Walking Scotland’s Orkney Islands

Our trip starts today at the Inverness train station at 2pm. After gathering our group, we have a scenic three-hour drive along the northeast coast of the Highlands to Scrabster Port. Here, we board our first ferry and sail (90 minutes) across the Pentland Firth to Stromness town on Mainland, the principal island of Orkney. Upon arrival on the Mainland, we'll drive to our hotel in the historic town of Kirkwall - this will be our base for the week. We expect to arrive at the hotel around 9pm and our tour leader will meet us for a welcome meeting either upon arrival, or after check-in. You're free to grab dinner on the ferry across. Kirkwall is situated on the northern coast of the Mainland and is the largest settlement and administrative capital of the Orkneys with a population of about 9,300. At its heart stands St. Magnus Cathedral, which was founded in memory of Saint Magnus Erlendsson, one of the Norse earls of Orkney (1108-1117), who became its patron saint. Next to the Cathedral are the ruins of the former Bishop's Palace and Earl's Palace. Kirkwall has many 17th-18th century houses and other structures in the local vernacular style. If you're not joining the tour by rail, you can also reach Kirkwall by flight or take the ferry from Aberdeen. Please advise us at the time of booking if you plan to make your own way to the hotel. Please note, that due to unpredictable weather and changing ferry schedules, we may occasionally change the order of our itinerary at the last minute.

This morning, we'll take the ferry from Kirkwall harbour to Westray in the far northwest, a fantastic voyage out along the old Viking Sea route called the Swan's Path that will take us around 90 minutes. Westray is the second largest of the Orkney Isles, affectionately known as the 'Queen o' the Isles', with a population of just 600 people. Today's highlight is a circular walk out to Noup Head to see one of the largest seabird colonies in the British Isles, second only to St Kilda. Here we'll find guillemot, kittiwake, razorbill, shag, and fulmar as well as wildflowers, caves, and lighthouses. Puffins are normally seen on Westray between the end of April and mid-August. The open ground above the cliffs offers superb views and is often beautifully carpeted with yellow, white, and purple flowers. From here we continue our walk south along the west coast of Westray. After the walk, we visit Noltland Castle ruins, built around 1560 for Mary Queen of Scots. If time allows, we might also visit Pierowall Village before catching the ferry back to Kirkwall. Today's leisurely-graded walk will take approximately three hours and will cover a distance of 9 kilometres/5.6 miles along grassy clifftop trails with a total ascent and descent of 200 metres/656 feet.

The Deerness Peninsula is on the easternmost part of the Mainland. We'll start our first walk here today and before long, we'll reach the Brough of Deerness - a well-preserved Viking Age settlement on top of a sea stack - and an impressive collapsed sea cave called the Gloup that produces strange mysterious noises. From here, we continue along the coastline around Mull Head until we reach the Covenanters Memorial - commemorating 200 prisoners who perished off the coast in 1679. Finally, our walk brings us back to the vehicles. Later today, we'll drive to see the simple Italian Chapel (note, there is a small entry fee) on Lambholm Island, built by POWs in WWII, and discover more wartime history at the Churchill Barriers and Scapa Flow. We plan to be back in Kirkwall in the late afternoon, where you can visit St Magnus Cathedral (closes 5pm). Today's leisurely-graded walk will take approximately three hours and will cover a distance of 10 kilometres/6.2 miles along grassy trails with a total ascent and descent of 150 metres/492 feet.

This morning, we'll start the day with a short drive back to Stromness where we commence our walk northwards following the west coastline of Mainland and passing the impressive sea stacks of Yesnaby and North Gaulton. Along the way, look out for the Primula Scotia (Scottish Primrose), Orkney's most famous flowering plant. Our walk finishes at the site of 5,000-year-old Skara Brae, one of the best-preserved Neolithic villages in Europe. There's the option to visit Skail House, a 17th-century Laird's manor house. If we have time, we might also drive a short distance to visit the Earl's Palace - the remains of a 16th-century castle built by Robert Steward Earl of Orkney and or include a stop at the Kirbuster Museum (1595 house, FOC). Today's moderately-graded walk will take approximately four-to-five hours and will cover a distance of 12.5 kilometres/7.8 miles along grassy clifftop trails, sometimes boggy, with a total ascent and descent of 300 metres/984 feet.

On a small stretch of land between the Loch of Stennis and the Loch of Harray on Orkney's Mainland, we'll find the archaeological sites of the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness (both older than Stonehenge). Together with Skara Brae, they form the Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site. This morning, we'll explore these extraordinary 5,000-year-old sites, including the ongoing Ness of Brodgar Excavation (open July-August). We'll also visit the pretty town of Stromness, Orkney's second biggest town and home of Orkney's most famous poet George Mackay Brown. You might like to visit the highly recognised Arts Pier Centre. Later in the afternoon, we'll travel back to Kirkwall where we'll have time to visit the Orkney Museum that's housed in one of Scotland's best-preserved 16th-century town-houses - Tankerness House and Gardens - displaying prehistoric, Pictish, and Viking collections of international importance. Today is a relaxed day with around 3 kilometres/1.9 miles of walking between the Neolithic sites.

After breakfast this morning, we'll drive a short distance to Tingwall port to catch the ferry across the waters to Rousay Island - known as 'The Egypt of the North' due to its proliferation of archaeological monuments. While there, we'll visit the large Midhowe Neolithic chambered cairn and Midhowe Iron Age Broch Tower. We'll walk over the moors to Knitchen Hill and Blochnie Hill; the highest point on the island at 275 metres/902 feet. This walk is partly within the RSPB-owned Trumland Reserve so we might see raptors and the short-eared owl. Depending on time and weather conditions, we could also walk at Faraclett Head in the far northwest of the island. Both walks provide magnificent views over the seaboard and of the nearby islands Egilsay and Wyre. We'll return to Kirkwall later this afternoon. Today's moderately graded walk will take approximately three to four hours and will cover a distance of 9 kilometres/5.6 miles on moorland paths, boggy in places, with a total ascent and descent of 350 metres/1,148 feet.

After checking out of the hotel this morning, we'll drive back to Stromness ferry terminal for the 11am departure. From Scrabster, we'll drive south to Inverness arriving at the rail station at about 4.30pm where the trip ends. Please note, we don't recommend booking an onward flight from Inverness before 7pm. If you intend to fly back from Kirkwall, you'll have to make your own way - by taxi or bus - to the airport.