Overview of Rackwick

The scattered hamlet of Rackwick is found on the island of Hoy, the southernmost island of the Orkney islands. Rackwick lies 3 miles (5 km) from the north end of the island, in a beautiful bay, enclosed by sandstone cliffs. The local school, which closed in 1958, is now a museum, and there is also a youth hostel for the many visitors to what was once described as being 'the most beautiful place in Orkney'. The composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davis (b.1934) lived here between 1970 and 1998.

Nearly 2½ miles (4 km) to the east is the Dwarfie Stane, an enormous slab of stone, with chambers cut into it. It has been variously evaluated as a burial chamber or a small dwelling.