The only medieval chronicle to have Orkney as the central place of action, it tells of an era when the islands were still part of the Viking world, beginning with their conquest by the kings of Norway in the ninth . We offer all-inclusive 'Orkney Adventure' 7-night small group holidays with a maximum of just eight people, together with private all-inclusive tours and day tours, conducted in our own comfortable executive touring vehicle. The village of Birsay in Orkney's far north-west coast was once the seat of Earl Thorfinn the Mighty, the most powerful of all the Viking Earls, and outlines of longhouses can still be seen on the . Spirit of Discovery departing Dover. The structures were later adapted by Pictish people and then by Vikings. Fair Isle lies between Orkney and Shetland. Scenic Orkneys and Shetlands Itinerary. Our small group sizes mean we can visit sites off the beaten track and you benefit from the personal touch. Discover fascinating Icelandic capital Reykjavík. , Download the full brochure for details. Less than 20% of under-40s in our Orkney sample took foreign holidays, whereas over 30% in the 70 and over group reported leaving the UK at least once a year. Here we explore the largest island, Mainland, which offers interesting history and charming small towns. £2,081. Popular things to do. Spirit of Adventure and Spirit of Discovery will be sailing around the British Isles this June and July. £1960. Look out for native seabirds in Shetland, Orkney and on the Isle of Skye, and marine life with ORCA; Experience memorable scenic cruising, and visit Belfast, Cobh and the Isle of Man too; 1 offer available ; Itinerary From. 30. £0. Private . Sit down to a fascinating talk from historian Nick Card on the Orkney Islands' Neolithic past. On the island itself there are the remains of a Viking settlement and the earlier Pictish community. Tours Add a Place Travel Forum Airlines Travel Guides Help Centre Travel Articles. Go in search of the celestial Northern Lights. We stayed in a variety of accommodation which enabled us to see different parts of Orkney and Shetland. While in North Wales and Scotland, our journey will take in evocative scenery and dramatic castles - immersing ourselves in age-old traditions as we go. The largest island, the Mainland, has an area of 523 . We enjoyed our trip to Orkney and Shetland very much. Mainland. Enjoy a guided tour of Skara Brae, Stones of Stenness, Ring of Brodgar and the Italian Chapel on Orkney before an overnight cruise to Shetland with a local guided tour of the Island. It seems odd to feature South Ronaldsay as an island in focus, given that it has been joined to the Orkney Mainland by the Churchill Barriers since 1944. Archaeologists have unearthed a Viking drinking hall in Orkney that could have been used by a high-ranking chieftain 800 years ago. The overal population of the islands is around 21,000 with the majority (17,000) living on Mainland Orkney according to the 2011 census data. It's not all Shetland ponies and Fair Isle cardies here. Situated just off the north-eastern tip of Scotland on the near-edge of Europe, Shetland, Orkney and the Hebrides are a wilderness in which to shake off the cobwebs. On our holidays to the Orkey and Shetland Islands, you will fly to the far northern islands of Scotland with their stunning scenery, wonderful wildlife & mysterious prehistoric ruins.Collect your hire car in Orkney, take the ferry to Rousay, fly to the wild island of Westray & take the 2-min flight to Papa Westray.Then fly to the Shetlands. Weak sunshine within the UK leads to fewer opportunities for UV exposure and UVB-mediated vitamin D synthesis, and the effect of foreign holiday sun exposure has been previously . Days 5-8 Orkney. (To avoid ambiguity, on this and related pages the term Mainland, cap "M", refers to this island, while the landmass of Great Britain to the south is referred to as the Scottish mainland, small "m". Orphir is a region of Mainland Orkney where once again we were immersed in history, this time 11th/12th century, and back to the murder of St. Magnus. Orphir is a dramatic dark parish in the southwest corner of the Orkney mainland. However South Ronaldsay is quite distinctive and feels very much like an island. As Tour Manager for the successful Neolithic Orkney & Shetland tour in June 2013, Liz was . Hiking Scotland's Orkney & Shetland Islands. Saga has announced that it will offer a series of UK cruise holidays this summer including the long-awaited inaugural sailing of its brand new cruise ship Spirit of Adventure . Dover. Days 2-4 Shetland. Highlights of Orkney and Shetland 3 departures 13 June 2022 Call for availability 6 days From £1,445 Activity Level: Summary Sail away to lands steeped in history, wildlife and stunning scenery, far from the jostling crowds to the haunting beauty of the Orkney and Shetland Isles. Orkney Islands. Marvel at the Neolithic dwellings at Skara Brae. . With Local Guides on both Islands with lots of included entries. 7 Nights No Fly Cruise from £1099pp Newcastle upon Tyne, Cruising by The Needle, Cruising by Old Man of Hoy, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Ullapool, Cruising Loch Broom, Cruising through Little Loch Broom, Invergordon, Newcastle upon Tyne. Members are eligible for cashback on this trip of up to £51pp What's included Compare £2529pp excluding flights £253 per night View show more This is a tidal island on the north-west tip of the Orkney mainland which can be reached by a causeway when the tide is low between June and September. Was: £ 1069 pp. Join us for an exciting Scottish holiday to remember with our popular 5-day break returning for 2022 which takes you to discover Scotland's remote islands; Shetland & Orkney. We were impressed by by the food we enjoyed including the UK's most Northerly . 23 March 2023. Highlights: • A private tour of the active Ness of Brodgar excavations, a . James Patterson, Dawn French, Ian Rankin, Lauren Laverne, Andrew Marr, Dame Edna, Nicola Sturgeon and Kim Wilde are among the . Wednesday 01 Jun 2022 Wednesday 07 September 2022 TOUR HIGHLIGHTS Explore historic Orkney at a gentle pace from our base on the Orkneys Visit the Italian Chapel, Churchill Barriers and Skara Brae Tour idyllic Shetland Isle and its Viking past Rich archaeology & history combined with beautiful flora & fauna Dramatic scenery of the Highland Line Egil's Saga relates how, in AD 900, an eloping couple from Norway found themselves shipwrecked in Shetland, and sought refuge in 'Morseyarborg'. Wow what and epic voyage. Bringing the world closer to you, Fred. It has been made all the richer by having the Pritties so . The sheer variety of life continues to amaze us. | Find, read and cite all the research you . 14:05, 29 Mar 2021. Ferry: Sail from Shetland to Orkney on the evening sailing on a Monday, Wednesday & Friday, depart Lerwick at 1730 and arrive in Kirkwall at 2300. The Orkneyinga Saga recounts how, in AD 1153, a certain Erlend abducted Margaret, the mother of Earl Harold and took her to . The highlight for my husband was a guided trip round Noss to see birds while mine was visiting Unst. All sorts of nature abound here, from seals and otters to ponies and hundreds of birds, making it a wildlife lover's paradise. Until the 1600s, Leir Vik - Norse for a muddy bay - was little more than a few huts. Shetland & Orkney Explorer - 5 Days. Today his story has passed into legend. Trade Login Contact 08444 937 531 Destinations UK & Channel Islands. We termed this the 'Saga' effect. £2,099 pp. Now that the building work is completed, we really feel as though our sojourn is under way. PDF | Orkney, north of mainland Scotland, has the world's highest prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS); vitamin D deficiency, a marker of low UV. It reads: 'This is a new translation of the only Norse Saga concerned with what is now part of the British Isles. Join The Ship In Harwich at 18.00 Leave Kirkwall 10.00 Enjoy 4 days (3 nights) in Shetland. However, by the time we came out of church it had developed into a F7 gale . Visit Maeshowe, one of Europe's finest Neolithic chambered cairns. When you join the Orkney to Shetland voyage expect to spend more time sailing in Shetland than Orkney.Once in Shetland, we might call into Out Skerries which has a similar population number to Fair Isle, or possibly sail further north to visit islands such as Yell or Unst KIRKWALL. In the sagas. Day 5. We enjoyed our trip to Orkney and Shetland very much. St Magnus story is recorded in Orkneyinga Saga. Commencing with the conquest of the Isles by Harald Harfagri, the Saga relates the subsequent history . Tour Dates: July 18-28, 2022 (11 days) Tour Leader (s): Val Turner. Magnus was the eldest son of Erlend Thorfinnsson, Earl of Orkney who ruled together with his brother Paul. On the island itself there are the remains of a Viking settlement and the earlier Pictish community. The saga of the licence had a long way still to run. Our adventure begins on our Northlink Ferry with an overnight sail to Lerwick, Shetland's only town. Call at remote island outposts, including the Danish Faroes, Orkney and Shetland. Although with a population of only 2000, it . Bolette Fri 19 Aug 2022 8 nights Scenic cruise the picturesque Sound . Dover. Day 9. A fantastic journey right up to the Northern tip of the Highlands before boarding a minicruise to take a look at both the Orkneys and Shetland. Tilbury Sailing from Tilbury. Orkney (/ ˈ ɔːr k n i /; Scots: Orkney; Old Norse: Orkneyjar; Norn: Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain.Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north of the coast of Caithness and has about 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. 7 nights from. Prices from. During the summer it is still light when you arrive. "We went one afternoon to the modest summit of the Ward Hill in South Ronaldsay; the whole island, from . Mousa Broch is mentioned in two historical documents. The bustling, cosmopolitan seaport is the islands' only town, and its wonderful natural harbour is a joy to explore. The British Isles Revealed. The Orkney Herald reported that, for a new licence, the Chairman could not use his casting vote. Book your tailor-made holiday to Offers with Premier Holidays. Jersey; Guernsey; Herm, Sark & Alderney; Isles of Scilly; Isle of Wight ; Isle of Man ; Shetland & Orkney . Orkney (/ ˈ ɔːr k n i /; Scots: Orkney; Old Norse: Orkneyjar; Norn: Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain.Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north of the coast of Caithness and has about 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The story of his life is told in three Norse sagas: the "History of the Earls of Orkney" (Orkneyinga saga), the "Longer Saga of Magnus" (Magnús saga lengri) and the "Shorter Saga of Magnus" (Magnús saga skemmri). Enjoy 2 nights onboard Northlink . Tours & Sightseeing. The largest island, Mainland, is often referred to as . The 1939 advertising looks ironic now. Recently hailed as one of Lonely Planet's Best in Europe for 2019, the ruggedly handsome Shetland Islands comprise around 100 different islands with just 15 inhabited.