To the west of Hamna Voe, the island's spectacular western cliffs come into view, carved with arches and caves and punctuated with stacks and skcrrics. Two large holes, set back slightly from the cliffs' edge, drop through the roof of perhaps the most famous of the Papa Stour caves, known as Kirstan Hole. Look down through the holes and you can see waves breaking on the beach at the back of the cave, but take care it's a long way down!

Nowhere on the island is the power of the sea more evident than in the three legged Aesha Stack, Aesha Head, pierced by the Hole of Burri Geo, and the sea caves that penetrate Fogla and Leera Skerries. The waves do not always have their way though and to the north of Leera Skerry the solitary Snolda (whose name comes from the Old Norse word for a pinnacle) reaches precariously out of the sea, with waves crashing around the base and boulders balanced on top.

Virda Field is the highest point on Papa Stour, providing a panoramic view of the island. To the north west the tips of the Ve Skerries can be seen, just above the sea surface. From this distance they look small, but the shallow baas (the Shetland name for submerged reefs) reach out much further and have proved treacherous on many occasions.

This was the scene in December 1977 of Papa Stour's most recent shipwreck when the "Elinor Viking" was blown into the Ve Skerries, the rocks tearing a large hole in her side. Fortunately the crew were rescued, but the event prompted the building of the lighthouse on the skerries which is clearly visible from Papa Stour.

In contrast to the rugged coastline of the west, the sheltered voes along the north coast, West Voe and Culla Voe provided shelter for 19th century herring fishing stations. Before the advent of refrigeration herring needed to be processed quickly and packed in salt to preserve them for export to Europe.