Orkney Island Holidays
Orkney Holiday Itineraries
Each Holiday explores a fine blend of interests from birdwatching, wildlife, archaeology, history, to flowers, local people & culture, scenery and weather. The main differences between each Orkney Holiday are the choice of islands visited, the time of year and length of your Holiday. Each itinerary is shown as a guide, and can be altered to make best use of ferry times and special events etc.
Orkney Roamer Holidays
These are very popular Holidays, and especially good for your first visit and introduction to Orkney. You will visit four of the most readily accessible islands in the archipelago. The Holiday explores the Orkney Mainland and what are locally known as the Inner Isles using modern ferry cruises to get there. These are day trips, returning to the same base for all six nights of your Holiday.
In addition to Orkney Mainland, we visit Shapinsay, Rousay and Hoy.
So you will see a great variety of unique and peaceful islands.
You will be based throughout at one of our favourite Mainland Orkney Hotels.
The accommodation for each Orkney Roamer Holiday will be clear to you on the Dates & Prices page.
For further information on the islands visited on this Holiday, please see the Island Information page.
| Day 1 | - | Arrival at your Mainland Orkney Hotel late afternoon to settle in and preview of your week |
| Day 2 | - | Exploring Shapinsay. |
| Day 3 | - | Exploring Rousay. |
| Day 4 | - | Exploring Mainland with an emphasis on wildlife. |
| Day 5 | - | Exploring Hoy through Scapa Flow. |
| Day 6 | - | Exploring Mainland with an emphasis on the major archaeological monuments. |
| Day 7 | - | Departure after breakfast. |
Orkney Roamer Highlights.
Wonderful wild flowers including Primula scotica.
Exciting Orkney Birds, RSPB reserves and Seals, plus the unexpected.
Fantastic coastal scenery and walks.
Orkney’s World Heritage sites including Skara Brae Neolithic Village, Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe Chambered Cairn.
Midhowe Tomb and Broch on Rousay.
Scapa Flow, Lyness Naval Museum, Dwarfie Stane and Rackwick in Hoy.
Wetland birds, a special broch and secret places on Shapinsay.
Peace and tranquility, storm & tempest!
“An Orkney Roamer” by Sylvia and Alan Williams, Derby.
In all these isles we’ve had a ball, With our two hosts, Louise and Paul,
Seen nesting birds upon the rocks, Along with seals and cairns and brochs.
Done ferries, islands, heath and shore, Learnt birds we’d never seen before,
Had sun and rain and peace and quiet, And such good food we’ll have to diet!
‘Maths’ with laughter and serious thought To each subject we have brought,
And all of this we managed to get Without going on the Internet!”
Orkney Explorer Holidays
This wonderful and ever popular Holiday visits islands that are more difficult to explore by the average tourist.
All our excursions are day trips, as the Holiday is based at one specially chosen Mainland Orkney Hotel for all six nights. In addition to Orkney Mainland, we visit the Outer Isle of Eday, and the Inner Isles of Shapinsay, Egilsay and Wyre.
This Holiday provides you with a really good insight into numerous aspects of Orkney.
For the trips to the various islands we use the inter-island ferry service, which gives a good chance to experience wildlife en-route and discover the layout of the isles.
On arrival at our island destinations we will do short walks to points of interest and absorb the unique atmosphere of the different islands.
For further information on the islands visited on this holiday, please see the Island Information page.
| Day 1 | - | Arrival at your Mainland Orkney Hotel late afternoon to settle in and preview of your week. |
| Day 2 | - | Exploring Orkney Mainland with an emphasis on wildlife. |
| Day 3 | - | Explore Eday |
| Day 4 | - | Explore Shapinsay. |
| Day 5 | - | Exploring Orkney Mainland with an emphasis on the major archaeological monuments or other interests. |
| Day 6 | - | Explore Egilsay and Wyre. |
| Day 7 | - | Departure after breakfast. |
Orkney Explorer Highlights.
Stone of Setter & Vinquoy chambered tomb & moors of Eday.
Egilsay RSPB reserve and its corncrake management.
St Magnus Kirk and his martyrdom site.
Wonderful wild flowers, including orchids.
Exciting Orkney Birds, RSPB reserves, plus the unexpected.
Fantastic coastal & moorland scenery and walks.
Orkney’s World Heritage sites including Skara Brae Neolithic Village, Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe Chambered Cairn, or other less-well known but equally well-preserved sites.
Marine mammals such as porpoise & seals.
Peace and tranquility, storm & tempest!
Orkney Venturer Holidays
This very popular Holiday not only explores special sites and areas of Mainland Orkney and the Inner Isle of Shapinsay, but ventures further afield to discover the wonders of two of Orkney’s Outer Isles, both Westray and Sanday
All our excursions are day trips, as the Holiday is based at one specially chosen Mainland Orkney Hotel for all six nights.
This Holiday provides you with a really good insight into numerous aspects of Orkney. We will thoroughly explore Orkney Mainland on two days, and make day trips by Orkney Ferries to explore three other islands in the Orkney archipelago, Shapinsay, Sanday and Westray.
On arrival at our island destinations we will do short walks to points of interest and absorb the unique atmosphere of the different islands.
For further information on the islands visited on this Holiday, please see the Island Information page.
| Day 1 | - | Arrival at your Mainland Orkney Hotel late afternoon to settle in and preview of the week. |
| Day 2 | - | Exploring Mainland Orkney with an emphasis on wildlife. |
| Day 3 | - | Exploring Sanday. |
| Day 4 | - | Exploring Orkney West Mainland with an emphasis on the major archaeological monuments. |
| Day 5 | - | Exploring Westray |
| Day 6 | - | Exploring Shapinsay |
| Day 7 | - | Departure after breakfast. |
Orkney Venturer Highlights.
An exploration of a wide variety of Orkney's islands.
Wonderful wild flowers including Primula scotica, plus seals.
Exciting Orkney Birds & RSPB reserves plus the unexpected.
Fantastic coastal & Moorland scenery and walks.
Orkney's World Heritage sites including Skara Brae Neolithic Village, Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe Chambered Cairn, or other less-well known but equally well-preserved sites.
Quoyness Tomb & other special places on Sanday.
Spectacular sea cliffs, a Z plan castle, gannets, and puffins on Westray.
Wetland birds, a special broch and secret places on Shapinsay.
Peace and tranquility, storm & tempest!
Orkney Wanderer Holidays
This exciting two centre Holiday explores two of Orkney's Outer North
Isles: the large island of Westray, and the small island of Papa Westray,
known locally as Papay, plus the inner island of Shapinsay, and Orkney's
largest island called Mainland. We stay in one of our favourite Hotels on
Mainland for three nights, followed by three nights staying in the excellent
accommodation at the four-star Cleaton House Hotel in Westray.
For further information on the islands visited on this Holiday, please see the Island Information page.
| Day 1 | - | Arrival at your Mainland Orkney Hotel late afternoon to settle in and preview of the week. |
| Day 2 | - | Exploring Orkney Mainland, sites dependent on your interests. |
| Day 3 | - | Exploring Shapinsay. |
| Day 4 | - | Further exploration of Orkney Mainland in the morning, followed by a sailing to Westray with Orkney Ferries: visit sites in Westray. Overnight in Westray. |
| Day 5 | - | Take small ferry to Papa Westray, spend the day in Papay visiting sites and return to our Westray Hotel for the night. |
| Day 6 | - | Further exploration of Westray. |
| Day 7 | - | Return by Orkney Ferries to Mainland on first ferry after breakfast, and the end of your Holiday with us. |
Orkney Wanderer Highlights.
Sea cliff bird cities at the Noup, Westray
The Knap of Howar, the oldest standing dwelling in Northern Europe.
St Boniface Kirk, Papay
Noltland Castle, Westray
Wonderful wild flowers including Primula scotica.
Exciting Orkney Birds, RSPB reserves and Seals, plus the unexpected.
Fantastic coastal scenery and walks.
Orkney’s World Heritage sites including Skara Brae Neolithic Village, Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe Chambered Cairn, or other less-well known but equally well-preserved sites.
Wetland birds, a special broch and secret places on Shapinsay.
Marine mammals such as porpoise.
Peace and tranquility, storm & tempest!
“What a wonderful insight you gave us to Orkney! We enjoyed every moment. We fitted so much into the six days with you – it was such a good mixture of flora and fauna, archaeology and history. And the food too – perhaps too good for our figures!” - Tony and Di Palmer, Worcestershire.
Orkney Flyer Holidays
This Holiday focuses on bird migration and breeding or resident birds depending on the time of year, experiencing remote island living, plus the opportunity to see World famous archaeology or lesser known but equally interesting sites.
Your Adventure explores many aspects of Shapinsay and Mainland Orkney and in addition includes a spectacular inter-island flight to North Ronaldsay, the most remote of Orkney's islands, where we stay two nights at the Bird Observatory and explore thoroughly.
We spend the first four nights in one of our favourite Mainland Orkney Hotels and spend two days exploring Mainland Orkney sites of interest and a day trip the island of Shapinsay. Then we take the flight in an Islander aircraft to North Ronaldsay, the most northerly Orkney island.
This is a great chance to see the North Isles of Orkney mapped out below, as we fly low over the islands. Our accommodation for two nights is in the well known Bird Observatory on North Ronaldsay, a collection of specially designed buildings which use the alternative energy sources of wind and solar power. All bedrooms are ensuite and in addition there is an imaginative octagonal living room and a solar space dining area with superb sea-views.
From this comfortable base we spend a couple of days exploring the island by Land-rover and on foot. We find out about the island way of life and get an introduction to the work of the Bird Observatory. During our leisurely walks around and across the island we will enjoy lovely scenery within a landscape reminiscent of a by-gone age. Binders and reapers are still used to cut and stook oats here. We hope to find our own migrant and resident birds in a peaceful and tranquil setting.
For further information on the islands visited on this holiday, please see the Island Information page.
| Day 1 | - | Arrival at your Mainland Orkney Hotel late afternoon to settle in and preview of the week. |
| Day 2 | - | Exploring Orkney Mainland, sites dependent on your interests for wildlife or archaeology. |
| Day 3 | - | Exploring Shapinsay. |
| Day 4 | - | Further exploration of Orkney Mainland looking for birds, flowers & other wildlife or more archaeological sites. |
| Day 5 | - | Inter-island flight to North Ronaldsay and exploration of the island. |
| Day 6 | - | Exploration of North Ronaldsay. |
| Day 7 | - | Departure after breakfast on our inter-island flight back to Orkney Mainland and the end of your Holiday with us. |
Orkney Flyer Highlights.
North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory.
Climb to the top of Britain's tallest land based lighthouse.
Exciting Orkney Birds, RSPB reserves, wonderful wild flowers and Seals, plus the unexpected.
Migrant birds.
Fantastic coastal scenery and walks.
Orkney's World Heritage sites including Skara Brae Neolithic Village, Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe Chambered Cairn, or other less-well known but equally well-preserved sites.
Wetland birds, a special broch and secret places on Shapinsay.
Peace and tranquility, storm & tempest! Remote island life and industry.
Find out how a community thrives on a small isolated island.