Holiday Highlights
Orkney is a remarkable collection of islands just off the north coast of Scotland. Separated by just a few miles from the coast of Caithness, the islands nevertheless feel like a land apart - they look and feel very different from the rest of Scotland. Hewn from Old Red Sandstone and sculpted by millennia of fierce Atlantic gales, the islands' fertile soils and rich coastal fisheries have attracted humans since the end of the last ice age. Orkney's exposed location has meant that forests have always struggled to establish themselves here. The lack of timber meant that the islands' early settlers were forced to build almost entirely with stone: hard work for them, but wonderful for us, as everywhere you travel on Orkney it is not long before you encounter spectacular Neolithic and Iron Age buildings, monuments and burial sites. Combining walking, wildlife watching and archaeology (from Neolithic stone circles and villages through to well preserved relics from the two world wars), this self-guided tour of Orkney incorporates all its most famous sites plus some tremendous walks to lesser known, but still remarkable, ancient monuments. The holiday also includes visits to the islands' two main towns, Kirkwall and Stromness, as well as famous visitor attractions such as the beautiful Italian Chapel in South Ronaldsay. Over the course of 8 days you will enjoy day trips to 3 of Orkney's smaller islands: Westray, with its stunning seabird colony at Noup Head; Rousay, which has some of the finest archaeology you have never heard of, and Hoy, home (of course) to the famous Old Man. During your trip you will encounter puffins (mid May - early August), enter spine-tingling 5,000 year old chambered tombs, admire some of the most spectacular coastal landscapes in Britain and (if you wish) sample some of Scotland's finest whisky. We provide everything you need for a wonderful holiday. We arrange all accommodation and ferry crossings and provide you with a comprehensive information pack to help you get the most out of your visit to the islands. We include a recommended walking route for each day, along with lots of suggestions for alternative routes we think you might enjoy. An excellent walking guide books and a complete set of Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger maps for the Orkney, annotated with recommended routes and useful visitor information, will make sure you don't get lost! We also provide details of a wide range of other outdoor activities available on the islands, as well as ideas for things to do on poor weather days. |
Dates: This self guided holiday can run at any time during the year.
How long: 8 days / 7 nights (longer or shorter trips are also available). Base: 7 nights on mainland Orkney staying at comfortable guest houses / B&Bs. Price: From £1,150 per person, based on two people sharing a twin / double room. Includes ferry fares from mainland to Orkney (based on car + 2 passengers). Additional days: £65 per person. |
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Itinerary
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Below we have added a suggested itinerary for this holiday. This would make for a fantastic 8 day tour of Orkney. However, as part of your self-guided package you will also receive comprehensive information on other walks on the islands, plus ideas for alternative outdoors activities and things to do if you fancy a day off from walking, or if the weather isn't great. Treat the itinerary as a starting point, and amend it as you wish!
Day 1. Travel to Orkney. Either drive to Scrabster and catch the ferry to Stromness, or fly to Kirkwall and collect a hire car.
Day 2. Heart of Orkney World Heritage Site. Many of Mainland Orkney's finest archaeological sites are nestled in a relatively small strip of land between the Loch of Stenness and the Loch of Harray. Start your holiday by exploring this area - the Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site. Easy road side walking links the main sites: the spectacular burial tomb of Maes Howe, the fine standing stones at the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness, the stone age Barnhouse Village and the site of the ongoing excavations at the Ness of Brodgar.
In the afternoon explore Orkney's second town, Stromness - home to the wonderful Orcadian poet and author George Mackay Brown - taking a short coastal walk before eating in one of the town's excellent restaurants.
Day 3. Westray. Take a ferry trip to one of Orkney's most northerly outliers, the beautiful island of Westray. There are lots of great sights here, including the sensational seabird colony at Noup Head, the magnificent medieval Noltland Castle and the spectacular sea stack of Castle O' Burrian, home to Orkney's most accessible population of puffins!
Day 4. Skara Brae, Marwick Head & Brough of Brisay. The order of today's trip will be affected by the tide: the Brough of Birsay is only accessible a couple of hours either side of low tide! During the day, however you will hike up to the spectacular cliff tops of Marwick Head, visiting the striking memorial to Lord Kitchener who was drowned when his ship hit a mine and sank a few miles off this headland in 1916. The nearby Brough of Birsay is a tidal island that has been used as an important settlement and religious site since Pictish times. It has the ruins of a Viking village and its seacliffs offer an excellent chance of spotting puffins during the summer months. Finish the day with a visit to Skara Brae. This remarkable 5,000 year old village appeared out of the sand dunes after a storm in the 19th Century and is now widely recognised as the best preserved stone age settlement in Europe.
Day 5. Rousay. Another day trip today, this time to the lovely island of Rousay. Fabulous coastal walking, with yet more remarkable archaeology - the walk along Rousay's south west coast has been described as including the most important historical mile in Britain. Highlights include a monumental chambered burial cairn and Mid Howe Broch, an impressive Iron Age circular fort on a spectacular coastal promontory.
Day 6. Kirkwall and East Mainland. Start the day by exploring Kirkwall, Orkney's charming little capital, which dates back to the Viking occupation of the islands. Do not, on any account, miss out St. Magnus's Cathedral! Its stunning red sandstone towers over the town's streets and houses. Inside is a wealth of beautiful decoration and fascinating historical details.
Leave the town and head south to the famous Italian Chapel, created by Italian prisoners of war during WW2 out of an old army Nissan hut and decorated inside with exquisite skill and artistry. After visiting the nearby Churchill Barriers (built during the war to keep Hitler's U-boats out of the vital naval anchorage of Scapa Flow) head out to the Deerness peninsula and walk out to Mull Head. Along the way admire the huge chasm called The Gloup (a collapsed sea cave), and (if you are feeling bold) take the opportunity for an exciting little scramble up to an ancient settlement and chapel at the Brough of Deerness.
Day 7. Hoy. End your holiday with a memorable day trip to Hoy, the most rugged of the Orkney islands. In the morning walk out to the famous "Old Man", a spectacular sea stack first climbed by Chris Bonnington in 1966. If the weather is calm you will probably see modern day climbers the Old Man. On the way back to the ferry call in at the Dwarfie Stane, a remarkable Neolithic burial chamber hollowed out of a single block of sandstone. Hoy is also a good place to see red-throated divers, one of Britain's most attractive (and rarest) breeding birds.
Day 8. Depart. Leave the islands on the ferry back to mainland Scotland or by air from Kirkwall airport.
Day 1. Travel to Orkney. Either drive to Scrabster and catch the ferry to Stromness, or fly to Kirkwall and collect a hire car.
Day 2. Heart of Orkney World Heritage Site. Many of Mainland Orkney's finest archaeological sites are nestled in a relatively small strip of land between the Loch of Stenness and the Loch of Harray. Start your holiday by exploring this area - the Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site. Easy road side walking links the main sites: the spectacular burial tomb of Maes Howe, the fine standing stones at the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness, the stone age Barnhouse Village and the site of the ongoing excavations at the Ness of Brodgar.
In the afternoon explore Orkney's second town, Stromness - home to the wonderful Orcadian poet and author George Mackay Brown - taking a short coastal walk before eating in one of the town's excellent restaurants.
Day 3. Westray. Take a ferry trip to one of Orkney's most northerly outliers, the beautiful island of Westray. There are lots of great sights here, including the sensational seabird colony at Noup Head, the magnificent medieval Noltland Castle and the spectacular sea stack of Castle O' Burrian, home to Orkney's most accessible population of puffins!
Day 4. Skara Brae, Marwick Head & Brough of Brisay. The order of today's trip will be affected by the tide: the Brough of Birsay is only accessible a couple of hours either side of low tide! During the day, however you will hike up to the spectacular cliff tops of Marwick Head, visiting the striking memorial to Lord Kitchener who was drowned when his ship hit a mine and sank a few miles off this headland in 1916. The nearby Brough of Birsay is a tidal island that has been used as an important settlement and religious site since Pictish times. It has the ruins of a Viking village and its seacliffs offer an excellent chance of spotting puffins during the summer months. Finish the day with a visit to Skara Brae. This remarkable 5,000 year old village appeared out of the sand dunes after a storm in the 19th Century and is now widely recognised as the best preserved stone age settlement in Europe.
Day 5. Rousay. Another day trip today, this time to the lovely island of Rousay. Fabulous coastal walking, with yet more remarkable archaeology - the walk along Rousay's south west coast has been described as including the most important historical mile in Britain. Highlights include a monumental chambered burial cairn and Mid Howe Broch, an impressive Iron Age circular fort on a spectacular coastal promontory.
Day 6. Kirkwall and East Mainland. Start the day by exploring Kirkwall, Orkney's charming little capital, which dates back to the Viking occupation of the islands. Do not, on any account, miss out St. Magnus's Cathedral! Its stunning red sandstone towers over the town's streets and houses. Inside is a wealth of beautiful decoration and fascinating historical details.
Leave the town and head south to the famous Italian Chapel, created by Italian prisoners of war during WW2 out of an old army Nissan hut and decorated inside with exquisite skill and artistry. After visiting the nearby Churchill Barriers (built during the war to keep Hitler's U-boats out of the vital naval anchorage of Scapa Flow) head out to the Deerness peninsula and walk out to Mull Head. Along the way admire the huge chasm called The Gloup (a collapsed sea cave), and (if you are feeling bold) take the opportunity for an exciting little scramble up to an ancient settlement and chapel at the Brough of Deerness.
Day 7. Hoy. End your holiday with a memorable day trip to Hoy, the most rugged of the Orkney islands. In the morning walk out to the famous "Old Man", a spectacular sea stack first climbed by Chris Bonnington in 1966. If the weather is calm you will probably see modern day climbers the Old Man. On the way back to the ferry call in at the Dwarfie Stane, a remarkable Neolithic burial chamber hollowed out of a single block of sandstone. Hoy is also a good place to see red-throated divers, one of Britain's most attractive (and rarest) breeding birds.
Day 8. Depart. Leave the islands on the ferry back to mainland Scotland or by air from Kirkwall airport.
Standard accommodation is in good quality island B&Bs and guest houses. All rooms have either ensuite or private bathrooms.
If preferred, we can arrange accommodation at island hotels at an additional cost (the exact surcharge will vary - some are more expensive than others).
If preferred, we can arrange accommodation at island hotels at an additional cost (the exact surcharge will vary - some are more expensive than others).
The grade of this holiday is Easy / Moderate. Most walks are fairly short (the longest is 6 miles / 9km) and follow impressive sections of coastline. However, some of the routes, whilst relatively easy to follow, lack obvious paths and the terrain can be muddy after wet weather. Some of the routes have awkward tall stiles at fence crossings. The walk to the Old Man of Hoy is on a good path, but it has quite a steep start / finish.
The walking on Orkney should be suitable for anyone who walks regularly and is fit enough to climb the occasional awkward stile.
The walking on Orkney should be suitable for anyone who walks regularly and is fit enough to climb the occasional awkward stile.
What's Included: 7 nights accommodation, with full Scottish breakfast. Ferry tickets for car, driver and passenger from Scrabster to Stromness. Ferry tickets for car, driver and passenger for day trips to Westray, Rousay and Hoy.
Entrance ticket for tour of Maes Howe burial chamber.
A full set of Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps for Orkney, annotated with recommended walking routes and useful visitor information. A walking guide book to the islands.
Detailed holiday pack including all the information you need for a memorable stay on Orkney. The pack includes recommendations for walks we think you will particularly enjoy, advice about the most interesting places to visit, the best cafes and restaurants, alternative activities for bad weather days - and lots of tips and advice to help you get the most from your holiday.
What's Not Included: Entrance fees to archaeological sites other than Maes Howe. Packed lunches. Evening meals - we tell you the best places to eat out on Orkney. Travel insurance.
Entrance ticket for tour of Maes Howe burial chamber.
A full set of Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps for Orkney, annotated with recommended walking routes and useful visitor information. A walking guide book to the islands.
Detailed holiday pack including all the information you need for a memorable stay on Orkney. The pack includes recommendations for walks we think you will particularly enjoy, advice about the most interesting places to visit, the best cafes and restaurants, alternative activities for bad weather days - and lots of tips and advice to help you get the most from your holiday.
What's Not Included: Entrance fees to archaeological sites other than Maes Howe. Packed lunches. Evening meals - we tell you the best places to eat out on Orkney. Travel insurance.
Do I need a car for this holiday? Yes, you will need a car for touring around Orkney. The price quoted assumes that you will be bringing your own vehicle. However, if you would like to fly to Kirkwall (see below) we can arrange a hire car for you.
How do I get to Orkney? You will need to drive to Inverness and then head up to Thurso on the north coast of mainland Scotland. Just outside Thurso is the small ferry terminal of Scrabster, from where ferries sail over to Stromness on Orkney. The driving time from Inverness to Scrabster is approximately 2.5 hours, but be aware that the trip can take longer if stuck behind slow moving traffic.
If you prefer to fly, there are direct flights to Kirkwall from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Manchester with www.loganair.co.uk.
Can I book extra days? Yes! All our holidays can be amended to incorporate more or fewer days than the standard itinerary. Additional days are charged at £65 per person.
What equipment do I need? Your equipment needs to be capable of coping with the very variable weather we get on Orkney. It is quite possible to get driving rain, fog, then glorious sunshine all on the same day. It is also possible to get sunburnt in March and to have snow showers in May, so be prepared! We strongly recommend walking boots rather than shoes as the terrain on the islands can be rough, wet and muddy. Walking poles are optional but can be useful. A list of suggested equipment can be found by clicking here.
When is the best time to visit? May and June are traditionally regarded as the best months for visiting the Northern Isles, but any time of year can be enjoyable. July and August see the island flowers at their best, whilst the light in April and September / October can be very beautiful. If you like wild winter storms, a week in Orkney in winter can be a wonderful experience!
Are the midges bad on Orkney? No. They can occasionally be present, but there is generally enough of a breeze to keep them from being a nuisance.
How do I get to Orkney? You will need to drive to Inverness and then head up to Thurso on the north coast of mainland Scotland. Just outside Thurso is the small ferry terminal of Scrabster, from where ferries sail over to Stromness on Orkney. The driving time from Inverness to Scrabster is approximately 2.5 hours, but be aware that the trip can take longer if stuck behind slow moving traffic.
If you prefer to fly, there are direct flights to Kirkwall from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Manchester with www.loganair.co.uk.
Can I book extra days? Yes! All our holidays can be amended to incorporate more or fewer days than the standard itinerary. Additional days are charged at £65 per person.
What equipment do I need? Your equipment needs to be capable of coping with the very variable weather we get on Orkney. It is quite possible to get driving rain, fog, then glorious sunshine all on the same day. It is also possible to get sunburnt in March and to have snow showers in May, so be prepared! We strongly recommend walking boots rather than shoes as the terrain on the islands can be rough, wet and muddy. Walking poles are optional but can be useful. A list of suggested equipment can be found by clicking here.
When is the best time to visit? May and June are traditionally regarded as the best months for visiting the Northern Isles, but any time of year can be enjoyable. July and August see the island flowers at their best, whilst the light in April and September / October can be very beautiful. If you like wild winter storms, a week in Orkney in winter can be a wonderful experience!
Are the midges bad on Orkney? No. They can occasionally be present, but there is generally enough of a breeze to keep them from being a nuisance.