An Orkney Odyssey

Bird and wildlife watching on Orkney - an Orkney Odyssey adventure; after comments asking for more islands we have added to our classic Orkney trip, with extra days and extra islands! With minibus transport and mostly easy walking, we'll enjoy some fabulous birding with White-tailed Eagle, skuas, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl and Red-throated Diver - as well as Otter and cetaceans, plus archaeological sites such as Maes Howe, Skara Brae and Broch of Gurness. New islands include Hoy and Westray.

"What a fantastic all round trip! I thoroughly enjoyed the mix and balance of wildlife watching, visiting the different islands, taking in the stunning scenery, seeing some of the main archaeological sites and learning about Orkney's more recent history. The wildlife highlights were many and varied but the stars of the show had to be the Merlin who really put on a show for us!" Joan Hunter, 2021

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Date Cost Availability Deposit Single Supp	28 Aug - 06 Sep 2027 £4095.00 3 Spaces £750.00 £500.00 Book Now

Leader

Craig Round

Day 1	Gather in Inverness for dinner - 1 night Premier Inn
Day 2	Travel from Inverness to Scrabster through Easter Ross, taking the ferry to Orkney we then settle in to our hotel at Harray - 7 nights at Merkister Hotel
Days 3-8	Exploration of the islands of this exciting archipelago - including mainland Orkney, Hoy and Westray for excellent birding and visits to a wide selection of archaeological sites
Day 9	Ferry back to Scrabster across the Pentland Firth, then drive back to Inverness - 1 night Premier Inn
Day 10	After breakfast we say farewell

Weather	The weather can vary enormously. During a typical week in this season we would expect mixed sun and showers with temperatures of 10-20ºC. It may be cooler round the coast and though we could see unbroken sunshine and settled weather, Orkney can also be wet and windy. Bring layers and waterproofs and sunscreen too!
Walking	Walking will generally be very relaxed and easy. Walking boots essential
Meals	All included from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 10
Insects	Biting insects should not be a problem
Accom	Double, twin and single ensuite rooms
Group	6

We have extended our classic Orkney trip, with the extra days and extra islands of Hoy and Westray, adding to the wonderful selection of birding and archaeological sites we’ll visit.

	* Skara Brae, Ring of Brodgar, Maes Howe
	* The Island of Hoy - plus Scapa Flow Museum
	* Visit to Westray where Gannets may still be present on spectacular Noup Head
	* Broch of Gurness - Iron Age broch village
	* Autumn migration - perhaps a Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike or something rarer!
	* Short-eared Owl, Hen Harrier, Red-throated Divers and skuas - and maybe Otters
	* The Loons RSPB Reserve, Yesnaby Cliffs and, if time permits, the Brough of Birsay

Day 1	We meet in Inverness in time for dinner in our overnight hotel, giving us time to chat about the coming exciting trip.
Day 2	From Inverness, we follow the coast road north to our ferry from Scrabster to Orkney. We’ll look out for Sandwich and Arctic Terns fishing offshore, plus colourful Eiders and with luck Long-tailed Ducks or scoters. We may be lucky enough to see Red Kite circling above the rich farmland of Easter Ross. The crossing, on a large modern, fully equipped ferry, takes us across The Pentland Firth, famous for its tidal race and its wildlife and we’ll look out for cetaceans, Storm Petrel, Manx Shearwater, skuas and dolphins with Sooty Shearwater and Grey Phalarope possible at this time of year. The ferry passes the impressive cliffs of Hoy and we shall get a view of the Old Man. We land at the picturesque harbour of Stromness, where the great author George Mackay-Brown lived.
Days 3-8	The landscape of Orkney has broad coastal vistas, interspersed with ancient archaeological wonders set amidst the genteel farmland, which characterises inland Orkney. The pastures are home to Brown Hare, Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl, which quarter the moors and meadows looking for Orkney Vole. Autumn migration is just beginning, so there’s a good chance of migrants, especially waders and seabirds, but anything is possible! Any visit to Orkney would not be complete without including the many astonishing archaeological treasures the islands are so famous for. Several are exceptional, including Maes Howe - a Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave built around 2800BC and still in excellent condition. Perhaps the most famous is Skara Brae - Europe’s most complete Neolithic village, consisting of eight clustered houses, occupied around 3180 to 2500BC. We shall also visit the Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness and the lesser known Broch of Gurness, an Iron Age broch village situated in the north of mainland Orkney. The farmland around these sites is ideal hunting ground for Hen Harrier, Merlin and Short-eared Owl and the Loch of Stenness is often home to Otters and Red-throated Divers. We may go sightseeing in the UK’s most northerly city - Kirkwall and its smaller neighbour Stromness and visit the museum and Cathedral with time to wander round the shops. For whisky aficionados there is the chance to take a tour round the northern island’s only distillery. On another day we shall take the ferry over to the island of Westray, where we’ll spend time enjoying lovely scenery and search for migrants. At the northern tip is Noup Head, which in summer has a spectacular Gannet colony on the impressive cliffs and there are likely to still be some birds here, though perhaps not in the big numbers of summer. There is a half hour ferry crossing to Hoy, Orkney’s most ‘mountainous’ island, and we shall cross with the minibus - with eyes to the skies for the possibility of Great Skua, or gigantic White-tailed Eagle which now breeds on Hoy. The newly refurbished Scapa Flow Museum, dedicated to the history of Scapa Flow during the two world wars, is worth visiting and we’ll make the half mile walk out to the Dwarfie Stone, a megalithic chambered tomb carved from a titanic block of old red sandstone. Time permitting, there is plenty more to show you - and we hope to include the impressive Yesnaby Cliffs, The Loons RSPB Reserve, where birding can be excellent, the last unrestored ‘firehoose’ in northern Europe at Kirkbuster Museum and head out over the causeway to the Brough of Birsay – a fascinating island, with so much to see, with both wildlife and archaeology.
Day 9	As our time on the islands comes to an end, we scan for birds and dolphins once again as we take the ferry back to Scrabster, then drive to Inverness for an evening meal together at the Premier Inn.
Day 10	After breakfast we say our farewells.

Just some of what we hope to see..

Hen Harrier	Black Guillemot	Rock Dove
White-tailed Eagle	Eider	Twite
Short-eared Owl	Golden Plover	common and maybe rarer autumn migrants
Merlin	Sanderling	Otters
Great Skua	Black-tailed Godwit	dolphins
Arctic Skua	Bar-tailed Godwit	MinkeWhale
Manx Shearwater	Ruff	Harbour Porpoise
Sooty Shearwater	Gannet	seals
Red-throated Diver

"I particularly enjoyed seeing the Short-eared Owls, which was a first for me, and it was just sitting on a fence post so you could really see it. When the first owl called and a second appeared was just amazing. We were all transfixed just watching them"
Katy Williams

"Yet another Speyside holiday we have really enjoyed, our thanks to Tim and Craig for making sure we had a fabulous time. And they even got Belinda into Maes Howe! Tim should publish his bird nicknames - Terry Turnstone / Wilfrid the White Tailed Sea Eagle / Gregory the Grey Heron / Frank the Fulmar and so many more! Really interesting holiday with the Neolithic sites amazing, great to visit a variety of islands, lots of wildlife and so lucky with the weather too. Simply a huge big thank you to all at Speyside for an enthralling time"
Steve and Belinda Batt

"For a city dweller, hearing the wild call of the Red-Throated Diver and the Curlew is always exciting. Seeing Hen Harriers, Merlin and Peregrin again. Learning to distinguish some of the sea birds and waders. I enjoyed the company of a mixed group of people, including our guides"
Jenny Grundy

"Broch of Gurness Iron Age village beside the sea, where you could also see many sea birds. Gannets and Fulmar swooping around the cliffs near the lighthouse. The Italian chapel and the Scapa Flow museum"
Catherine Harkness

"The inclusion of ancient historical sites, particularly with a guide who was so knowledgeable about them. Good views of an otter on our very first day. Pair of Sea Eagles on Hoy, and a least one Harrier every day"
Michael and Margaret Betts

"Hard to choose as everything was a highlight; Ring of Brodgar, Westray, Day on Hoy and visiting the Scapa Flow museum"
Gaye Henson

"We were so lucky with the weather and seemed to avoid big crowds at the historic sites, which was a bonus. Whilst we didn’t see any new birds the views of Hen Harriers were great. The trip to the Scapa Flow museum was great and we enjoyed it much more than we'd expected. The sunrises and sunsets from the hotel were spectacular!"
Lynn & Steve Osborne

"The group was very congenial. We bonded very quickly, possibly because, unusually, half the group already knew one another, everyone was very interested in learning about birds, neolithic settlements and wartime Orkney, which really added to enjoyment. Craig and Roy were flexible in allowing time when they could see we were still interested in a venue. They fitted in a visit to the Royal Navy cemetery on Hoy, which was not in the programme"
Heather James

"Atmosphere at ancient sites. Lunches on silver sand beaches bespeckled by birds. Wonderful people to talk to at the various sites. The excitement of not knowing what each new day would bring"
Kathleen Murray

"What a fantastic all round trip! I thoroughly enjoyed the mix and balance of wildlife watching, visiting the different islands, taking in the stunning scenery, seeing some of the main archaeological sites and learning about Orkney's more recent history. The wildlife highlights were many and varied but the stars of the show had to be the Merlin who really put on a show for us!"
Joan Hunter

"Apart from Mainland visiting the islands of Westray, Egilsay and Hoy. Loads of Hen Harriers and three excellent sightings of Merlin. A great range of waders on Westray. The interesting talks at the Broch of Gurness and Maes Howe. Altogether an amazing holiday"
John & Melanie Parker

Situated on the shores of Harray Loch, the Merkister hotel stands in its own grounds in the most wonderful location, commanding impressive views of this famous loch and its surroundings. They are in the perfect location for our visit, nestled in the middle of Skara Brae, Maeshowe, Brough of Birsay, several RSPB reserves and much, much more…

They have an award-winning restaurant, where during breakfast you can watch the Swans, Herons and if lucky a pair of Hen Harriers, and during dinner maybe catch one of the “have to see to be believed” sunsets.

All rooms have colour TV, direct-dial telephone, Tea/Coffee making facilities and a host of other extras. There is also Free Wireless Internet access available at the hotel.

With its guarantee of a good night’s sleep, a reputation for excellent customer service and a good restaurant, the Premier Inn is the ideal place to spend our first and last evening. Located at the edge of Torvean Golf Course, this contemporary hotel is a 1-minute walk from the Caledonian Canal. In-room amenities feature free WiFi, pillow-top mattresses and en suite bathrooms with showers, as well as tea and coffee-making facilities, TVs and desks.

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