Monday & Friday Departures from Scrabster or Inverness.
Tuesday Departures from Aberdeen, Scrabster or Inverness /
Return Scrabster or Inverness.
Saturday Departures from Aberdeen, Scrabster or Inverness.
Tour Highlights
- Orkney’s Magnificent World Heritage
- Stunning Panoramas
- Warm Island Hospitality
- Taste of Orkney
- Discover Seven Magical Isles
- Explore Orkney’s Rich Tapestry of Archaeology, History, Wildlife, Culture, Folklore and Spirituality
Day One ~ Travel to Orkney
Travel to Orkney and check into your comfortable Kirkwall accommodation for three nights.
Day Two ~West Mainland
Meet your Orkney host, an accredited professional Orkney tour guide 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 Ring of Brodgar, a magnificent circle of upright stones with an outer ditch built more than 4,500 years ago; the ceremonial Standing Stones of Stenness, part of what was originally a ring of twelve tall stones erected in the form of an ellipse, dating back to 3,000 BC; 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.
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.
Day Three ~ South Isles & East Mainland
Meet your guide again and depart on your discovery of the delights of Orkney’s scenic South Isles and East Mainland. Travel south along historic Scapa Flow, a safe harbour used by the Vikings during their occupation of Orkney, and also by the Royal Navy during both World Wars. Cross the first of the Churchill Barriers, a series of causeways linking five Orkney Islands together, to the tiny island of Lambholm where you will find the marvellous Italian Chapel built by prisoners of war during World War II and today one of Orkney's most visited and most loved attractions. Continue to the island of South Ronaldsay where you will be treated to an interactive learning experience at the Tomb of the Eagles interpretation centre before taking a walk to the 5,000 year-old cliff-side tomb.
Head back to the Orkney Mainland and stop in to visit Sheila Fleet where you will certainly be astonished at the artistry involved in the hand-making of her original Orkney designer jewellery as you tour her workshop. Your last stop of the day is Highland Park for a tour of the northernmost Scotch distillery in the world and a dram of their award-winning spirit.
Day Four ~ Island of Papa Westray
After breakfast, transfer to Kirkwall Airport and board the flight departing for Papa Westray via Westray, the shortest scheduled flight in the world. Upon arrival, meet your local guide for a shared tour of Papay, including visits to the Knap of Howar, the oldest standing buildings in Northern Europe dating from around 3,600 BC – they predate Skara Brae; and St. Boniface Kirk, one of the oldest and most important ecclesiastic sites in the north of Scotland. Enjoy a guided walk at North Hill R.S.P.B. Reserve, home to breeding Arctic terns and Arctic skuas as well as seabirds and waders. Lunch and afternoon tea are included.
In the late afternoon, board the Papay ferry to the island of Westray. Upon arrival, transfer to your comfortable accommodation for two nights.
Day Five ~ Island of Westray
After breakfast, your local guide will collect you at your accommodation for a full-day exploration of Westray, Queen o' the Isles. Enjoy breathtaking seascapes at Noup Head R.S.P.B. Reserve where the dramatic cliffs, teeming with breeding seabirds, extend five miles. The reserve is home to Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills, Fulmar and Kittiwakes. Discover Noup Head Lighthouse, constructed by David A. Stevenson in 1898 to warn ships off the North Shoal and the first lighthouse to use a system of mercury flotation in the revolving carriage. Then, stop at the fascinating 16th century Noltland Castle, constructed by Gilbert Balfour, Sheriff of Orkney; Aikerness Craigs, a brilliant location to capture photos of the spectacular cliff scenery and to find the rare Primula Scotica in May and July; the ruined St. Mary's Church, also known as Lady Kirk and one of the two remaining Middle Ages kirks on the island; and Quoygrew, a multi-period rural settlement spanning the Norse, medieval and post-medieval ages. Lunch and refreshments included.
Optional Mega Puffins! evening tour (available 1 May to 31 July).
Day Six ~ Depart Orkney |
