Mull Head.

Start. Mull Head Visitors Centre car park.

Route. Mull Head Visitors Centre car park - The Gloup - South Gearsan - North Gearsan - Clu Bar - Brough of Deerness - Lang Geo - Mull Head - Ramma Geo - Swin Ber - Den Wick Bay - East Denwick - Breckan - Mull Head Visitors Centre car park.

Notes. Mull Head Nature Reserve is the eastern headland of Deerness on what is known as Orkney Mainland, abound with sea birds and wild flowers, dramatic coastal scenery including The Gloup, an awesome collapsed sea cave separated from the ocean by land bridge. En route we passed and stopped to explore the Brough of Deerness, this rock outcrop is almost completely detached from the mainland, accessed by a narrow path with chain rope for the nervy, adorning the summit the remains of an 11th century Norse chapel, it is believed the building dates back to 600 BC, and there’s more but lets just get started.

From the car park a path heads to the coast, this passed The Gloup a dramatic collapsed sea-cave an awesome geo or chasm, the local name for a blow hole. The coast greeted us with crashing waves and stunning scenery, the path headed north as did we. After a great deal of stopping and starting to soak up the views we reached the Brough of Deerness, with a airy looking path climbing the rocky outcrop we just had to explore, on the flat grassy top we found the remains of the chapel mentioned above.

Once back on the main trod we strolled passed tranquil White Fowl Navi and Lang Geo, stopped at the Chip of the Mull for a breezy brew then continued round the point. Passed more geos and another nevi we walked, once above Den Wick Bay we stopped at a stile and gate, checked the map and decided a path cutting along the edge of a boundary fence through dense heather was the right way back, the fact an arrow pointed the way helped.

With a peaty trod under foot and the fence line to guide us we continued soon to be ejected onto a stoney track which in turn guided us to a green lane. This lane ran parallel to the one guiding us, a map check was called for, the green lane it was. After a short easy ascent the lane turned left descending passed Breckan before following field boundaries back to the Visitors Centre and car park.

view route map.

home.

Sue strides out towards the coast.

The Gloup a dramatic collapsed sea-cave separated from the sea by a land bridge.

Gloup comes from the Old Norse "gluppa" -a chasm- the local name for a blow hole. 

Copinsay as seen from above South Gearsan.

Skirting the fringe where land meets sea.

Dramatic rock architecture around the Brough of Deerness.

Sue starts the ascent of the Brough of Deerness.

Alone on this grassy top the remains of the chapel.

Mull Head seen from the Brough of Deerness.

Above White Fowl Nevi viewing the ruined chapel and the cliffs of the Brough of Deerness.

Views across White Fowl Nevi, on the far horizon the island christened Horse of Copinsay.

One of a number of evil looking slits passed en route.

Sue nears the Chip of the Mull.

The dramatic cliffs at Twisting Nevi.

Bays, headlands and wild moorland all add up to stunning walking.

Taking in the view over Shapinsay Sound, the island in sunlight is passably Shapinsay, beyond on the horizon the hills of Rousay, but I could be completely wrong.

Soaking up the views from Mull Head Nature Reserve.

East Denwick with views over Den Wick Bay.

Crop fields between East Denwick and Breckan.

Nearing Breckan looking to Mull Head.

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