The side-quest to Orkney was one of the best decisions I made whilst doing the NC500. It’s about an hour’s ferry ride from Scrabster (not far from Thurso). I stayed an amazing eco-farm on Orkney called Wheems Organic Farms Campsite. You can see a video of it last summer on both my instagram and TikTok.
10 Things To Do On Orkney
>>> Visit the Skara Brae pre-historic village. It is the best-preserved Neolithic settlement in Western Europe and part of the UNESCO Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage.
>>> Watch the sunset at the Ring of Brodgar.
>>> Walk around Stromness and visit the Pier Arts Centre.
>>> Climb inside a prehistoric cairn at the Tomb of the Otters. They have limited opening times so it is worth booking in advance.
>>> Visit the Italian Chapel. Afterward, you can go to the Scapa Flow Museum.
>>> Go whale, seal, and dolphin spotting.
>>> Go on a day hike. The coastal paths are especially beautiful. If you are feeling extra adventurous, you can hop over onto a different island to do so.
>>> Visit another set of standing stones, this time the Standing Stones of Stenness.
>>> See some sea stacks. The most famous is the Old Man of Hoy, but the Yesnaby Castle sea stacks are amazing as well.
>>> Visit a distillery. Orkney has an amazing distillery culture. Some are old, some young but all doing really interesting things. I really rate the Deerness Distillery.
Have you ever visited Orkney before?
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