Relaxed tailor-made wildlife and culture holidays for small groups of 4 to 8 people
contact Steve Sankey 01856 831240
ORCADIAN wildlife
birds
small groups (maximum 8)
island hopping
history
professional ornithologists
walking
photography
wildlife
4 star accommodation
short breaks
www.orcadianwildlife.co.uk We offer relaxed, tailor-made wildlife mainland west and activity holidays for small groups of orkney tours people (maximum 8 guests). We concentrate on the western seaboard, calling at Yesnaby, Marwick Wildlife, walking, photography and of We like to pride ourselves on no two days Head and Brough Head for the endemic ever being the same. Orkney’s shifting course Orkney’s superb 5,000 year Scottish primrose, broughs and seabirds. skies and seas help, as does the weather – old Neolithic (new stone age) sites RSPB wetland and moorland reserves and always feature in our itineraries. frequently all four seasons in one day. hides offer opportunities to see and hear Whatever you want to do in the So it’s best to bring your waterproof jacket breeding wildfowl, red-throated divers, Orkney outdoors please give us a and trousers, and your boots. Wildlife skuas, hen harrier and short-eared owl. call and we’ll try and do it with you. doesn’t stop for the weather and neither No trip to Orkney is complete without do we (unless with your agreement!). a visit to the stunning 5,000 year old Groups are purposefully kept small village of Skara Brae and the associated in order to see more and focus on standing stones of the Ring of Brodgar - your wishes. this tour provides the opportunity to visit these spectacular sites. Your guides Steve Sankey Photo John Anderson and Andy Mitchell are both experienced environmentalists and are professional ornithologists. mainland south and east A typical week’s tour might comprise: Steve Sankey has lived in Orkney for 10 Here we look at the wildlife and history of Scapa Flow years and knows its habitats and moods Two or three days spent exploring and its surrounding nature reserves. Its importance in well. A lifelong birdwatcher he is also an Orkney mainland and our own island naval history is marked by the eerie display of old experienced whale and dolphin spotter, of South Ronaldsay. boats wrecked to prevent entry to the fine natural harbour in the second World War. Early in the season and has recorded many cetaceans One or two days spent on other long-tailed duck and great-northern divers are over the last decade in Orkney waters. islands of your choice (Eday, Egilsay, island tours resplendent in their breeding plumage. Later, breeding puffins adorn the cliffs at the Brough of Deerness, a wild Andy Mitchell also lives on South Hoy, Rousay, Shapinsay or Stronsay), The hills of Hoy, the highest in the or perhaps even one of the remote spot reached only by a narrow ledge. The nearby sea Ronaldsay and is an environmental archipelago, and especially the Old Man cave of the Gloup is a spectacular chasm won from the northern isles of North Ronaldsay of Hoy form the backdrop for many famous adviser and consultant, having spent sea. Another much-loved Orkney feature we visit is the and Papa Westray or Westray if Orkney views. Much of the northern end 10 years with RSPB, including the baroque Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm, built by prisoners timetables and weather permit of the island is a RSPB reserve and a good management of the reserves on of war working on the Churchill Barriers. (please note a surcharge applies if place for raptors (including merlin, peregrine, Egilsay and Rousay. air is used for travel). hen harrier and short-eared owl), bonxies Photo and red-throated divers. The Dwarfie Stane, Colin Speedie Accommodation is in a comfortable A day spent exploring locally, just the Old Man himself and the incomparable 4 star hotel at half board. pottering on our local beaches and cliff Rackwick Bay will complete a day of tops. Our guests say that this is bliss.... enjoyment on this island. Lunch is usually a picnic overlooking a The Westness Walk on Rousay’s south coast is seabird cliff, bay or loch. Unfortunately A free day in Kirkwall for shopping the most important historical mile in Scotland any meal may sometimes be disturbed and sightseeing (cathedral, distillery, north of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh’s Old by a passing short-eared owl, hen harrier, shops, museums). Town. Most impressive is the “Ship of Death”, and even killer and minke whales…. or Midhowe broch and cairn. Our normal practice is to seek ideas Across on the eastern tip of Shapinsay lies from you as to your wishes and a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve of coastal aspirations. We can then suggest heath, alive with the colour of lichens and options based on the weather forecast, two species of breeding skua. Castle Bloody the previous week’s sightings, and is an evocative spot, as is the mesmerising your preferences. Some ideas for tours sea stack of the Holm of Burghlee nearby. are given on the right. The Mor Stein is an impressive - and very “Thank you, Steve & Sarah, for sharing your incredible knowledge of large - standing stone. birds & Neolithic sites. My trip to the Orkney Islands was wonderful!!!” Shelley Young, Chico, California. the peedie house: self-catering
The Peedie House is a stone steading at Gerraquoy Organic Farm that was converted to self-catering accommodation, and which is suitable for two persons. It features:
Full accessibility for disabled persons As part of Orcadian Wildlife A double bedroom with en suite we are also pleased to offer: bathroom and shower Excellent local knowledge Excellent kitchen facilities of Orkney’s wildlife and A large conservatory overlooking 5,000 year old Neolithic sites Grimness Head and the nature Day tours (at additional cost) reserve island of Copinsay with Orcadian Wildlife 100% renewable energy saving solar power and wind energy. Organic beef for sale produced on the farm by our small herd of native Shetland cattle The Peedie House uses green tourism principles including high energy Organic eggs for sale produced insulation and solar panels. It is on the farm by our (very!) free also part of the cyclist and walkers range chickens welcome schemes.
Travel to Orkney: Closer than you Think
By air: By car: Fly to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow Travel via Wick to the Pentland Ferries or Inverness and then onto Kirkwall. terminal at Gills Bay and either leave www.flybe.com your car at Gills Bay or take it on the ferry if you are staying longer By bus or train and ferry: on Orkney following your tour with Travel to Thurso or Wick via Inverness Orcadian Wildlife. Alternatively drive to and catch scheduled service buses John O’Groats and take the Jogferry to the Pentland Ferries terminal at Gills to Burwick (passenger only Bay. There are 3 or 4 ferries a day. in the summer months). John O’Groats Ferries also operate a Northlink Ferries also operate to passenger only ferry which connects Orkney from Scrabster (near Thurso) with the Orkney Bus in the summer to Stromness. Three ferries a week also months between John O’Groats sail from Aberdeen to Kirkwall but note and Burwick on South Ronaldsay. that this is a 6 hour crossing. By Orkney Bus: Pentland Ferries Between 1 May and early Tel: 01856 831226 September take the Orkney Bus www.pentlandferries.co.uk. (see www.jogferry.co.uk) from Inverness Bus Station which Northlink Ferries connects with the Jogferry) Tel: 01856 885500 www.northlinkferries.co.uk John O’ Groats Ferries: tel: 01955 611353 www.jogferry.co.uk
We will be pleased to collect you from the airport or ferry terminals and may be able to assist with your travel arrangements. Please contact us for suggestions.
Orcadian Wildlife contact details: Telephone: +44 (0)1856 831240 Gerraquoy, Grimness, South Ronaldsay, Orkney KW17 2TH Email: [email protected] www.orcadianwildlife.co.uk