Planning a Trip

Getting There

Monday to Saturday, British Airways (tel. 08870/850-9850; www.britishairways.com) offers service to Kirkwall Airport, on Mainland Orkney (the largest Orkney island), from Glasgow, Inverness, and Aberdeen, with connections from London and Birmingham.

Motorists can visit Orkney with their cars by booking passage on one of the NorthLink Ferries (tel. 0845/600-0449). The line offers service from Scrabster (near Thurso), on Scotland's north coast, to the Orkneys. It's a 2-hour trip made 2 to 3 times Monday to Saturday or twice a day on Sunday. A round-trip ticket, valid for 5 days, is £20 ($38) per person or £118 ($224) per car and driver. If you don't have to transport a car, you can take one of the John O' Groats Ferries (tel. 01955/611-353), which operates May to December only 2 to 4 times a day, depending on demand (trip time: 40 min.). Round trip fares are £24 ($46) per passenger.

Getting Around

Island-hopping is common in the north of Scotland. Loganair (call British Airways at tel. 01856/873-434 for reservations) operates flights from Kirkwall Airport on Mainland to the isles of Sanday, Stronsay, Westray, Eday, North Ronaldsay, and Papa Westray.

Orkney Ferries Ltd. (tel. 01856/872-044 in Kirkwall; www.orkneyferries.co.uk) operates scheduled service from Kirkwall to Orkney's north and south islands: Eday, Papa Westray, Sanday, Stronsay, Westray, North Ronaldsay, and Shapinsay. From Houton, there's service to the south isles: Flotta, Hoy at Longhope, and Lyness, and from Tingwall to Rousay, Egilsay, and Wyre. There's also a private ferry service to take you to Hoy, departing from Stromness. The tourist office has details on departures.

The Churchill barriers, erected to impede enemy shipping in World War II, have been turned into a road link between the islands of Mainland and South Ronaldsay.

Visitor Information

To find out what's going on during your visit, consult the Orcadian, a weekly published since 1854. There are tourist offices in Kirkwall and in Stromness . You can also get information at www.visitorkney.com.

Special Events

These sparsely populated islands generate quite a bit of cultural activity, especially in celebrating the region's music. A number of festivals draw both curious visitors and fans of Scottish and, more specifically, Orcadian music. Information is available through the Kirkwall tourist office , which publishes the yearly Orkney Diary, listing events and dates.

The season kicks off in February with the Drama Festival, which hosts traveling companies presenting an array of productions in venues spread across the islands. Ticket prices hover around £7 to £10 ($13-$19). May finds the Orkney Traditional Folk Festival in full swing. Both feature ceilidhs and concerts of traditional music; tickets to most events are £6 to £8 ($11-$15). June brings a change of pace in the form of the St. Magnus Festival, which celebrates classical music and the dramatic arts, as well as music and drama workshops. Tickets average £6 to £20 ($11-$38).

Tours

Bus tours operate throughout the year, but with limited schedules in winter. One reliable choice is Wildabout Tours, 5 Clouston Corner, Stenness (tel. 01856/851-011). Its full- and half-day minibus tours (of no more than 15 passengers) take in prehistoric and Neolithic monuments and local wildlife. Prices range from £30 to £45 ($57-$86). The tours are popular, particularly in summer, so it's wise to book seats in advance.