Saturday Departures from Aberdeen, Scrabster or Inverness
Tour Highlights
- Orkney's Magnificent World Heritage
- Stunning Panoramas
- Warm Island Hospitality
- Taste of Orkney
- Discover Ten Magical Isles
- Spend a Night in a Castle
- Explore Orkney’s Rich Tapestry of Archaeology, History, Wildlife Culture, Folklore and Spirituality
Day One ~ Saturday ~ Travel to Orkney
Travel to Orkney and check into your comfortable Kirkwall accommodation for two nights.
Day Two ~ Sunday ~ 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 R.S.P.B. Nature Reserve 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 ~ Monday ~ 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 Four ~ Tuesday ~ 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. Nature 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 Five ~ Wednesday ~ Isle of North Ronaldsay
Check out of your accommodation and board the morning ferry departing for its journey along the old Viking sea route to Kirkwall. Transfer to Kirkwall Airport and board the flight departing for Orkney’s northernmost isle, North Ronaldsay. Upon arrival, meet your local guide for a tour, including visits to one of the oldest lighthouses in Scotland, the 16th century Old Beacon at Dennis Head, the woollen mill housed in the former engine room, and the adjoining shop where you can purchase beautiful North Ronaldsay woollen products. Then, climb to the top of the tallest land based lighthouse in the UK, established by Alan Stevenson in 1854. Also enjoy a scenic drive around the island.
Later, check into your comfortable accommodation for the night.
Day Six ~ Thursday ~ Kirkwall
Return to Kirkwall and check into your comfortable accommodation for next two nights.
Then, enjoy an afternoon guided walking tour of Orkney’s capital. Visit the magnificent St Magnus Cathedral which has dominated Kirkwall for over 850 years, the Bishop's Palace, built in the 12th century for Bishop William the Old and the older of these two ruined palaces found in the centre of Kirkwall, and the Earl's Palace which has been hailed as "the finest example of French Renaissance architecture in Scotland". Take time to discover the isles’ 5,000 years of history at Tankerness House Museum, Orkney's principal museum which is housed in a 16th century merchant laird's house.
Day Seven ~ Friday ~ Morning at Leisure / Wildlife Cruise
Enjoy a morning at leisure.
In the afternoon, embark on an exciting boat tour around Orkney’s east coast to the incredible cliffs at Mull Head and into the Gloup, a dramatic collapsed sea cave. See breathtaking panoramas and wildlife, including a variety of seabirds and possibly even dolphins and whales. Note: This excursion operates only if weather permits.
Day Eight ~ Saturday ~ South Isles / Shapinsay Castle Interlude
Meet your guide and depart on your discovery of the delights of Orkney’s scenic South Isles. 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.
Later, cruise across Kirkwall Bay to the island of Shapinsay and check into your luxurious castle accommodation for the night. Enjoy a stroll through the beautiful Victorian walled gardens or a cocktail in the library before your delicious dinner featuring local fare, at the Laird’s Table.
Day Nine ~ Sunday ~ Stromness
Return to Kirkwall and transfer to Stromness, Orkney’s second main town. Stroll the flagstone street of this charming seaside town and stop in at the Pier Arts Centre, home to a remarkable collection of 20th Century British art. Continue along to the Stromness Museum which provides visitors with vivid display of the island's maritime heritage and natural history, and stop in at some of the unique local shops along the way.
Check into your comfortable accommodation for the next two nights and later, uncover Stromness’ hidden history, strange tales and fascinating character during your one-hour early evening walking tour lead by a qualified guide, historian and storyteller. You will be regaled with stories of witches, phantom ships and local folklore as you walk through this ancient town.
Day Ten ~ Monday ~ Island of Hoy
Board the morning ferry for a short cruise across Scapa Flow to the south isle of Hoy. Upon arrival, receive a warm welcome from your personal guide and depart on your full day discovery of the “High Island”. Travel to the crofting township of Rackwick and visit the Dwarfie Stane. Nestled in the hills of the stunning Rackwick Valley, it is thought to be over 3,000 years old and the only example of a rock-cut tomb in Britain. Enjoy Rackwick Bay’s boulder-strewn beach and superb land and seascapes, and visit Lyness Naval Base & Interpretation Centre, a museum full of memorabilia from the World Wars which paints a vivid picture of the role the Royal Navy played in Orkney during those turbulent times. Then, pass the seal colony at Longhope Bay en route to Hackness Martello Tower & Battery, which defended the Baltic convoys against American privateers during the Napoleonic conflicts and was also used during World War I. Return to the Orkney Mainland on the late afternoon sailing.
Day Eleven ~ Tuesday ~ Depart Orkney |
