stay

Housing on the edge of Kirkwall - geograph.org.uk - 7458844📷 5

Caravan parks · Scottish Islands

Orkney Caravan Park at the Pickaquoy Centre

Orkney Caravan Park at the Pickaquoy Centre — a caravan park in scotland islands.

Housing on the edge of Kirkwall - geograph.org.uk - 7458844📷 5

Hostels · Scottish Islands

Orcades Hostel

Orcades Hostel — a hostel in scotland islands.

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Kirkwall harbour - geograph.org.uk - 4551139📷 5

Hostels · Scottish Islands

Peedie Hostel

Peedie Hostel — a hostel in scotland islands.

Kirkwall harbour - geograph.org.uk - 4551139📷 7

Hotels · Scottish Islands

Ayre Hotel

Ayre Hotel — a hotel in scotland islands.

Kirkwall Lane - geograph.org.uk - 7800624📷 7

Hotels · Scottish Islands

The Kirkwall Hotel

The Kirkwall Hotel — a hotel in scotland islands.

John G Corse, funeral directors - geograph.org.uk - 7443648📷 5

Hostels · Scottish Islands

Kirkwall Youth Hostel

Kirkwall Youth Hostel — a hostel in scotland islands. Brand: Hostelling Scotland.

Freehostellingscotland.org.uk

Places to eat & drink

Fence post and valve markers, Velzian - geograph.org.uk - 6868186📷 4

Historic pubs · Scottish Islands

Dounby

Dounby in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.

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More places in this region

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Islands · Scottish Islands

Bac Beag

Bac Beag — Scottish island, part of the Treshnish Isles in the Inner Hebrides.

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Bac Mòr

Bac Mòr — island in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK, one of the Treshnish Isles.

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BaleshareFlagship📷 3

Islands · Scottish Islands

Baleshare

Baleshare — flat tidal island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK.

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BarraFlagship📷 5

Islands · Scottish Islands

Barra

Barra — island in Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK.

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Damsay?
Damsay is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom (postcode KW15 1TX).
What is Damsay?
Damsay — island in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK.
How do I get to Damsay?
Drivers can use postcode KW15 1TX.
Is Damsay free to visit?
Yes, Damsay is free to enter.
How do I get to Damsay?
Drivers can navigate to postcode KW15 1TX. It sits within the Orkney and Shetland parliamentary constituency.