Brough of Birsay Beach

The Brough of Birsay is an uninhabited tidal island off the north-west coast of Mainland, Orkney. It is home to Pictish and Norse settlements as well as dramatic cliffs and a modern lighthouse.

Separated from the mainland by the 240-metre (790-foot) Sound of Birsay at high tide, the island is accessible on foot at low tide via a largely natural causeway.

Brough of Birsay beach lies at either end of the crossing and is a pleasant mix of sand and rocky flats which are home to an abundance of rock pools.