Historic Orkney Showcase Private tour

Perfect for people staying on Orkney or those arriving via cruise ship looking for a longer shore excursion.

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Mainland Orkney, St Magnus Cathedral, Scapa Flow, Unstan chambered tomb, Yesnaby, Skara Brae, Ring of Brodgar, Lunch, Maeshowe chambered tomb. Standing stones of Stenness, Wideford hill.

The largest of the Orkney Islands, known as the mainland, is no ordinary place. It is a realm of ancient echoes and untamed beauty, where time folds in on itself and the landscape tells stories older than memory.
Here, Sun shines and wind howls across vast heather moorlands, and sea cliffsrise like fortresses from the churning North Atlantic. Under skies that shiftfrom storm-dark to gold-lit in moments, Orkney invites you into its deep,layered past and fiercely alive present.

At the heart of this ancient archipelago lies Skara Brae, a Neolithic village frozen in time for over 5,000 years - older than the Pyramids and older even than the first whispers of written history. Step through its stone doorways and into homes where hearths still hold the shadows of those who once lived, loved, and laboured here. The stones themselves seem to breathe, telling tales of a people intimately tied to the sea and the earth, their lives etched into the very fabric of the land.

Just inland, Maeshowe awaits, a brooding burial chamber aligned with the winter solstice. Step inside to find Viking runes carved into its walls, left like whispered graffiti by Norse raiders seeking shelter from astorm. Nearby, the Ring of Brodgar stands silhouetted against sweeping skies and silent lochs. At dusk, its stones hum with an energy that defies reason, a sacred monument etched into the soul of the landscape. It’s nowonder it has inspired everything from ancient ritual to modern legend, including Billy Connolly’s infamous moonlit dance among the stones. In Kirkwall, the beating heart of Orkney, rises the magnificent St Magnus Cathedral known as the “Light of the North.” Founded in the 12th century by Norse earls, this soaring cathedral of red sandstone is a testament to the islands’ Viking spirit and enduring faith. Its intricate carvings and soaring arches whisper tales of power, faith, and the martyrdom of Earl Magnus, whose legacy still pulses through the island’s veins.

Further south, the waters of Scapa Flow hold the secrets of wartime sacrifice, with shipwrecks lying silent in the deep. This vast natural harbour once hosted the British fleet and now, it is a sanctuary of memory, mystery, and marine life. Yet Orkney is no museum, it’s gloriously alive. Towering seabird cliffs echo with cries of gannets and puffins. Seals lounge on white-sand bays, and with a little luck, you might glimpse Orcas carving through the sea, framed by the shifting light of an endless horizon. On land, discover a proud and resilient culture shaped by Norse rule and island life. Here, you’ll find soul-stirring fiddle music, not bagpipes; finely crafted knitwear, not tartan clichés. The cuisine is as fresh as the wind itself - think hand-dived scallops, tender local lamb, and sea-salted air that whets every appetite. Across more than 70 islands, Orkney offers more than a visit, it offers a reckoning with something far greater. A place where stone, sea, and sky converge. A place where the past isn’t gone. It’s just waiting for you to arrive.  

Included‍

• Private guide
• Private Transportation
• Relaxed atmosphere with no wasted time
• Site translation

Not included

• ‍Entry fees to Skara Brae or Maes Howe are not included but can be booked for you by arrangement.
• Lunch

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