Land of big skies, big winds and ancient civilisations
  1. The Old Man of HoyOld Man of Hoy  - remote, teetering sea stack an hour by boat from Stromness.
  2. The ancient settlement of Skara Brae - evocative, moving, visually superb
  3. Stenness, Brodgar, Maes Howe – magnificent Neolithic creations cradled in   beautiful low lying grassland
  4. Scapa Flow – vast sheet of water protected by the islands, base for the GB home fleet in two world wars, scene of great dramas and heroism.
  5. Pentland Firth  -  crushing tidal races between Caithness and Orkney
Unique.  Wonderful Neolithic sites, compelling naval histories, vast skies and beautiful, if treeless, landscapes.  The weather can be unkind but do take the chance.  Try not to rush here. (The cruise ships dispatch coach loads to sample a few hurried highlights in summer). Orkney deserves a reflective approach; there is so much to experience and to learn. Do not be put off by the idea that you do not know enough history to understand the ancient sites.  They are visually stunning and tell their own story. Take to the waters - Scapa Flow, out to Hoy, and away to the out-islands, which have a special tranquillity. Give time to Stromness, the old capital and point of departure for Arctic explorers.  A feast for the imagination.
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