THE ISLES OF ORKNEY - SELF GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAY

Just 6 miles north of mainland Scotland the Orkney archipelago of 75 islands awaits the intrepid

walker. Hike to the ancient sites of Skara Brae and Ring of Brodgar and cross the turbulent coastal

waters between islands, home to orcas, seals and ship wrecks. Walk to the spectacular rock

stack, the ‘Old Man of Hoy’ where cliffs throng with puffins, razorbills and piratical skuas and

terns. Trails lined with rare wild flowers lead you through a land of ancient brochs and Viking

heritage, now the hunting ground of the hen harrier, short eared owl and merlin.

With 4 walking days and 5 nights, this self guided walking holiday provides the perfect combination of

walking and wildlife viewing. The trip starts with an overnight stay in the sheltered old stone harbour town

of Stromness. Form here the ferry takes you to the Island of Hoy, where the ‘Old Man of Hoy’ resides. A

days walk to this 140m high stack allows you to experience the cacophony of a ‘seabird city’. Your base in

Stromness is perfect for a coastal walk to 5000 year old Skara Brae, the most important Stone Age village

in Northern Europe. The following day takes you inland to the Ring of Brodgar, the largest stone circle in

Scotland.

Following a night in the 11th century Viking capital of Kirkwall, the ferry will take you through the wildlife

rich waters to the Island of Westray where you will be taken on a guided tour to discover the many natural

and historical delights. With a final night in Kirkwall you will have the opportunity to explore the inherent old

Norse heritage or drop into the ‘Highland Park Distillery’ for a ‘wee dram’ before you depart.

The Orkney Walking and Wildlife trip features hand-picked overnight accommodation in high quality

B&B’s, and hotels. We also include a door to door baggage transfer between Stromness and Kirkwall,

guidebook with detailed maps and pre-departure information pack as well as emergency support, should

you need it.

The cacophony of puffins and razorbills on the high western cliffs

Stepping back in time in the footsteps of Neolithic man at Skara Brae

The roll of seals, porpoise and orcas in the deep turbulent waters

The rugged rocky architecture of the spectacular ‘Old Man of Hoy’

Hiking through a land rich in Viking history and Orcadian hospitality

WHY CHOOSE A SELF GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAY WITH US?

Macs Adventure is a small, energetic company dedicated to delivering adventure excellence. We have

hand picked the best possible accommodation in order to make sure that you experience the best the

Islands have to offer. We are passionate about delivering outstanding walking holidays where every last

detail is taken care of. Each holiday we offer is unique, tailor made to meet your requirements. From your

first contact with Macs Adventure you will deal with a local specialist who knows the region intimately.

ORKNEY WALKING AND WILDLIFE

NATURAL WALKS IN THE NORTHERN ISLES

SUMMARY

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

Accommodation: Hand-picked B&B’s, small

hotels and guesthouses.

Baggage Transfer: Stromness to Kirkwall

Taxi transfers: As per itinerary.

Guided Tour: Guided tour of Westray including

lunch (dependent on ferry schedule)

Meals: A hearty breakfast included. Lunch and

dinner not included but always available at accom-

modation or nearby.

Information Pack: Guide Book, map as well as a

detailed pre-departure information pack.

Tour: Orkney Walking and Wildlife

Code: WSSOWW

Type: Self-Guided Walking Holiday

Price: see website

Single Supplement: see website

Dates: April - October

Days: 4

Nights: 5

Start: Stromness

Finish: Kirkwall

Distance: up to 18 miles per day

Grade: Moderate

HIGHLIGHTS IS IT FOR ME? If you are a fan of combining walking with a myriad of wild landscapes, then this trip could be just for you. With an abundance of wildlife in an area soaked in history this makes for a wonderful adven-ture.

Description: 4 walking days and 5 nights

exploring the many walks and wildlife highlights

of Orkney.

Walking Days: 4

Nights: 5

Average Daily Distance: 10 miles per day.

Grade: Moderate

Day 1

Arrival in Orkney

Upon arrival in Orkney you will make your way to

Stromness for your first nights accommodation.

The town is a traditional stone built port that

nestles beneath the granite ridge of Brinkie’s

Brae and is sheltered by the islands of Outer and

Inner Holm. Built up on a history of whaling and

trading it is a labyrinth of steep winding paths

and well worth exploring. Stromness Museum

has an excellent Victorian natural history gallery

and should not be missed.

Overnight: Stromness

Day 2

Walk on the Island of Hoy - 14.5

miles (or 6 miles from/to Rackwick)

Following the short ferry crossing the walk

crosses heather moorland, home to birds such

as red grouse, hen harrier and short eared owl.

The trail also passes the most northerly native

wood in Britain. The ’Old Man of Hoy’ is an

awesome delight, and the surrounding cliffs are

filled with nesting seabirds including puffins,

guillemots, and kittiwakes. You may reduce the

overall distance by utilising the bus service to

and from the village of Rackwick. Following the

walk the ferry will return you to Stromness.

Overnight: Stromness

Day 3

Walk Skara Brae to Stromness - 16.3

miles

A morning transfer takes you to the best

preserved Neolithic site on Northern Europe,

Skara Brae . Having risen from sand dunes in

1850 the preservation of the village is incredible

and you may still see stone furniture. Following

exploration the walk takes you around wild

coastline passing magnificent sea stacks. You

may find the rare Scottish primrose though more

obvious wildlife takes the form of seals hauled

out onto the rocks. If the 16.3 miles is a little far

you may wish to finish walking at Yesnaby (3 m)

and return the same way to Skara Brae to book a

taxi back to Stromness .

Overnight: Stromness

Day 4

Walk Stenness to the Ring of

Brodgar - 6.2 miles

A morning transfer takes to the village of

Stenness, your starting point for a walk to the

Ring of Brogdar, the largest stone circle in

Britain. At the start of the walk you will see the

huge 5000 year old Stenness Standing Stones

before walking out along the causeway between

Loch of Harry and Loch of Stenness. The Ring of

Brodgar is beautifully situated between the lochs

and at more than 100m across is an impressive

site to behold. The walk returns by the same

route allowing you to enjoy the many water birds

that visit. A transfer from Stenness will take you

to Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney.

Overnight: Kirkwall

Day 5

Guided tour of the Island of Westray

An early start is the order of the day with a

morning ferry from Kirkwall to the Island of

Westray. On the crossing you may well be

rewarded with sightings of porpoise and seals

along with the ubiquitous fishing gulls and terns.

Upon arrival you will collected for a guided tour of

the island taking in the history and heritage.

Noup head is a real highlight with its huge

seabird colonies that include auks, fulmar, shag

and skuas. The ferry returns you to Kirkwall for

your final night on Orkney

Overnight: Kirkwall

ORKNEY WALKING AND WILDLIFE

NATURAL WALKS IN THE NORTHERN ISLES

ITINERARY: WSSOWW DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Day Route Miles

1

2

3

4

5

6

Arrive Orkney - Overnight

Stromness

Return ferry to Hoy and

walk to ‘Old Man of Hoy’ -

Overnight Stromness

Transfer Stromness to

Skara Brae and walk back

to Stromness - Overnight

Stromness

Transfer to Stenness and

walk to Ring of Brodgar.

Transfer Stenness to Kirk-

wall - Overnight Kirkwall

Return ferry to Westray

and full day guided Island

tour - Overnight Kirkwall

Onward travel

Up to 18

miles per day

Day 6

Onward Travel

After breakfast the trip is complete though should

you have the time it is recommended that you

explore the delights of this delightful port with it’s

rich Viking history

Accommodation

We specifically choose your accommodation to

ensure that you enjoy every minute of your stay.

They all offer a warm welcome to walkers,

traditional hospitality and delicious local food.

Single Rooms

Single occupancy rooms are available though

this will incur an additional charge.

Solo Walkers

The Orkney Walking and Wildlife trip is suitable

for solo walkers.

Meals

A hearty breakfast is included each morning.

Lunch and dinner are not included (apart from

during the guided tour of Westray) so you are

free to choose from the available options. Your

accommodations will often provide a packed

lunch on request and this can be booked on

arrival. Dinner is available either at your

accommodation or nearby pubs.

Navigation

The walks on the Orkney Walking and Wildlife

trip are generally not way marked. We provide a

guidebook and general map though should you

wish to back this up then we would recommend

purchasing OS Landranger maps 5, 6 and 7.

Grade

This route is graded moderate due to long

walking days on trails that pass through some

remote country. The terrain varies from cliff paths

and tracks to a little minor road walking and

upland moorland trails.

Baggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from your

accommodation as per your itinerary and moved

onto your next overnight accommodation. We

ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to

15kg per person.

Guided Tour of Westray

The Orkney Walking and Wildlife trip includes a

guided tour of the Island of Westray operated by

the tour company, Westraak, . The duration of

the tour will vary depending on the daily ferry

schedule.

Equipment

Your information pack has a detailed equipment

list which includes standard walking gear such as

good walking boots or shoes, warm and

waterproof clothes and a day pack.

Dogs

Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate

walkers with dogs as many of the

accommodation providers do not accept pets and

in the spring and summer many of the walks

pass near to important bird breeding areas.

Recommended Reading

Sillocks, Skarfies and Selkies: The Fish,

Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals of

Orkney [Paperback] - Chris Booth and Jean

Booth - ISBN: 978-1902957241

Getting to and from Orkney

BY AIR

The Airline Loganair and it’s partner Flybe

operate direct flights to Kirkwall from the UK

airports of Glasgow (1hr 15m), Edinburgh (1hr

15m), Aberdeen (50m), Inverness (45m) . There

are excellent services from many UK and

International airports to Glasgow, Edinburgh and

Aberdeen.

BY FERRY

The Northlink ferry company operates services

between Aberdeen and Kirkwall (6hrs)and

between Scrabster and Stromness (1.5hrs). The

Pentland ferry company operates a service

between Gill’s Bay in Caithness to St Margaret’s

Hope on South Ronaldsay (1hr)

Travel to and from Departure points

BY ROAD

Glasgow and Edinburgh are served by an

excellent motorway network. Long term parking

is generally available in the city centres/airports.

From both cities there are a good road

connections to all ferry ports. For directions and

journey planner visit the mulitimap weblink

BY RAIL

Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen are served

by several operators from throughout Britain. It is

important to book as far in advance as possible

to get the best fares. For information on all routes

contact National Rail Enquires.

BY COACH

Services from UK destinations are operated by

National Express.

Services from Scottish destinations are operated

by Scottish Citylink.

In order to plan your journey correctly via public

transport we suggest that you utilise the

Traveline website.

Inter Island Travel

ORKNEY WALKING AND WILDLIFE

NATURAL WALKS IN THE NORTHERN ISLES

HOLIDAY INFORMATION

TRAVEL INFORMATION

BY AIR

The Airline Loganair operates regular services

between the Orkney Islands.

BY FERRY

Orkney Ferries operates services between the

Islands though it is important to note days of

operation.

Public transport on Orkney

BY BUS

Bus services are operated by Stagecoach

Orkney.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is a requirement on all our trips

to cover cancellation or curtailment of your

holiday.

Availability

This walking holiday is available between April

and October. You can start on any date that suits

your travel plans though it is important to note

that certain ferry crossings may not operate on a

daily basis. You will find up to date availability on

our website. The Orkney Walking and Wildlife trip

is very popular so it is best to book as far in

advance as you are able to.

Price

Detailed up to date prices for our Orkney Walking

and Wildlife Holidays are available on our

website here...

Included

Hand picked bed and breakfast accommodation in ensuite rooms wherever possible.

Door to door baggage transfer between Stromness and Kirkwall.

Guided tour of Westray.

A detailed info pack and guidebook with map for the group leader.

Emergency telephone support from our office in the event of a problem.

Transfers as per itinerary:

Day 3: Stromness to Skara Brae

Day 4: Stromness to Stenness

Day 4: Stenness to Kirkwall

Excluded

Travel to the start or from the finish of the trip.

Lunches dinners, snacks and drinks.

Travel Insurance.

Personal Equipment.

Taxi transfers (apart from transfers as above) or public transport should you need to skip a stage.

All ferry and air travel.

Entrance fees to specific sites and attractions.

Once you have read all the information in this factsheet or on our website and decided on your preferred itinerary, visit our website or give us a call to confirm availability. You can then book securely online at www.macsadventure.com, by phone on +44 (0) 141 530 8886 or download a booking form and post it to Macs Adventure, 44 Speirs Wharf, Glasgow, G4 9TH, UK or fax it to +44 (0) 845 527 5688

Financial Security

In accordance with "The Package Travel,

Package Holidays and Package Tours

Regulations1992" all passengers booking with

Macs Adventure Ltd are fully protected for the

initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all

monies paid to us, including repatriation if

required (this insurance will not cover repatriation

the country of origin for the passengers outside

of the EU), arising from cancellation or

curtailment of your travel arrangements due to

the insolvency of Macs Adventure Ltd. There is

no requirement for Financial Protection of day

trips, and none is provided. This insurance is

only valid for packages booked that DO NOT

include flights.

Consumer aware: Your booking is insured by

IPP Ltd and its panel of insurers. - This insurance

is only valid for passengers who book and pay

directly with/to Macs Adventure Ltd. For further

information please go to www.ipplondon.co.uk.

This Insurance has been arranged by

International Passenger Protection Limited and

underwritten by Insurers who are members of the

Association of British Insurers & Lloyds

Syndicates.

ABTA Member

Statement

Macs Adventure Holidays is a

Member of ABTA. ABTA and ABTA Members

help holidaymakers to get the most from their

travel and assist when things don’t go according

to plan. We are obliged to maintain a high

standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of

Conduct. For more information on ABTA, the

Code of Conduct and the arbitration scheme

available to you if you have a complaint, contact

ABTA, 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ.

Tel :020 3117 0581 www.abta.com

ORKNEY WALKING AND WILDLIFE

NATURAL WALKS IN THE NORTHERN ISLES

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