Islands · Scottish Islands
Rackwick
In or near Stromness.
Rackwick in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.
Becky Williamson — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 4 h–12 h
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
About
Rackwick is a place of interest in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom — drawn from open-data sources for visitor reference. See the linked Wikipedia article for the full description.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2022
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
From the Wikipedia article
Rackwick is a small coastal crofting township in the north west of the island of Hoy in Orkney, Scotland. As well as a handful of tourist amenities the township is largely made up of crofts and other small dwellings, however most now form second homes with Rackwick having very few full time residents. In 2016 there were only three dwellings occupied year round. The Orcadian poet George Mackay Brown's poem Rackwick describes the township as "the hidden valley of light" and "Orkney's last enchantment". The name Rackwick may derive from the Old Norse reka-vík, meaning bay of jetsam.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The is little evidence of prehistoric activity in Rackwick, while the older farm buildings date from the 18th century. The first known reference to Rackwick was in Lord Sinclair's 1492 rental of Orkney, and the first detailed map dates from 1791. In 1718 the first schoolhouse (now a museum) was opened by the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge, although this was short lived as the school closed in 1724. In 1879 a new school building was built (now the hostel), closing in 1953 as there were no longer any children left in Rackwick to teach. Rackwick was home in WWII to a light anti-aircraft battery, two search light batteries, and various small ancillary buildings and…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 58.8730, -3.3860
Sources
- wikidata: Q107999070 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Rackwick (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
The Old School
Museums · 0.5 km
Glen House
Museums · 0.5 km
Rackwick Hostel
Hostels · 0.5 km
Craa Nest
Museums · 0.6 km
Rack Wick
Natural landmarks · 0.7 km
Moor Fea
Mountains & hills · 1.4 km
Moor Fea
Mountains & hills · 1.4 km
Mel Fea
Mountains & hills · 2.0 km
Berriedale Wood
Battlefields & battle sites · 2.2 km
Lyrie Geo
Natural landmarks · 2.8 km
Geo of the Lame
Natural landmarks · 2.8 km
Old Man of Hoy
Mountains & hills · 3.0 km
Nearby
📷 3Museums · Scottish Islands
The Old School
The Old School — museum in Rackwick, Hoy, Orkney, Scotland.
📷 3📷 5📷 3📷 5📷 5Mountains & hills · Scottish Islands
Moor Fea
Moor Fea — mountain in scotland islands. Elevation: 304 m.
Where to eat & stay near Rackwick
Places to stay
📷 5
📷 5
📷 5Campsites · Scottish Islands
Point of Ness Campsite
Point of Ness Campsite — a campsite in scotland islands.
📷 5
📷 7Hotels · Scottish Islands
The Stromness Hotel
The Stromness Hotel — a hotel in scotland islands.
📷 5Places to eat & drink
📷 4More 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📷 5Islands · Scottish Islands
Barra
Barra — island in Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Rackwick?
- Rackwick is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom.
- What is Rackwick?
- Rackwick in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Rackwick?
- Its coordinates are 58.8730°, -3.3860°.
- Is Rackwick free to visit?
- Yes, Rackwick is free to enter.