Orkney

Orkney

Located off the northern tip of Scotland where the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet, Orkney has 21 of the 70 islands inhabited; a population of 20 000 people and an area covering the size of 974 square kilometres.

The best times to visit the islands are between April and October.

There is a lot to offer visitors – beautiful and quiet sandy beaches, an abundance of wildlife, stunning scenery, over 5 000 years of fascinating history and culture.

To get to Orkney – the last leg of your journey will be by the sea and you can choose where you set sail from:  from Aberdeen (6hrs) and Scrabster (90mins), Gills Bay (1hr) or John O’Groats in Caithness (40mins).

Places to visit include: exploring the Neolithic Heartland in the West Mainland and travelling south over the Churchill Barriers for more recent history of the two World Wars. No trip is complete without exploring the smaller islands as each of the islands has its own unique character and attractions.

Orkney is a bird-watchers paradise with May – July being the best time to see breeding birds. You will also find Grey and Common seals, dolphins, porpoises or whales and otters.

There are many tours in and around Orkney so everyone should find something to delight them.