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ORKNEY and North of Scotland ADVENTURE (2008)
(Formerly Road/Rail package)
The best way to get to Orkney is - we say modestly!
- to go north with our John o'Groats tour, available on many
days from late March to mid-October. Orkney Adventure includes your guided trip to the north of Scotland; ferries to and from Orkney; and detailed suggestions of how to spend your time there. It does not include the land journey back to Inverness, so is particularly suitable for those who have a rail pass.
The most scenic ways to return
south are:
by rail from Thurso;
by various buses along the north and west coasts
of Sutherland and Ross & Cromarty.
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This trip is available any day in 2008 that our John
o'Groats or Castle of Mey tours are running - that is, from late March to mid-October:
Thursdays through 16 October
Saturdays 7 June-27 September
Sundays June - 28 September
Tuesdays 6 May -14 October
Although the northward journey from Inverness is on particular
days of the week, the return journey is by public transport: NorthLink Ferry
from Stromness [Orkney] to Scrabster (near Thurso), then south by ScotRail. NorthLink and ScotRail run daily services, giving you maximum
flexibility. You normally stay a minimum of 2 nights in Orkney, but you may
stay as many nights as you wish.
We supply you with notes suggesting how best to see the major features of
Orkney, either on your own or with an escorted tour. We also supply detailed
notes for the southern train journey.
When are you travelling north?
1 May through 30 September - then your itinerary is described immediately
below;
Any time outside these dates - March, April, October - then click here for details of your itinerary.
Itinerary:
Day 1 - We pick you up at your accommodation in Inverness 0830-0920 and then head north following the itinerary described for our John o'Groats tour or (Saturdays) our Castle of Mey tour. You have the same chance of puffin (May-July) as if you did the full John o'Groats trip and also a good chance of seals and deer. You’ll see all the prehistoric sites of the itinerary and most of the scenic features. Late afternoon, leave the Puffin Express tour at John o’Groats and take the Pentland Venture,
operated by John o’Groats Ferries, across the Pentland Firth, a 40-minute crossing - route 3 on the map. A coach meets you at Burwick in South Ronaldsay and takes you to Kirkwall, arriving about 1930hrs. (Please visit suggested accommodations for a list of some accommodations in Kirkwall.)
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The lower part of the facade of St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
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Day 2: Full day to explore Orkney on your own;
Or take a guided tour. We recommend WILDABOUT TOURS
Or stay as many days as you wish!
Day 3 - or any later day you choose to leave Orkney:
Catch NorthLink
ferry from Stromness. Normally you would catch the ferry at 1100 on weekdays
- variable times at weekends. You can get a bus from Kirkwall to connect with
the 1100 ferry. Arrive Scrabster and transfer by taxi to Thurso Railway Station
(if continuing south by rail). Train departs 1306hrs Monday-Saturday, arriving
Inverness 1648hrs. (On Sundays the train leaves Thurso at 1220hrs, reaching
Inverness at 1608hrs.) Your rail journey south follows a substantially different
route from the road journey north, and our four pages of rail notes - unique
to Puffin Express - enliven this journey. Click here
for a crude schematic map showing the different portions of the trip.
The possible permutations of ferries and trains at weekends & Sundays are too
many for us to deal with and you should consult the up-to-date rail and ferry
timetables at ScotRail
and NorthLink
Ferries websites.
Our price of £ 61 (Child 6-16 - £ 45 - click here for child policy) for the above Orkney Adventure trip includes pick-up with your luggage at accommodation in Inverness; guided tour north with Puffin Express; crossing to Orkney with JoG Ferries or Pentland Ferries, with coach transfer to Kirkwall (May-September); and return ferry journey from Stromness (Orkney) back to mainland Scotland (Scrabster) by NorthLink Ferries. The package price does not include any accommodation or bus from Kirkwall to Stromness to connect with ferry south - c. £ 2.20.
Please note that this trip is not sold through agents after you arrive in Inverness but only direct by ourselves. Accordingly you are strongly advised to book it in advance. See also note below.
Which trip should I choose? Our Overnighter trip includes all transport from Inverness to Orkney back to Inverness; can be done in as little as 2 days; and is fairly foolproof. Our Orkney Adventure described on this web page does involve some more input from you, the client - buses from Kirkwall to Stromness and from Scrabster to Thurso railway station, or to the Post Bus terminal. On the other hand this trip gives the biggest variety of scenery - the beauty and interest of the railway route from Thurso to Inverness can hardly be exaggerated - check the main map to see how different the rail route is from the road.
If in doubt - don't book! - at least, don't book the whole Orkney trip. Just book our John o'Groats tour. Take an overnight bag with you. During the northward journey discuss your plans with our driver/guide - usually Kathleen or Sinclair Dunnett, who have both lived several years in Orkney. Decide then if you want to continue to Orkney. Please note though that if you buy these trips in bits they will cost a little more than if you buy the package as advertised on this website.
ORKNEY ADVENTURE
- March; April; October 2008
Orkney Adventure trips are available early and late in the season on the following dates:
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27 March
3 April
10 April
17 April
24 April
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7 October
9 October
14 October
16 October
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Itinerary: Day 1 - We pick you up at your accommodation in Inverness about 0830-0920 and then head north following the itinerary described for our John o'Groats tour. You’ll view all the prehistoric sites of the itinerary and most of the scenic features. Late afternoon, leave the Puffin Express tour at Gills Bay (west of John o'Groats) and take the Pentland Ferries vessel to St Margaret's Hope in South Ronaldsay - this is route 2 on the map.
You arrive in St Margaret's Hope about 1930hrs, after the last bus has left
for Kirkwall. Taxi to Kirkwall costs about £ 15 - call 01856 831444
to book, and check price. You can also stay in the 'Hope' for your night of
arrival at the Murray
Arms Hotel and get the first bus up to Kirkwall the next morning. (Please
visit suggested accommodations for a list of
some accommodations in Kirkwall & Stromness.)
Days 2 & 3 are exactly the same as for the May-September itinerary above - click here for details.
