Wyre, Orkney

Wyre is a small island in the Orkney archipelago off the north coast of Scotland notable for early medieval archaeology and rural settlement. The island contains several well-preserved ruins dating to the Norse and medieval periods.

Principal historic features include the ruins of a 12th-century stone castle and remains of medieval religious buildings and grave slabs; these are key reasons visitors come to the island. The landscape is mainly low-lying farmland and coastal shoreline used for grazing and small-scale agriculture.

Archaeological and documentary evidence links the island to Norse landholders and medieval ecclesiastical activity; the stone castle is attributed to a Norse magnate of the 12th century and is notable for its early masonry. The chapel and grave slabs indicate continuous local use in the medieval period and later.

Wyre lies within Orkney, north of Mainland Orkney and close to the islands of Rousay and Egilsay. It is part of the Northern Isles group and is reached by short ferry crossings from neighbouring islands or Mainland Orkney.

• Island access: The island is small and sparsely populated, reachable by inter-island ferry services from neighbouring Orkney islands such as Rousay and the Mainland.

What to See #

• Cubbie Roo's Castle: A medieval stone tower-castle built by a Norse landlord in the 12th century; it is one of the earliest known stone fortifications in Orkney and survives as a ruin.
• Medieval chapel ruins: The remains of a medieval chapel and associated grave slabs that reflect the island's long-term settlement and religious use.