The Scottish Isles of Orkney May 2026

Duration - 6 Days

2 GOATS

Price - £2,350

Thu 14 May 2026 - Tue 19 May 2026

5 nights / 6 days

“Every day was special on this trip - what a great informative guide” Guest in 2025. Orkney is a unique island offering such a variety from bracing cliff walks, visits to smaller islands, wonderful nature, Neolithic sites. The lovely Ferry Inn.

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Summary

Dates: Thursday May 14th to Tuesday May 19th 2026 5 nights and 4 full days walking and visits.

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

Guide: Stef Lauer

Walking Grade: 2 Goats – be prepared for Scottish weather which could involve rain at anytime of year! There are some long walks but the ascent is not more than 400m – we have graded this 2 goats. You can expect to walk steadily to appreciate this very special island. You do need to have good fitness and be ready to be out all day.

Max elevation: 400m

Terrain: good coastal paths

Max distance: 17km/10.5 miles on one day. Slow,steady walking with lots of stops.

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.
See Puffins between May and July

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 take bus to get there or get a train to Thurso and from there it is a short bus or taxi ride to the terminal. On arrival The Ferry Inn is a short walk from the ferry terminal.

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

Ferry Info

Bus Information

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: £2,350 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

If you can bring a friend/partner and share a room there is a discount of £500 pp and the price is £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 – there may be additional activities such as puffin spotting depending on the time of year.

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

Between May and July there is the chance to see Puffins and there will be an evening walk offered for those who are interested to spot them.

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 the Ferry Inn, Stromness around 16:00. Check in, settle in and have a briefing with your guide approx 17:30 followed by dinner.

If time there will be a short walk to orientate you to the small town of Stromness.

Day 2: Friday, Roadtrip and max 10km walking.

We are taking a day to explore by minibus. Stopping, admiring and exploring with some walks around the following places:

Standing Stones of Stenness and Ring of Brodgar
Birsay – Earls Palace, Brough of Birsay (subject to low tide times) and a coastal walk – up to 6km
Scenic drive around the island between walks.

This should give us a good overview of the thousands of years of history and heritage on this island.

Day 3: Saturday, West Mainland – distances of each walk to be agreed and discussed the night before.

Today we travel to Skara Brae which is one of the most fascinating sites in all of Scotland. A stone-built neolithic settlement on a stunning sandy beach which dates back to around 3,000 years BC. This is proper time travel!

Today we will see and walk amongst:

Skara Brae
West Coast

Return for our evening meal at the Ferry Inn together

Day 4: Sunday – Island of Hoy.

After viewing the high-lying island of Hoy from a distance yesterday, we are boarding a small passenger ferry from Stromness to North Hoy(Moaness) at 10am. This takes us across the water to set foot on it.

Rackwick Glen reminds us of the empty glens of Scotland’s north-west but it’s the Old Man that we are seeking. The Old Man of Hoy is one of the tallest sea stacks in the whole of the UK and the destination of our walk today. Perhaps we might even spot a pair of climbers tackling this magnificent cliff.

We return to visit a cafe/wander on the beach before catching the ferry at 18.30pm. We arrive in Stomness at 7pm for an evening meal together at our hotel.

Walk: 6 hours, 17km, 400m ascent

Day 5: Monday – Kirkwall, East Mainland and the Southern Islands

We’re giving our legs a bit of a rest as we are exploring Orkney’s largest town, Kirkwall (population: 8,500) and learn about the history of its cathedral, St Magnus. It was built almost 900 years ago and is dedicated to one of the earliest Earls of Orkney, his life immortalised in the Icelandic Orkney Sagas.

There is plenty to see around Kirkwall and is an important part of the island.

We will also cover stops like the Italian Chapel and the Churchill Barriers today and hear more about the fascinating World War history that is associated with the Orkney Islands. A coastal walk of 5-8km is also part of todays itinerary.

Walk : up to 8km , 3 hours, 310m ascent

Day 6, Tuesday.

We’re departing after breakfast and wishing a fond farewell to Stromness and the Orkney Islands.

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