:''There are also two similarly named points in the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

: Point of Ayre, Isle of Man and Point of Ayr, Wales.'' Point of Ayre - geograph

Point of Ayre is a headland in the parish of Deerness, in the East

Mainland Mainland is defined as "relating to or forming the main part of a country or continent, not including the islands around it egardless of status under territorial jurisdiction by an entity" The term is often politically, economically and/or dem ...

of Orkney, Scotland. Overlooking the Copinsay Pass, it lies 4 miles (6 km) south of

Mull Head Mull may refer to: Places *Isle of Mull, a Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides ** Sound of Mull, between the Isle of Mull and the rest of Scotland * Mount Mull, Antarctica * Mull Hill, Isle of Man * Mull, Arkansas, a place along Arkansas Highwa ...

, and around 10 miles from

Kirkwall Kirkwall ( sco, Kirkwaa, gd, Bàgh na h-Eaglaise, nrn, Kirkavå) is the largest town in Orkney, an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland. The name Kirkwall comes from the Norse name (''Church Bay''), which later changed to ''Kirkv ...

, the main town on the island. At Point of Ayre is a seven-metre thick basalt lava flow. At its top surface are relict gas bubble holes now filled with carbonate. Lower down, the lava has weathered in an "onion-skin" or spheroidal pattern, which is an unusual feature in Orkney.

References

Headlands of Scotland Landforms of Orkney Mainland, Orkney {{Orkney-geo-stub