Orkney Islands travel guide
The Orkney Islands are located just off the north coast of Scotland. On the main island, you'll find the atmospheric little town of Kirkwall, beautiful coastlines and some of the oldest human settlements in Europe! The island of Hoy is spectacular, similar to the Scottish highlands but maybe even more mysterious. Discover Orkney's highlights in this day-by-day guide.
The Orkney Islands: an end of the world feeling just two hours away
Located less than two hours off the coast of Scotland, the Orkney Islands are a perfect addition to your road trip. It has enough distinctive natural and archaeological sights on offer and is not touristy at all. The fact that you are bound by ferries for travelling from and between the islands will give a true 'at the end of the world' feeling.
We've spent 3 days exploring the main island and the island of Hoy. In this guide, we share a day-by-day guide for exploring the highlights of Orkney!
Day 1: travelling back into time
On the west side of mainland Orkney, you'll find the most archaeological spots. We would recommend stopping by Waulkmill Bay on the way in case it's a bit sunny. Whenever the sun breaks through the clouds, you'll be rewarded with the most beautiful sight of this white sand and clear blue water bay, enclosed by beautiful green and purple heather hills.
One of the first archaeological sites you will come across is the Unstan Chambered Cairn, which is a 5000-year-old burial site. It is only possible to visit this with a reservation that you have to make weeks in advance, so it is therefore not that accessible for spontaneous travellers like us.
We would also highly suggest going to the prehistoric village of Skara Brae. Being the oldest settlement ever found in Europe, it's truly a must-see, especially since it's still in great shape. You might wonder how a prehistoric village from more than 4000 years ago may be so well preserved. The reason is that it had been covered by sand for thousands of years until a heavy storm exposed its surface during the 19th century. The landowner excavated the site and it has been an open-air museum ever since. It's also possible to visit the house of the landowner (Skaill house), which is now a museum as well. Another great thing about the place is that it's located next to a stunning bay.
In case you still have time after this full day of exploring all the archaeological sites, you can go to the Orkney Brewery and/or the Yesnaby stacks. It's choosing between beers or a hike to a spectacular coastline... tough choice!
Next up you can visit a very special location where you'll find several archaeological sites from the Neolithic era. There's a small strip of land that is bordered by two lochs. When you're standing in the middle of this stunning landscape, you'll understand why the inhabitants saw this as a spiritual place and decided to build two henges (stone circles) here: the standing stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar. The latter was most impressive to us. Another nearby site of religious importance during the Neolithic era is the settlement called the Ness of Brodgar of which you can still see the foundations.
Day 2: exploring nature, some more history and the capital town of Kirkwall
The south part of mainland Orkney didn't excite us too much, but we had a hotel in the tiny town of St Margaret's Hope and decided to visit the nearby Windwick Bay. This is a stunning piece of coastline, with hardly any other tourists. In case you're lucky, you'll even spot seals bathing in the sun! We've learned that the best time to spot them is just after sunrise and at low tide.
Then end your day at the capital of Orkney: Kirkwall. It's going to be like visiting a small coastal town in mainland Scotland. We were, however, quite surprised by the number of fun shops and little cafés. The local youth has done their best to make it as 'hip' as possible here. We especially liked Archive Coffee as a great place to rewind with a coffee or a meal after a few hours of exploring. There are also some cool historic sites like the beautiful St. Magnus Cathedral and the Bishop's and Earl's Palaces.
The southern part of the main island is connected to the northeast part by a series of barriers that were made for protection from German fleets during World War II. At Weddell Bay, you'll have an amazing view of an old shipwreck. Shipwrecks were used as additional barriers from hostile ships and submarines.
Pay a visit to the nearby and very special Italian Chapel, which was built by Italian prisoners of war who had to make the Churchill Barriers. This little chapel is a stunning piece of art. The prisoners could only use basic materials and therefore used paint to give the illusion of a chapel made of bricks and ornaments. You won't belove your eyes!
Next up, you can make your way to the northeast. Park your car at the Mull Head car park, and walk to The Gloup, a collapsed sea cave. From here, you can walk to the Brough of Deerness, or even further if you want to go on a long hike. On top of the brough, there are the ruins of a neolithic chapel and Viking settlement, but especially the views of the coastline are truly stunning and worth the visit. Complete your route at this part of the island by visiting the Deerness distillery for some awesome gin and tea or lunch at Sheila Fleet Kirk Gallery & Café.
Day 3: a visit to Stromness and an expedition to Hoy
Hoy really is a must-visit Orkney island. We were in doubt at first, since we've read online that it is quite similar to the Scottish highlands. Even though we do see the similarities, these types of landscapes look very different in an island setting. The high, steep and ribbed mountains gave us the impression that we were actually on a volcanic island. The weather can be quite unpredictable, sunny and blue skies at one moment, moody weather just minutes later. This in combination with some special natural and historic sites gave the island a very mysterious atmosphere.
Most people go to Hoy to see the Old Man of Hoy, an impressive rock formation on the west side of the island. However, the walk there is quite long and we didn't have the time. Moreover, we have quite a fear of heights, so in case you feel this way too, we can happily share with you that the ferry route back to Scotland (from Stromness to Scrabster) gives you an incredible nearby view of the old man, and probably even a better view than when standing at the top of the cliffs.
Instead, we would recommend going to Rackwick Bay, which is an incredibly beautiful bay with an amazing combination of all the landscapes you can expect to see at Hoy. We ended up having to rush to the ferry, so do yourself a favour and don't be like us, take a full day to explore Hoy, it's worth it!
Another mysterious sight is the Dwarfie Stane, a neolithic chambered tomb made out of a large rock at the foot of a mountain. It's the only tomb cut from stone in Britain. The name is derived from a local legend that a dwarf named Trollid lived there. We were the only ones here during a sudden downpour of rain. The rolling mist combined with the legend of the tomb and spectacular landscapes gave a very mystical vibe. After visiting the Dwarfie Stane, we can recommend stopping by the Beneth'Ill café, the only café on this side of the island. Sit outside and enjoy the stunning landscapes if the weather allows you to.
Either the same or the next day, you can take some time to explore the second 'biggest' town of Orkney: Stromness. It's a cute little town with very picturesque look-out points. There isn't much to do, so it's just fun to stroll around, especially when the weather is pleasant. There are only a few shops, so in case you're looking for a quick sandwich and a coffee, Argo's Bakery and Bayleaf are the places to stop by!
We didn't spend much time at the north-west side of mainland Orkney because of the harsh winds, but you can add on an extra day visiting Marwick head, Birsay Bay (which you can only walk to during low-tide and even spot some puffins if you're lucky!), and the Broch of Gurness.
The first location you'll come across when taking the ferry from Houton to Lyness is Betty Corrigall’s Grave. The story behind Betty is very sad. She fell in love with a sailor and became pregnant, but was then abandoned by him. Out of shame and heartbreak, she ended up taking her own life. Suicide was also frowned upon in those days, so she didn't get a proper burial and instead got an unmarked grave. Her grave was disturbed several times until she finally got a proper burial by an American visitor in 1949. Her grave is now standing lonely on a remote boggy and peat ground, a very eerie sight to see...
Practical information
How to get to Orkney and move around
The best way to explore the Orkneys is by car. It's possible to fly in and rent one, but we think it's more fun to add Orkney to a longer Scotland road trip. There are two ways to reach the Orkney Islands by car. You can choose between Northlink ferries and Pentland ferries. The first one travels between Scrabster and Stromness, takes about two hours and costs 20 pounds per adult and 60 pounds per car per trip. The second one travels between Gills Bay and St Margaret's Bay, takes about an hour, and costs 17 pounds per adult and 40 pounds for a car per trip. We took the Pentland ferry on the way to the Orkneys and the Northlink ferry on the way back. It doesn't really matter which one you choose, but you can take into account availability, the location you're staying at and the route you're taking through Scotland.
Where to stay
Although the Orkney Islands may not seem that big, it easily takes more than an hour to drive from the east side to the west side of the main island. Therefore, it is recommendable to look for more centrally located accommodations. In case you're camping, you're more flexible, though you might want to look for a hotel when you're travelling with a tent since the weather is quite unpredictable here.
The capital town of Kirkwall is the most central and fun town to stay at. Stromness and St Margaret's Bay (very little to do, except for dinner at the excellent Murray Arms seafood restaurant) are the other two bigger towns of mainland Orkney. In case you really want to feel like you are at the end of the world, then you can also look for a place to stay on some of the more remote islands in the east. This could especially be fun if you're planning on visiting the Orkneys for more than a few days.
Where to go next
The Orkneys are the perfect gateway to another island group, the Shetland Islands. These islands are very remote, located just in the middle of Scotland and Norway. A ferry runs between Kirkwall and Lerwick, so it's an ideal opportunity to go there. The same ferry also continues to Aberdeen, Scotland, in case you want to travel down south again.
Instead of immediately travelling to Aberdeen, you can also go back to the north of Scotland, as we did. We can highly suggest this to make the most out of your stay in this part of Scotland since you can continue with the North Coast 500 road trip, regarded by many as the ultimate Scotland road trip. Check out our Scotland travel itinerary for more inspiration!
