7 Day Orkney Itinerary – With Kids

Where To Stay On Orkney

Despite being a small collection of remote islands, Orkney has plenty of accommodation options. It receives large numbers of tourists visiting each year, so there is a lot of variety in places to stay. It is possible to visit just for a day on a day-trip from the mainland of Northern mainland Scotland or on one of the many cruise ships that stop at Kirkwall. However a day in the Orkney Islands is not enough to see all the amazing sights!

Before you book your accommodation make sure that there are tickets available on the ferry or flights you would like to take to Orkney. There’s no point booking somewhere to stay if you can’t get to the islands! Flights are available from Aberdeen, Glasgow, Inverness and Edinburgh or ferries from Aberdeen, Scrabster and Gill’s Bay.

We have both camped and also stayed at a hotel in Orkney. I highly recommend Wheems Organic Farm for camping as a family. They also have glamping options available if you don’t want to take a tent. With a short walk down the road to a beach, it’s a perfect rural location to stay.

For a hotel I would suggest the Sands Hotel on Burray, Orkney. It has clean and cosy rooms, with a fantastic restaurant available for breakfast and dinner. It’s not too far from the main island of Orkney and you can easily explore the main sights of the islands.

Day 1 Visiting Orkney

Arrive in Orkney in the morning and spend the day split between Kirkwall and the major standing stones in Orkney. First head over to Kirkwall where you will want to spend some time exploring the Orkney Museum, a literal treasure trove of archaeology!

Around the corner from the museum visit the Bishop’s Palace and Earl’s Palace, one of Orkney’s oldest preserved buildings. Alongside the St Magnus cathedral Earl’s Palace was built in the 1200’s when Kirkwall was a bustling Norwegian port. A definite place to visit in the heart of Kirkwall.

Grab some lunch at a nearby cafe or restaurant in Kirkwall and maybe browse a few shops whilst you are here! Then jump in the car for your next destination.

Head back further into Orkney’s history at the Ring of Brodgar, Orkney’s largest stone circle. You can take a guided tour, or just go to the site alone to wander around the stone circle. Take lots of photos, it’s such a beautiful site!

In the heart of neolithic Orkney are the Standing Stones of Stenness. It’s an archaeological site that was built around 5400 years ago. Another circle of standing stones, smaller than the ring of Brodgar, but also older and potentially the oldest stone circle in the UK! It is considered to have been used for ceremonial purposes. Very interesting to explore and learn more!

Day 2 Visiting Orkney Itinerary

Pack a lunch for a long day of Orkney explorations! Today you are going to take a trip to the North West of the Orkney Isles to Brough of Birsay. The Brough of Birsay is a tiny uninhabited tidal island. As it’s a tidal island you need to check the tide times to make sure you can get across to the island. However, you also need to give yourself enough time to get back to the mainland before the tide comes back in! The island is beautiful in the summer, with wildflowers, puffins and some interesting remains of a Pictish settlement and Viking buildings. Find a nice spot with beautiful views to eat your packed lunch! make sure you head back

Please do check the tide times for the Brough of Birsay before visiting. It may also be best to do this in the afternoon if the tide times work out better.

Long before Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids were built, Skara Brae was a thriving village. This is just where you are going to visit now! An ancient village that is over 5000 years old. It was discovered in 1850 after a storm cleared away sand dunes and exposed the settlement. You can look down at the original stone furniture in each of the houses, including bed boxes, hearth and even dressers. There is a replicable building that you are able to enter, plus a a museum too.

Have a little fun on the beach beside Skara Brae once you’re finished at the archaeological site. There is also Skaill House next door, which may be of interest for older children. Then head back to your accommodation or restaurant for dinner.

Day 3 In Orkney

Yesterday you headed North West and today it’s time to head South West for a World War themed day. The Orkney Isles were very important during both World Wars. So your first stop is the Orkney Fossil & Heritage Centre on South Ronaldsay. The centre DOES have a lot of interesting fossils, but it also has a wealth of information about Orkney’s place during war time. There is also a nice cafe with views over Scapa Flow, they serve delicious cakes too!

Head back North over the Churchill Barriers to Lamb Holm island. The barriers are 4 separate concrete causeways that join the islands of Lamb holm, Burray, Glimps Holm and South Ronaldsay to the mainland. However, the main reason they were built in the 1940’s, was to stop German U-boats getting into Scapa Flow where the UK war ships were located. You will also see sunken ships when the tide is low near the barriers. These were also part of the defences against German ships!

The barriers were built by Italian world war 2 prisoners of war, who stayed at a POW camp on Lamb Holm island. The only remaining part of the Italian Prisoners of War camp is the Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm. The Italian priest at the camp requested that two Nissan huts were placed together to create a chapel. This request was granted and a number of Italian’s worked together to create the Italian Chapel. Inside it’s hard to even tell it was constructed from Nissan huts. With stunning paintings, it’s a popular tourist attraction.

Spend some time exploring the barriers and adjoining beaches. See how many sunken ships can you spot from the beaches!

Day 4 Orkney Itinerary With Kids

On day 4 you are going on a day trip via a ferry to the Island of Hoy! Hoy is on the other side of Scapa Flow from where you were exploring yesterday and is accessible by ferry from Stromness. So head over to Stromness and catch the ferry to the Isle of Hoy, you will need to book in advance, particularly in peak season.

The Isle of Hoy is very popular as a day trip, mainly because it’s such an easy short ferry trip. However, it also has plenty of interesting places to visit. Rackwick beach has a mix of sand and rocks, plus a few friendly seals that might pop up in the water. Here you can also find a beautiful walk to see the view out to the Old Man of Hoy, a famous sea stack. Don’t miss popping into the little Craa’s Nest Museum, which celebrates crofting life.

Keep your eyes open for White Tailed Sea Eagles as you drive across the island. You will definitely want to stop at the little car park to walk up to the Dwarfie Stane. It’s a 5000 year old rock cut tomb

Enjoy time at the beaches or visit the Scapa Flow Visitor Centre & Museum.

Day 5 in The Orkney Islands

Have a more relaxing day today on the mainland. Get up later and enjoy a delicious Scottish breakfast, before wrapping up to go out for the day! No matter what time of year you visit it will probably be windy. So don a jacket and hat to keep the wind out!

It’s a little bit of a drive around the islands today. Start over at Maeshowe chambered cairn, not too far from Kirkwall in the centre of the main island. It’s a monumental chambered cairn, that you have to enter on a tour to understand. At winter solstice it is perfectly lined up so the light illuminates the back chamber of the cairn. Which makes it very intriguing as to how it was used.

From here head to Broch of Gurness, a defensive structure surrounded by an associated village. The broch village was used in the iron age and although it’s use had finished by the time Vikings arrived on Orkney, a Viking burial has been found on the site.

Finally head South to South Ronaldsay, admiring the barriers again! This time you are going to visit the Tomb of the Otters. There is also a Tomb of the Eagles, however this is currently closed due to the owners no longer being able to maintain it. Fortunately you can still visit the Tomb of the Otters, quarried out of solid bedrock. It’s unique on Orkney and well worth a visit.

If you have time to kill, visit one of the many beaches on the islands.

Day 6 on Orkney Itinerary

You have a day to plan yourself, choose one of the islands to the East of mainland Orkney to visit. Book tickets for either passengers only or with a car. Then head across to explore for the day!

Suggestions for a good island day trip include Rousay, only a 25 minute ferry ride from Tingwall. You can also take your car with you on the ferry too. Rousay is fondly known as the ’Egypt of the North’, a reference to its large number of significant archaeological sites. There are 15 identified chambered cairns on the islands, with 4 open to the public. There are around 9 brochs on the island, some of which you can explore. Of course there is also an abundance of wildlife including seabirds, otters and seals.

Another excellent island to plan a day trip from mainland Orkney is Shapinsay. It’s also reached by a car ferry, only 25 minutes from Kirkwall. Shapinsay is a low, fertile island that has a large number of cattle. However, it also has several historical sites including a broch and standing stone. You may also be interested to find a fantastic RSPB wetland site, the Mill Dam, which has many species of flora and fauna. Don’t forget to take a walk around the coast, you may be lucky enough to spot otters and seals.

Day 7 of a Week in Orkney

It’s your last day in Orkney, so definitely make the most of it! If the weather is beautiful then you are going to want to get outside. Choose from a selection of interesting walks on the Walk Highland Website, or perhaps try sea kayaking if you have older children? If the kids want a relaxing day then why not do a tour of various beaches around mainland Orkney!

In the afternoon head off to a museum for a little more history or culture. The Kirbuster Museum near Birsay is an un-restored traditional ’firehoose’. There is also an Edwardian Parlour and Victorian Gardens to show life on Orkney in different eras.

Another museum you may want to visit is the Orkney Wireless Museum in Kirkwall. Described as an Orkney gem there are a large selection of wireless radios, early computers and wartime displays. After your visit to the museums head off into Kirkwall to look in the little craft shops for souvenirs and gifts. Then choose a restaurant for dinner before you head back home in the morning.

If you need some more ideas check out this post for our top 10 Things To Do With Kids on Orkney.

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