3 (or 4) Day Orkney and Highlands Private Tour

Day 1 – Departing Inverness with a morning drive to the far North of Scotland and the ferry port of Scrabster near Thurso. The drive north covers wonderful coastal scenery and normally takes around 3-4 hours including photo stops and a brief visit to the historic town of Dornoch. Our 1½ hour ferry journey includes a great view of the Old Man of Hoy before our arrival in Orkney where we visit Skara Brae, a 5000 year old Neolithic village settlement – one of the highlights of the tour – before heading for our overnight stay in Kirkwall.

Day 2 – A full day on the Orkney mainland that includes a visit to Maeshowe Neolithic chambered tomb. We also explore the Neolithic standing stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar and the 2000 year old Broch of Gurness. After visiting the Italian Chapel and the Churchill Barriers, the late afternoon is spent in Kirkwall at St Magnus Cathedral and the Earl’s Palace before our overnight stay.

Day 3 – Leaving Kirkwall we visit Stromness where we have a little time to explore this picturesque fishing town before our mid-morning ferry across the Pentland Firth to Scrabster on the Scottish mainland. We then enjoy a beautiful coastal tour back towards Inverness including a mid-afternoon visit to explore the breath-taking Dunrobin Castle with its wonderful gardens.

4 Day Tour Option – During our time in Orkney we include an additional day and overnight stay in Kirkwall. Along with a more relaxed pace across the four days, we have some free time in Kirkwall and explore more of Orkney's stunning coastline around Birsay and Yesnaby. There is also the option to take a whisky distillery tour (advance booking required) at Highland Park or Scapa (home to a stunning tasting room overlooking Scapa Flow).

Alternatively, for those interested in Orkney's wartime heritage we could spend the extra day visiting the stunning island of Hoy – a 35 minute ferry crossing from the Orkney mainland across Scapa Flow (advance booking required). Along with time at the Scapa Flow Museum, we tour across Hoy to explore the breath-taking scenery of Rackwick Bay.