10 Days in the Orkneys

What To Do, What We Recommend, What We Experienced

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Jun 25, 2024

One of the JOYs of living a Nomadic Lifestyle is the option of highlighting different parts of the plan/itinerary. For example, in 2024, a large (and very important) part of the plan was to continue our journey through Scotland. Three and a half months focusing on history and exploring as much of the countryside as possible.

But, we’ve learned that doing the same thing over and over again, even if it feels like ‘holidaying’, can become a little lacklustre. So, we add in Vacation trips. They are, in essence, shorter in duration and have a more flexible budget. And, we prioritise going somewhere a little more special.

Our most recent “vacation” was to Orkney, an archipelago in Scotland.

Travel Day

Travel from “Kyle Cottage” in Linsidemore, to Scrabster where the Northlink Ferry departed from. Fun fact: there is a sweet little cafe in Golspie that has great ‘normal’ food and fabulous service - and only takes CASH payments. That was a bit tricky!

Poppy's Coffee Shop; the Ferry; some light reading about Orkney

The Ferry trip was cool, except if you suffer with seasickness, and really short ~ to my mind, it was short, but I was comparing it with my one other experience which is the Spirit of Tasmania: 90 minutes vs 12 hours!

Some things about Orkney that you might not know:

the main island is called “Mainland” and it’s pretty much 20-30 minutes to anywhere on the island
the address that is shown on the AirBnb listing doesn’t always work when you put it into Google Maps … but savvy Hosts give you clear instructions and ‘things to look out for’, which means you find your new accommodation very easily
a lot, if not all, of Mainland is made up of fields (it reminded us a lot of Gozo)
it’s cold, even in summer

We highly recommend the Airbnb we rented! It was a little more than our ‘regular’ budget ~ which was ok because this was a Vacation trip, and we were staying for a shorter period (which meant we didn’t get the usual hefty discount that booking for a month often receives) ~ and worth every cent.

Day 1 wrapped up with unpacking groceries, exploring the house, spending time pondering what was going on in the adjacent field, commenting on all the new wildlife we could see foraging in the field, and wondering just how many hours of daylight we would be experiencing in this location closer, again, to the Arctic Circle. Days 2-10 were spent wandering through historical sites, attempting to switch from Neolithic to Iron Age to Pictish and Viking times. It did take some effort!

About Daylight

If you visit Orkney in June you can expect to have a LOT of daylight hours. Our experience included a lot less sleep (which did catch up with Me) and a lot of geeking out about how late the sun was setting, how early the sun was rising, and how did anyone have enough energy to be able to take full advantage of so much daylight?

Skara Brae

Skara Brae is a beautifully preserved pre-historic settlement dating back 5 000 years. Archeologists believe that it was inhabited by a small community of 50-100 people for several centuries.

The complex is huge! From the Visitor’s Centre you can access the gift shop, cafe, and a short informational video. Once you leave the small auditorium, you wander through a small museum-like space which shares insights about life in Neolithic (Stone Age) times, then follow the path to a reconstructed Skara Brae house. It is a replica of “house 7”, the best-preserved house in the village.

A ‘path through time’ takes you to the Stone Age period; showcasing small blocks of stone with significant happenings in time, it gives you the feeling that you are literally walking backward through time. “First Man On The Moon ~ AD 1961” … “American Declaration of Independence ~ AD 1776” … “First Crusade ~ AD 1095” … “Fall of Rome ~ AD 476” … “Stonehenge ~ 2100 BC” … “Skara Brae ~ 3100 BC”

Gotta say, this was amazing! I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have experienced it (even if I did feel like we were invading the original owners’ space).

Ring of Brodgar

I think that this was my most favourite place to witness (I bought some jewellery that was inspired by this place!). It’s HUGE. It’s majestic. It’s like wandering through time (very “Outlander”-esque). The “Ring” is an ancient monument, thought to be between 4 400 and 4 600 years old, and is the third largest henge (circular enclosure) in Britain. It’s thought that the stones were quarried from multiple locations across Orkney …

Brough of Birsay

On an island only accessible at low tide are the remains of a Viking Stronghold. The ruins of this settlement from the 1 000s was built upon a Pictish village, dating back to the 600s.

The Brough of Birsay is worth visiting for a few reasons:

the adventure of visiting a tide-influenced island, crossing a somewhat damp causeway, and having amazing views back to the Earl’s Palace
the ruins ~ the realisation that the Vikings were in the area c.1 000 CE and, for them, the Picts were ‘history’ (in 600 CE) ~ which showed a suggested sauna room, drains, and a workshop
wild walking ~ wandering up the (quite steep) hill to see the lighthouse, then overlooking the cliffs at the North Atlantic Ocean
Puffins!

Birsay: Viking Settlement Ruins, Lighthouse, Puffins

Broch of Gurness

A broch is a circular tower built during the Iron Age (in Britain, c. 800 BCE-43 CE), and there are a LOT of them in Scotland! This one may have been a family home, it may have been the local chief’s house. Nobody knows for certain. The Broch of Gurness is one of the best preserved towers you can see ~ inside is quite small and cramped but clearly set out ~ and is surrounded by a village of houses and workshops. As you enter the ruins, there is a Pictish house which was originally built overlaying a part of the village. The Picts lived in Orkney around 400-700CE. All the ruins have been landscaped perfectly to allow you to see such specific elements as cupboards & shelves, hearths and even a toilet!

The Other Stuff

As is the way, when we visit a new location, it was fun to explore the new supermarket and indulge in a few goodies from the Providore. And, the jewellery. Wow! Orkney is known for its Creative Trail and I was very happy to indulge in some gorgeous jewellery (it helped that it was my birthday so I could ‘justify’ a few more pieces!). I think the part we were most surprised about was the weather - cold and windy and often rainy. But, we were on an adventure so it was all part of the fun.

If you’re into history (or jewellery!!), this is a Must Visit place!

See you next time,