Details
Your holiday begins as you fly from Glasgow or Edinburgh Airport on the 90 or so minute flight to Orkney. On arrival at Orkney you will pick up your hire car and drive to your centrally located hotel on the outskirts of Kirkwall, your base for three nights.
Its incredibly lengthy history makes the Orkney Islands very special. The main island (Mainland) hosts a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE which includes the breathtaking Standing Stones of Stenness, some up to six metres high. The nearby Neolithic Ring of Brodgar is particularly magical in the evening light – and gained contemporary notoriety when Billy Connolly danced naked through the stones on his “World Tour of Scotland”! Remaining remarkably intact, the 5,000 year old houses at Skara Brae offer a real insight into pre-historic village life. For more local insights, take a look at the Viking runes at atmospheric Maeshowe which prove that graffiti isn’t a 20th century invention!
In more recent times, evocative Scapa Flow contains the melancholy relics of two World Wars, and on its banks the beautifully ornate Italian Chapel, constructed by Italian Prisoners of War over 70 years ago, is a moving place to visit.
On the island of Hoy and to the west on Mainland you will find wonderful coastal walks and sea stacks. From May to end of July, you might stumble across cute puffins nesting on Marwick Head.
Your Hotel
The owners have put tremendous effort into transforming this hotel, located on the outskirts of Kirkwall. A genuine feel pervades the hotel, which is traditionally furnished and offers you the chance to find out just how comfortable Orkney chairs really are. Fast building a reputation as a destination for locals, the restaurant boasts menus packed with local produce: your chance to try lamb with its distinctive flavour due to the seaweed diet of North Ronaldsay sheep, or to sample local seafood including mouth-watering prawns, succulent salmon and delicious stir-fried squid. And you must pop round to see the neighbours – the world famous Highland Park distillery is right next door.
Pricing
£545 per person for February & November, £550 for March, £600 for April & October, £655 for May to September.
Prices based on 2 people sharing a double or twin room ensuite for 3 nights on a bed & breakfast basis. Prices also include return flights from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Orkney, three days car hire of an economy sized manual car, and an Orkney Explorer Pass, covering the entrance fees to most of the main historic sites on the islands.
Before your departure, you will receive personalised holiday information including full directions, recommended routes, and suggestions on places to visit depending on your interests and our local knowledge to help you get the most from your holiday.
All itineraries and room types are presented subject to availability at specific hotels.
