The Scottish Isles of Orkney September 2026

SUMMARY

Dates: Thursday September 17th to Tuesday September  22nd 2026 5 nights and 4 full days walking and visits.

Get inspired by the film The OutRun filmed on Orkney The OUTRUN Trailer

Or find out more here About Orkney

Guide:  Megan Taylor – Guide and wildlife specialist.  She has been written about as far away as Australia for her Wildlife guiding talents Megan Taylor in the Canberra Times

Walking Grade: 1 Goat  – we are offering a Goat 1 walk for those who want a gentle holiday and to enjoy exploring Orkney and seeing wildlife, areas of historic and cultural interest at a slow pace.. You can expect to walk steadily to appreciate this very special island. You will be out all day and be prepared for all weathers!

Max distance:8km with 300 metre elevation. Slow walking with lots of stops.

Terrain: good coastal paths 

Highlights:

• Go back in time to visit some of Europe’s most important neolithic sites like the Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae
• Experience Scottish hospitality while staying in a family run inn in the picturesque town of Stromness
• Take a day trip to the island of Hoy and hike to the famous sea star of the Old Man of Hoy
• Be inspired by the rich tapestry of folklore, stories and history on this cluster of islands in the North Sea.
• Discovering the seasonal wildlife including seals,birds and wildflowers.

Base: The Ferry Inn at the harbour in Stromness – a traditional, very popular Orkney pub with rooms. You can be sure of an island welcome and a true Scottish experience.

Getting there: Our starting point on Thursday is at The Ferry Inn, Stromness on the Island of Orkney.

There are many ways to travel to Orkney – arriving to an island by ferry is particularly special. The ferry to Stromness departs from Scrabster.

From Inverness you can now take a new electric bus service direct from Inverness to Scrabster. We recommend arriving in Inverness and taking this bus . We can recommend hotels if you would like a night or two in Inverness.

The links below give you travel information to help plan your trip.

New electric bus service Inverness to Scrabster

Ferry Info

You can also fly to Kirkwall and get a pre booked taxi to Stromness. If there are a few of you flying to Kirkwall we will connect you for sharing a taxi.

More information on getting to Stromness  is available here Getting to Orkney

We can always advise you.

Arrival: in Stromness around 16.00 for check in at the Ferry Inn hotel.

Departure: After breakfast on your final day.

Price: £2350  per person for this fully inclusive holiday:

• Bed and Breakfast in ensuite double room for solo occupancy
• Packed Lunches including your final departure travel day.
• All evening meals – 3 courses
• Minibus for walks to explore the island fully
• Experienced Guide throughout your holiday
• Ferry to Hoy
• Entrance to Skara Brae, Tomb of the Eagles,Italian Chapel and other sites of interest

If you can bring a friend/partner and share a room there is a discount of  per person . Price £1850 per person. We will discount your final bill once you have paid your deposit.

Not included:

• Travel to Stromness
• Drinks from the bar
• Additional activities not in the itinerary

DETAILS

The Isles of Orkney lie in the very north of Scotland, just off the Scottish Mainland. It feels like a world away but the islands are surprisingly well connected.

Your journey to Orkney begins when you arrive in Stromness – The Ferry Inn, with its wonderful Scottish hospitality, your home for the next few days.

On our trip, we will walk on stunning beaches, visit Neolithic sites and take the ferry to experience another outlying island, Hoy. There are mysterious standing stones, Viking stories and ancient sites, marine wildlife including the elusive selkie. As well as the proud tradition of all the local produce created here – local beer, whisky and various foods all ready for you to try.

One of our favourite whisky’s is Highland Park created and still made on Orkney. For whisky lovers you can taste it in the bar ! You can see a little of the magic that goes into the making of it on this video Highland Park Orkney Stories

Listen to this to get a sense of Stromness and the Orkney Islands. Written by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies as a protest against the proposed construction is a uranium mine near Yesnaby . For those interested there could be time to visit.

Farewell to Stromness

TO GET INSPIRED here are some tips for reading and watching :

Hamnavoe by George Mackay Brown

The Outrun by Amy Liptrot – both a book and a film starring Saoirse Ronan

Books and photographs by Gunnie Moberg

ITINERARY

The itinerary may change depending on the weather and at the discretion of your guide. You will be briefed each day about your days walks and activities.

Day 1 – Thursday Arrival:

·      Meet at Ferry Inn, Stromness around 5pm, briefing with your guide

·      Short orientation walk around Stromness

·      Dinner at the Ferry Inn with your guide

Day 2 – Friday Roadtrip & Time travel – Max 8km

We will take the day to explore by minibus, travelling through time and including lots of stops to visit historical sites and enjoy slow, leisurely walks along beaches and cliff tops.

·      Scapa Flow & Churchill barriers

·      Italian Chapel (entrance fee included)

·      Tomb of the Eagles – Mesolithic, neolithic & bronze age (entrance fee included), walk out to the tomb and a cliff top walk

·      Beach walk – a slow walk along a sandy beach, listen to the sounds of the sea, the wind, the birds, feel the sand between your toes and look for shells on the beach.

This will give you a good introduction to Orkney’s history, wildlife and scenery.

Day 3 – Saturday West Mainland & The Heart of Neolithic Orkney Max 8km

Today we will visit the Heart of Neolithic Orkney – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our day will include visits to:

·      Standing Stones of Stenness & Ring of Brodgar

·      Coastal/cliff top walk

·      Skara Brae & Skaill House – entrance fee included

·      Beach walk

Day 4 – Sunday Island of Hoy Max 9km 300m ascent:

Today we will have an adventure and head over to the island of Hoy using the foot passenger ferry from Stromness. Our destination is the Old Man of Hoy, probably one of the most well known sea stacks in the UK and certainly one of the tallest at 137 metres.

Our walk begins from Rackwick where we follow a good path through woodland and heather moorland. This part of Hoy is also an RSPB reserve and we will be keeping our eyes peeled for birds of prey including eagles and hen harriers, wildflowers and insects. The walk is approx. 8km (5 miles) and we will take the pace nice and slow, with lots of stops.

Before we catch the ferry back to Stromness, we can stroll along the sandy beach or have a welcome cuppa at the café.

Day 5 – Monday Orphir, Kirkwall and the East Mainland max 8km

For our last day, we will give the legs a bit of a rest with a couple of shorter walks and a chance to explore Orkney’s capital, Kirkwall.  Our day will include the following:

·      Orphir walk

·      Kirkwall

·      Mull Head nature reserve

Walks – shorter walks, max ascent 100 m, maximum distance 8km (5 miles)

Day 6 – Tuesday Departure:

·      Departure after breakfast