Islands · Scottish Islands
Damsay
In or near Finstown.
Damsay — island in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK.

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.
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
- District
- Orkney Islands
- Postcode
- KW15 1TX
- Parliamentary constituency
- Orkney and Shetland
Sources
- wikidata: Q1158919 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Damsay (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Damsay.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby

Bay of Firth
Natural landmarks · 0.9 km

Ingshowe Broch
Archaeological sites · 1.2 km

Ingshowe Broch
Archaeological sites · 1.2 km

Holm of Grimbister
Islands · 1.3 km

Rennibister Earth House
Hill forts · 1.5 km

Chapel Knowe Broch
Archaeological sites · 1.6 km

Chapel Knowe Broch
Archaeological sites · 1.6 km

Firth
Islands · 2.0 km

former watermill
Watermills · 2.0 km

Wideford Hill Chambered Cairn
Hill forts · 2.6 km

Wideford Hill
Archaeological sites · 2.6 km

Stonehall
Hill forts · 2.8 km
Nearby
Natural landmarks · Scottish Islands
Bay of Firth
Bay of Firth — a natural feature in scotland islands.
Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands
Ingshowe Broch
Ingshowe Broch — a archaeological in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands
Ingshowe Broch
Ingshowe Broch — archaeological in scotland islands.
Flagship📷 5Islands · Scottish Islands
Holm of Grimbister
Holm of Grimbister — inhabited tidal islet in the Orkney archipelago of Scotland.
📷 3Hill forts · Scottish Islands
Rennibister Earth House
Rennibister Earth House — souterrain in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK.
Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands
Chapel Knowe Broch
Chapel Knowe Broch — a archaeological in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
Where to eat & stay near Damsay
Places to stay
Caravan parks · Scottish Islands
Orkney Caravan Park at the Pickaquoy Centre
Orkney Caravan Park at the Pickaquoy Centre — a caravan park in scotland islands.
Hostels · Scottish Islands
Orcades Hostel
Orcades Hostel — a hostel in scotland islands.
Hostels · Scottish Islands
Kirkwall Youth Hostel
Kirkwall Youth Hostel — a hostel in scotland islands. Brand: Hostelling Scotland.
Places to eat & drink
More places in this region
📷 5Islands · Scottish Islands
Bac Beag
Bac Beag — Scottish island, part of the Treshnish Isles in the Inner Hebrides.
📷 5Islands · Scottish Islands
Bac Mòr
Bac Mòr — island in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK, one of the Treshnish Isles.
Flagship📷 3Islands · Scottish Islands
Baleshare
Baleshare — flat tidal island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK.
Flagship📷 5Frequently 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.