4 Day Independent Holiday Departing Tuesdays from Scrabster and Inverness.
Holiday Highlights
- Orkney’s Magnificent World Heritage
- Breathtaking Landscapes & Coastal Panoramas
- Warm Island Hospitality
- Taste of Orkney
- Discover Five Magical Isles
- Explore Orkney’s Rich Tapestry of Archaeology, History, Wildlife, Culture, Folklore and Spirituality
Day One ~ Tuesday ~ Travel to Orkney
Travel to Orkney and check into your comfortable Kirkwall accommodation for three nights.
Day Two ~ Wednesday ~ South Isles & East Mainland
Meet your Orkney guide for your discovery of the delights of Orkney’s South Isles and East Mainland. Begin with a leisurely drive through the scenic landscape of the East Mainland to Mull Head R.S.P.B. nature reserve and enjoy a short walk to the Gloup, a dramatic sea cave.
Travel along historic Scapa Flow, one of the largest natural harbours in the world and the British Navy’s main base during World War I and World War II, and across the first of the four Churchill Barriers, a series of causeways linking five Orkney Islands together, to the tiny Island of Lambholm where you will find the exquisite Italian Chapel. Built by Italian prisoners during World War II, it stands today as a symbol of peace and is Orkney's most visited site. Then, see the wrecks of the World War I merchant blockships as you travel across the remaining three Churchill Barriers to the picturesque village of St Margaret’s Hope on the Island of South Ronaldsay. Take time to visit the Smiddy Museum and discover the village blacksmith’s role in rural communities or to find stunning local arts and crafts at the Workshop & Loft Gallery.
Continue to Windwick Bay for views of the seastack and seal colony, and then pause at Olad Brae and enjoy outstanding panoramic views of the Pentland Firth and some smaller Orkney Isles. Finally, spend a few calming moments at the sand dunes of Water Sound Bay before returning to Kirkwall.
For your evening meal, we will reserve a table at a delightful restaurant where you can sample a true Taste of Orkney. Enjoy our delicious local cuisine, including Orkney’s renowned cheese, beef, lamb, fish and seafood as well as fresh produce, delectable ice cream, and award-winning whisky. (B)
Day Three ~ Thursday ~ West Mainland
Meet your guide again and spend the day exploring the wonders of Orkney’s West Mainland. Allow your imagination to soar as you are transported 5,000 years back in time with visits to the remarkable World Heritage sites of Orkney’s Neolithic Heartland, including Maeshowe, a Neolithic chambered tomb considered to be one of the finest architectural achievements of prehistoric Europe; the Standing Stones of Stenness, one of the earliest stone circles in Britain, dating back to 3,000 BC; the ceremonial Ring of Brodgar, a magnificent circle of originally sixty stones erected more than 4,500 years ago; and Skara Brae, truly awe-inspiring and the best-preserved prehistoric village in northern Europe. Pass over the peat hills of Birsay Moors to the astonishing settlement at Gurness, including the Iron Age Broch of Gurness with its battlements and a surrounding village, as well as the Shamrock, a later Pictish farmstead. (B)
Day Four ~ Friday ~ Depart Orkney (B) |
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