Burray

Burray is a small, low-lying island in the southern group of the Orkney archipelago off the coast of Scotland, lying between Mainland and South Ronaldsay. Much of the island is flat, worked farmland and machair with wide coastal views across the Stronsay Firth and Scapa Flow; it attracts seabirds and is pleasant country for walking. Like other bits of Orkney, there are traces of long settlement with archaeological features and a landscape shaped by both Norse and later Scottish farming traditions.

Economically the island is dominated by agriculture and fishing, with a small resident community that keeps a lively local rhythm of crofting and seasonal work. Burray also has a notable wartime footprint - the old RAF Burray airfield and the nearby Churchill Barriers (built to protect Scapa Flow) are reminders of the Second World War, and wartime remains are part of what draws visitors alongside simple village life and island hospitality.