Key Facts

• Location: Inner Hebrides
• Size: 543 hectares
• Terrain: Sands; island tracks; free range on open ground
• Access: Tidal crossing
• Height gain: 208 metres
• Map: OS Explorer 354 COLONSAY AND ORONSAY
• Starting point: The track head on Oronsay; Grid ref. NR 367 898

Oronsay Walk

Oronsay is a tidal island that sits just off the south coast of Colonsay in the Inner Hebrides. It is a wild and rugged place with incredible views, magnificent beaches, extraordinary wildlife and holds many secrets to prehistoric living. The walk begins with a fabulous tidal crossing of The Strand, and then uses the main island track to the Priory and Oronsay Farm before the easy free-range route follows the coast. There are magnificent views of the peaks of Islay and Jura for most of the trip, a wonderful bothy and stunning, deserted white sand beaches on the south and east coasts that make idyllic swimming spots.

The walk offers plenty of secluded swims off any one of the glorious white sand beaches with stunning views of the Paps of Jura and mountains of Islay

Oronsay walk description

Begin your walk at the south end of B8085 and follow the tyre marks to cross The Strand. After 2.3km, take the shingle track between two posts and a standing stone onto the island. Follow the track through the rocky foreshore, over moorland at the base of Beinn Oronsay, and through farmland to the priory. Take the track through the gate left of the main house towards Oronsay Farm. Just before reaching the RSPB office turn left, opposite the house, go through the gate and along the grasstrack through the managed corncrake habitat. After 200m turn left through a gate and continue towards the shore, walking alongside the stream. Go through the metal gate and onto the beach. Turn right to access the tidal islet of Dubh Eilean or continue south to the white bothy at the end of the long beach. Go through the gate in the stone wall, turn right parallel to the stone wall and continue over the open ground and machair, keeping to the coast.

At the southern tip continue around the low rock terraces of Port na Blàthach then rejoin the grass island track between the head of the inlet and a raised pebble ‘beach’ to the left. After about 1.9km, pass through the remains of a stone boundary wall. Continue, past the shell mounds to Tràigh Uamha Seilbhe. FromSeal Cottage take the left fork and continue north west through a metal gate towards the main island track. Turn right at the metal gate in the stone wall and continue along the main island track, retracing your steps back to the causeway.

Full route description for the Oronsay walk can be found in our book ‘Islandeering; adventures around the outside edge of Britain’s hidden islands’; or download the route and GPX on this page.

Oronsay Priory

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Download Oronsay walking route gpx