Across the short Papa Sound from Westray is the island of Papa Westray (www.papawestray.co.uk), known locally as "Papay", with a population of around seventy. Boasting one of Orkney's best-preserved Neolithic settlements, and a large nesting seabird population, it's worthy of a stay in its own right or an easy day-trip from its neighbour.

Papay's visual focus is Holland House, occupying the high central point of the island and once seat of the local lairds, the Traill family. Visitors can explore the old farm buildings, including a kiln, a doocot and a horse-powered threshing mill. An old bothy for single male servants has even been restored and made into a small museum (open at all times; free), filled with bygone bits and bobs, from a wooden flea trap to a box bed. A road leads down from Holland House to the western shore, where Papay's prime prehistoric site, the Knap of Howar, stands overlooking Westray. Dating from around 3500 BC, this Neolithic farm building makes a fair claim to being the oldest-standing house in Europe. Half a mile north along the coast from the Knap of Howar is St Boniface Kirk, a pre-Reformation church that's beautifully simple, with a bare flagstone floor, dry-stone walls, a little wooden gallery and just a couple of surviving box pews. At the northern tip of the island around North Hill (157ft), you can see razorbills, guillemots, fulmars, kittiwakes and puffins nesting on the cliffs, particularly around Fowl Craig on the east coast.

Papay is an easy day-trip from Westray, with a regular passenger ferry service from Gill Pier in Pierowall (2–5 daily; 25min), which also takes bicycles. On Tuesdays and Fridays, the car ferry from Kirkwall to Westray continues on to Papa Westray; at other times, you have to catch a bus to connect with the Papa Westray ferry from Pierowall. The bus (May-Sept; at other times phone 01857/67758); should be booked ahead, whilst on the Westray ferry; it accepts a limited number of bicycles. Papay is also connected to Westray by the world's shortest scheduled flight – two minutes in duration, or less with a following wind. You can also fly direct from Kirkwall to Papa Westray (Mon– Sat 2–3 daily; 1 on Sun) for a special return fare of £12 if you stay overnight.

Papay runs a minibus, which will take you from the pier to wherever you want on the island, and can arrange a Papay Peedie Package Tour (mid-May to mid-Sept Tues, Thurs & Sat; £35; 01857/644321). It also runs a shop, a sixteen-bed SYHA-affiliated hostel (www.syha.org.uk) and the Beltane House B&B (01857/644267, papaybeltane2@hotmail.com; ₤50-59), all housed within the old estate workers' cottages at Beltane, east of Holland House.