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Stenness Church

📷 N Chadwick · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Plan your visit

BirdsWildlifeSeasonal

Public accessFree entryDogs welcome

Getting here

58.99362, -3.20112

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🐦78+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Mute Swan and Redshank
🐕Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails
🅿️Stones Of Stenness car park 23m away — 6 car parks within reach

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🐦78+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Mute Swan and Redshank
🐕Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails
🅿️Stones Of Stenness car park 23m away — 6 car parks within reach

Good to know

£Free to visit — no entry charge
🐕Dogs welcome

Parking· Free

Best for

8 activities

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Mute Swan, Redshank, Curlew +75 more · last seen 2026; Birds — Mute Swan, Redshank, Curlew +75 more · last seen 2026

Free

Wildlife

Very strong match

Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals; Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals

Free

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Plants — Heather, Meadowsweet, Common Ragwort +34 more · last seen 2025; Plants — Heather, Meadowsweet, Common Ragwort +34 more · last seen 2025

Free

Dog walks

Good match

Dogs allowed with public access

Free

Foraging

Good match

Plants — Meadowsweet, Hogweed, Common Nettle +3 more foraging species

Varies

Insect spotting

Good match

Insects — Eristalis tenax, Potato Capsid, Cheilosia bergenstammi +1 more · last seen 2025; Insects — Eristalis tenax, Potato Capsid, Cheilosia bergenstammi +1 more · last seen 2025

Free

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚴

Cycling

2 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

EuroVelo 12 - North Sea Cycle Route - part United Kingdom 9Cycling route

Named routeRef EV12International cycle route

Orkney Prehistory Loop RideCycling route

Named routeLocal cycle route

Wildlife to spot

9,122 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

9,122 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds57 species

summer

2026

Mute Swan · Redshank · Dunlin · Snipe · Golden Plover +52

Mute SwanCygnus olor
RedshankTringa totanus2025
DunlinCalidris alpina2025
SnipeGallinago gallinago2025
Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria2025
Greylag GooseAnser anser2025
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis2025
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2025
LapwingVanellus vanellus2025
RavenCorvus corax2025
ShovelerSpatula clypeata2025
Common GullLarus canus2025
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus2025
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus2025
WigeonMareca penelope2025
LinnetLinaria cannabina2025
Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
SwallowHirundo rustica2025
Rock DoveColumba livia2025
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2025
Hooded CrowCorvus cornix2025
CurlewNumenius arquata2025
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator2025
MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
TealAnas crecca2025
KestrelFalco tinnunculus2025
KnotCalidris canutus2025
Black SwanCygnus atratus2025
FulmarFulmarus glacialis2025
RookCorvus frugilegus2025
Tufted DuckAythya fuligula2025
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus2025
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2025
Great SkuaStercorarius skua2025
House SparrowPasser domesticus2025
Red-throated DiverGavia stellata2025
GadwallMareca strepera
ShelduckTadorna tadorna2025
RuffCalidris pugnax2025
MerlinFalco columbarius2025
SkylarkAlauda arvensis2025
GreenshankTringa nebularia2025
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus2025
ScaupAythya marila2025
PochardAythya ferina2025
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
House MartinDelichon urbicum2025
Grey HeronArdea cinerea2025
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
PheasantPhasianus colchicus2025
Redpoll (cabaret/flammea)Acanthis flammea cabaret/flammea2025
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2025
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2025
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula2025

🦌

Mammals5 species

summerautumn

2025

Rabbit · Orkney/Guernsey Vole · Stoat · Harbour Seal · Otter

RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus
Orkney/Guernsey VoleMicrotus arvalis
StoatMustela erminea
Harbour SealPhoca vitulina
OtterLutra lutra

🐝

Insects2 species

summerautumn

2025

Eristalis tenax · Potato Capsid

Eristalis tenaxEristalis tenax
Potato CapsidClosterotomus norwegicus

🌿

Plants14 species

summer

2025

Heather · Common Ragwort · Yellow-rattle · Meadowsweet · Bell Heather +9

HeatherCalluna vulgaris
Common RagwortJacobaea vulgaris
Yellow-rattleRhinanthus minor
MeadowsweetFilipendula ulmaria
Bell HeatherErica cinerea
Red CloverTrifolium pratense
Perennial Sow-thistleSonchus arvensis

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

9,122 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds57 species

summer

2026

Mute Swan · Redshank · Dunlin · Snipe · Golden Plover +52

Mute SwanCygnus olor
RedshankTringa totanus2025
DunlinCalidris alpina2025
SnipeGallinago gallinago2025
Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria2025
Greylag GooseAnser anser2025
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis2025
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2025
LapwingVanellus vanellus2025
RavenCorvus corax2025
ShovelerSpatula clypeata2025
Common GullLarus canus2025
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus2025
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus2025
WigeonMareca penelope2025
LinnetLinaria cannabina2025
Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
SwallowHirundo rustica2025
Rock DoveColumba livia2025
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2025
Hooded CrowCorvus cornix2025
CurlewNumenius arquata2025
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator2025
MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
TealAnas crecca2025
KestrelFalco tinnunculus2025
KnotCalidris canutus2025
Black SwanCygnus atratus2025
FulmarFulmarus glacialis2025
RookCorvus frugilegus2025
Tufted DuckAythya fuligula2025
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus2025
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2025
Great SkuaStercorarius skua2025
House SparrowPasser domesticus2025
Red-throated DiverGavia stellata2025
GadwallMareca strepera
ShelduckTadorna tadorna2025
RuffCalidris pugnax2025
MerlinFalco columbarius2025
SkylarkAlauda arvensis2025
GreenshankTringa nebularia2025
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus2025
ScaupAythya marila2025
PochardAythya ferina2025
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
House MartinDelichon urbicum2025
Grey HeronArdea cinerea2025
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
PheasantPhasianus colchicus2025
Redpoll (cabaret/flammea)Acanthis flammea cabaret/flammea2025
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2025
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2025
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula2025

🦌

Mammals5 species

summerautumn

2025

Rabbit · Orkney/Guernsey Vole · Stoat · Harbour Seal · Otter

RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus
Orkney/Guernsey VoleMicrotus arvalis
StoatMustela erminea
Harbour SealPhoca vitulina
OtterLutra lutra

🐝

Insects2 species

summerautumn

2025

Eristalis tenax · Potato Capsid

Eristalis tenaxEristalis tenax
Potato CapsidClosterotomus norwegicus

🌿

Plants14 species

summer

2025

Heather · Common Ragwort · Yellow-rattle · Meadowsweet · Bell Heather +9

HeatherCalluna vulgaris
Common RagwortJacobaea vulgaris
Yellow-rattleRhinanthus minor
MeadowsweetFilipendula ulmaria
Bell HeatherErica cinerea
Red CloverTrifolium pratense
Perennial Sow-thistleSonchus arvensis

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 N Chadwick · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Stenness Church

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

🦉Happy ValleyNature reserve2.5 km→✦Big Howe, BrochHistoric site300 m→✦Stone of Odin (probable site)Historic site400 m→✦Fresh Knowe and Plumcake MoundHistoric site1.7 km→✦Ring of BrodgarHistoric site1.9 km→✦Hill of Heddle (Prehistoric Barrow)Historic site4.9 km→

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