Burray

Island intro

The talent-filled island of Burray is connected to Mainland Shetland and South Ronaldsay by the famous Churchill Barriers.

Ask an Islander

We asked locals on Burray to tell us why their island is special. Here’s what they said:

Islander Andrea from Orkney Gin Company told us:

“My favourite part of the island is the top of Burray. In the olden days there were many more roads on the island which can now be used as peaceful paths on foot, horse or bike. The view is absolutely stunning; you can see for miles around you. If the walk up doesn’t take your breath away, the view will!”

Walking on Burray can be pretty spectacular too, as Andrea explains. “The 4th Barrier beach which connects Burray and South Ronaldsay is a beautiful huge sandy beach. There’s so much space to enjoy with dunes and tide pools creating interest throughout the day. Sometimes rare birds nest there too, it’s a great spot to explore”.

“There are so many fantastic things to do on the island,” Andrea says. “The Orkney Fossil and Heritage Centre has so many interesting artefacts to enjoy and a great café and shop too. We also have many fantastic businesses on Burray, from illustration and design by Hackney & Co, Kerr Carpentry, Fluke Jewellery & Karen Duncan Jewellery, to The Sands Hotel, Orkney and Seaview Stores, to various galleries and even paint-balling!”

“Burray has its own Primary School and Nursery and a local hall that hosts a multitude of fantastic community events, and the Burray Regatta which supports the RNLI is great fun.”

“Living in Burray is great. It’s a small island with a small village. Everything is quite spread out, so you get that wonderful island-life vibe. But we’re so well connected by road to the Mainland of Orkney by the Churchill Barriers, we can easily head into Kirkwall to enjoy all the shops!”

Getting Here

You can reach Burray via the Churchill Barriers from both Mainland Orkney and South Ronaldsay. There is a regular bus service between St Margaret’s Hope in South Ronaldsay and Kirkwall on Mainland Orkney, which stops in Burray village.

Find out more about getting to South Ronaldsay.

Find out more about getting to Mainland Orkney.