Westray was an important place for Orkney’s Norsemen, thanks in part to the excellent natural harbour at Pierowall. According to the Orkneyinga Saga, the island was home to a number of Viking strongholds, with one powerbase found at Tuquoy.

These days this shallow bay is quiet, but just along the coast, the Westside Church is a reminder of Westray’s Norse heritage. According to the saga, the church was built in the mid-1100s by Haflidi Thorkelsson, whose farm was next door. These days it’s roofless and exposed to the island elements, but what remains showcases some of the finest Romanesque architecture in Orkney. The original doorway and an arched window survive, as does the chancel arch.

But it’s the location, with the sea rolling ashore merely metres away, that makes this place special and well worth a walk.