Burray Village: History, Paths and Nature
Accommodation in Burray Village
Several themes come together in Burray Village, and you can consider them separately when choosing your destination: the history of the Churchill Barriers, two Core Paths with different route details, and nature at No 4 Barrier. For visitor information, the Orkney Fossil & Heritage Centre and Burray Pier are also worth noting. This can help you decide whether you would like to focus on history, a walk or nature-watching in Burray.
The Churchill Barriers and their history
Churchill Barrier No 3 connects Glim Holm with Burray; No 4 connects Burray with South Ronaldsay. No 4 was built between 1940 and 1944 as part of the wartime causeways that protected the eastern approaches to Scapa Flow. The two names help distinguish the connections: both involve Burray, but lead to different named places.
Core Paths: length and direction
The two Core Paths offer different ways to find your bearings. B6 is a walk of about 0.8 miles in Burray Village. B5 leads from the village to the west of the island. B6 therefore has an approximate distance, while B5 is described mainly by its direction. When choosing between the paths, you can consider whether a stated distance or a westward route matters more to you. The details answer different planning questions: approximately how long is B6, and in which direction does B5 lead?
Nature at No 4 Barrier
The dunes at No 4 Barrier are among the few places where the Dark Green Fritillary can be observed; sightings are seasonal and not guaranteed. The beach at No 4 Barrier in Burray is home to Orkney’s only breeding colony of the rare Little Tern. Its breeding status may change over time. The dunes and beach therefore represent two different nature-related features, both associated with No 4 Barrier: the possibility of seeing a butterfly and a rare breeding colony.
Economic history and visitor information
Herring fishing is also part of the area’s history: until the mid-19th century, it was a very important industry in Burray. This adds a different time frame to the construction of Churchill Barrier No 4 between 1940 and 1944. When exploring Burray’s history, you can distinguish the local economic history of the 19th century from the later wartime period and the protection of Scapa Flow’s eastern approaches. Fishing and the Barrier thus represent two different layers of local history, with an economic and a wartime focus.
The Orkney Fossil & Heritage Centre is wheelchair accessible via the Heritage Tearoom; there is an accessible toilet next to the main entrance. Check the visitor information on accessibility again before your trip. There are public toilets at Burray Pier; check this visitor information too before your visit.
Discover more destinations: Tingwall, Stromness, Kirkwall, Hackness, Orphir, Finstown, Westray, Orkney.
For the main travel overview: Orkney Islands.
