THE WEDDING NETWORK FOR THE MODERN COUPLE - CREATE, INVITE, SHARE, HELP & BOND
Orkney
About Orkney by Julie Robb:
Best to go in the summer to avoid a rough crossing, can still be like winter weather in summer (even worse than inverness).
Loads of good historical places to go such as the Standing Stones, Maes Howe, Skara Brae, Tomb of the Eagles (supposed to be good i have not been), the Barriers, Italian Chapel (built by POWs from scratch), the Cathedral in Kirkwall.
Yesnaby has some stunning cliffs as does the Brough of Birsay. Walkmil Bay is a fantastic beach if the tide is out, as is Dingeshowe, loads of great beaches in Orkney.
Good fun in the pubs but prepare for some very, very drunk people. A good taxi driver is Jim Marr.
ORKNEY DAY TRIP FROM INVERNESS BY COACH - 15 hours.
This is the only day-trip to Orkney which visits all the top prehistoric sites - Skara Brae; the rings of Brodgar & Stenness; and Maeshowe - and which gives you sufficient time at each of these antiquities. For our crossing to Orkney we use MV Pentalina, the car ferry service started in 2001 and which takes just over an hour from the mainland to Orkney. During this crossing we see a wide variety of wildlife. Often seals are seen before we leave mainland Scotland and seabirds are seen on all trips.
ITINERARY
06:15: Depart Inverness TIC (Castle Wynd). Drive north by the coast road to Gills Bay (near John O'Groats), with a breakfast/toilet stop. On our way we pass cliff-top castles, wild moorland scenery and a variety of prehistoric sites including the broch of Carn Liath and the stone 'circle' - actually more a horseshoe - of Achavanich.
09:45: Depart Gills Bay for the scenic 1-hour crossing, taking us under Stroma, Swona and the great gun emplacements which guarded Hoxa Sound during the Second World War.
11:15: Arrive at St Margaret's Hope in South Ronaldsay, most southerly of the inhabited islands of Orkney. Drive north over the Churchill Barriers, then proceeding to the major prehistoric monuments of West Mainland:
• The Rings of Brodgar and Stenness - we spend up to 45 minutes at these two great circles;
• Skara Brae, best-preserved stone-age village in Europe. We spend about 1½ hours here; you may spend some of your time in nearby Skaill House, with its account of the discovery of Skara Brae. It is also our lunch stop;
• Maeshowe is the finest passage grave in the British Isles. We are normally here about 40 minutes
• Kirkwall - Our time here is determined to some extent by our departure time from Maeshowe - the only potential bottleneck on the trip - but we usually have 30-50 minutes. Places to visit include Saint Magnus Cathedral, the Earl's & Bishop's Palaces, and the Orkney Museum.
17:00: Depart St Margaret's Hope, returning to Caithness 1815hrs.
21:00: Return to Inverness.
Price: £85 per person includes return road and ferry transport from Inverness to Orkney and guided tour within Orkney. Admission to Skara Brae and Maeshowe are not included - both these monuments are in the care of Historic Scotland - maximum £ 11.50.
Meals & snacks are available on board our ferry, and there is a café at Skara Brae.
Book this tour in advance at http://www.go-orkney.com/orkney.htm#megatour
Best to go in the summer to avoid a rough crossing, can still be like winter weather in summer (even worse than inverness).
Loads of good historical places to go such as the Standing Stones, Maes Howe, Skara Brae, Tomb of the Eagles (supposed to be good i have not been), the Barriers, Italian Chapel (built by POWs from scratch), the Cathedral in Kirkwall.
Yesnaby has some stunning cliffs as does the Brough of Birsay. Walkmil Bay is a fantastic beach if the tide is out, as is Dingeshowe, loads of great beaches in Orkney.
Good fun in the pubs but prepare for some very, very drunk people. A good taxi driver is Jim Marr.
ORKNEY DAY TRIP FROM INVERNESS BY COACH - 15 hours.
This is the only day-trip to Orkney which visits all the top prehistoric sites - Skara Brae; the rings of Brodgar & Stenness; and Maeshowe - and which gives you sufficient time at each of these antiquities. For our crossing to Orkney we use MV Pentalina, the car ferry service started in 2001 and which takes just over an hour from the mainland to Orkney. During this crossing we see a wide variety of wildlife. Often seals are seen before we leave mainland Scotland and seabirds are seen on all trips.
ITINERARY
06:15: Depart Inverness TIC (Castle Wynd). Drive north by the coast road to Gills Bay (near John O'Groats), with a breakfast/toilet stop. On our way we pass cliff-top castles, wild moorland scenery and a variety of prehistoric sites including the broch of Carn Liath and the stone 'circle' - actually more a horseshoe - of Achavanich.
09:45: Depart Gills Bay for the scenic 1-hour crossing, taking us under Stroma, Swona and the great gun emplacements which guarded Hoxa Sound during the Second World War.
11:15: Arrive at St Margaret's Hope in South Ronaldsay, most southerly of the inhabited islands of Orkney. Drive north over the Churchill Barriers, then proceeding to the major prehistoric monuments of West Mainland:
• The Rings of Brodgar and Stenness - we spend up to 45 minutes at these two great circles;
• Skara Brae, best-preserved stone-age village in Europe. We spend about 1½ hours here; you may spend some of your time in nearby Skaill House, with its account of the discovery of Skara Brae. It is also our lunch stop;
• Maeshowe is the finest passage grave in the British Isles. We are normally here about 40 minutes
• Kirkwall - Our time here is determined to some extent by our departure time from Maeshowe - the only potential bottleneck on the trip - but we usually have 30-50 minutes. Places to visit include Saint Magnus Cathedral, the Earl's & Bishop's Palaces, and the Orkney Museum.
17:00: Depart St Margaret's Hope, returning to Caithness 1815hrs.
21:00: Return to Inverness.
Price: £85 per person includes return road and ferry transport from Inverness to Orkney and guided tour within Orkney. Admission to Skara Brae and Maeshowe are not included - both these monuments are in the care of Historic Scotland - maximum £ 11.50.
Meals & snacks are available on board our ferry, and there is a café at Skara Brae.
Book this tour in advance at http://www.go-orkney.com/orkney.htm#megatour
Comment
-
Comment by Lynn & Alasdair on May 15, 2009 at 12:44pm -
And driving from Inverness to the north, you will pass Dornoch and Skibo Castle... the place Madonna & Guy Ritchie got hitched. It's a private club and only available to members.
http://www.carnegieclub.co.uk/
-
Comment by Lynn & Alasdair on May 15, 2009 at 12:38pm
-
If you're driving up to Orkney, be sure to stop in on the Queen Mum's place, the Castle of Mey.
The Castle of Mey is located on the north coast of Caithness in the very north of Scotland, on the A836 in the parish of Canisbay, about 15 miles east of Thurso and six miles west of John O'Groats.
http://www.castleofmey.org.uk/
© 2010 Created by BOND MAGAZINE on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
You need to be a member of BONDWEDDINGS to add comments!
Join this Ning Network