Scotland, United Kingdom

Orkney

IslandCoastHeritageNature

4.6 / 5· Hidengo

The notebook of Orkney

Make the shore the thread of the trip.

Nordic Archipelago rich in neolithic sites, cliffs, ports, cathedral and open low landscapes.

At your own pace

Breathe Walk along Admire

Identity summary

Ideal duration

3 to 6 days

Best time

Spring · Summer · Autumn

Car

Recommended car

Type of stay

Island · Coast · Heritage · Nature

Accessibility

Variable accessibility

Rhythm

Sweet rhythm

General presentation

Orkney

Nordic Archipelago rich in neolithic sites, cliffs, ports, cathedral and open low landscapes.

To understand what Orkney is, look at Skara Brae, Ring of Brodgar and St Magnus Cathedral. These places give you the opportunity to see a territory marked by island landscapes, coastline, heritage and natural spaces and allow you to move from emblematic sites to more intimate stages.

See all

For a stay of 3 to 6 days, a quiet rhythm works well. Also to be anticipated: ferry or flight to organize and frequent wind. A car is usually the easiest way to connect different sectors. Accessibility varies from site to site and deserves to be checked step by step.

Strengths and constraints

Strengths

Skara Brae
Ring of Brodgar
St Magnus Cathedral

Before you choose

Ferry or theft to be organized
Common wind
Useful car out of Kirkwall

Places worth visiting

A selection to start dreaming and organizing the stay — not an exhaustive list of everything there is to see.

World Heritage

Coeur néolithique des Orcades

4.8 / 5· Hidengo1 to 2 hrs

The Neolithic heart of the Orcades brings together Maeshowe, Skara Brae, Stenness stones and the Brodgar circle in an open landscape of moors and lochs. These monuments give a rare impression of proximity to prehistory: stone houses, tombs, alignments and marine horizons remain very legible despite the wind and isolation.

Archeological site

Skara Brae

4.8 / 5· Hidengo1.30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Skara Brae gives a view of a Neolithic village with exceptional readability, with its stone houses, passageways and domestic amenities. The site strikes because it makes an ancient life very concrete, in a coastal landscape where the wind and the sea remain very present.

Circle of stones

Ring of Brodgar

4.7 / 5· Hidengo45 minutes at 1:30 a.m.

Ring of Brodgar places its stones erected in an open landscape between lochs, low hills and immense sky. The visit is without added decoration: walking around the circle is often enough to feel the strength of the site, especially when the light shaves the stones.

Cathedral

St Magnus Cathedral

4.5 / 5· Hidengo45 minutes at 1:30 a.m.

St Magnus Cathedral imposes on Kirkwall its red and yellow stones, its massive arches and a very distinct Nordic atmosphere. The interior travels slowly, between volumes of novels, island memory and carved details that give Orkney an unexpected historical depth.