Tour summary & highlights
Full 1 day tour / Orkney Isles / Orkney’s West mainland
Orkney’s West mainland & its spectacular coast, incl. the Yesnaby cliffs, Marwick head & tidal island of Birsay short day tour from the Orkney mainland
After picking you up from your accommodation these will be some of the places we will be visiting:
- After we pick you up we take you on a full circuit of some of the best sights on the Orkney mainland.
- Via our dramatic viewpoint stop we head past Maes Howe to the Stones of Stennes and the Ring of Brodgar.
- We have a short visit of Stromness, Orkney’s 2nd town, with its great views over to the Isle of Hoy with Orkney’s highest mountains and cliffs and over to the Graemsay lighthouse.
- At Yesnaby we go for a wee cliff top walk.
- At Skara Brae (entrance fee applies) you might wish to visit.
- There is the Marwick head nature reserve and seabird cliffs (puffins from May to July) and the Kitchener memorial.
- Walking the steps across the tidal brough of Birsay with remnants of its former Pictish & Viking settlements is always a highlight.
- The sands of Evie and the broch of Gurness afford great views of Rousay.
- There is also the Orkney brewery, the Kirbuster farm museum, Dounby and RSPB Birsay Moor.
- Depending on the tide times at Birsay and if you wish to visit Skara Brae or have a meal somewhere, for example in Stromness or if it is a busy cruise ship day with lots of visitors on Orkney or not we might vary the order of the stops along Orkney’s West mainland.
- We can have more nearby stops on the Orkney West mainland, including a stunning viewpoint stop, the Broch of Gurness, the sands of Evie, a dovecot or have a coffer, before we head back to Kirkwall, where we could drop you off at St. Magnus cathedral/opposite the Orkney museum or by the picturesque harbour and the town centre or alternatively at of this 1 day tour we drop you back off again at any place you prefer.
1 day Orkney tour highlights
Brough of Birsay – tidal island
Churchill barriers – Orkney.com
Churchill barriers – Visit Scotland
Marwick head RSPB nature reserve
Marwick head seabird cliffs & nature reserve
Ring of Brodgar Stone Circle & Henge
Scapa Flow – Northlink ferries
Skara Brae – Historic Scotland
St. Magnus cathedral – Kirkwall
Stones of Stenness Circle and Henge
Stromness / Orkney Isles – Coast, sea Highlands & Islands – Unicorn Tours throughout Scotland
& a lot more
This 1 day tour can be easily combined with any other of our other Orkney Isles itineraries, see these longer multi-day private Orkney Isles tours we offer:
Orkney taster via Northern Highlands – 3 day tour
Orkney Islands explorer – 5 day tour
Shetland Isles Experience & 1 day for the highlights of the Orkneys – 7 day tour
Private Orkney Isles 3, 2, 1 & short day tours
Tour itinerary
Full 1 day tour / Orkney Isles / Orkney’s West mainland
Orkney’s West mainland & its spectacular coast, incl. the Yesnaby cliffs, Marwick head & tidal island of Birsay short day tour from the Orkney mainland
After picking you up from your accommodation these will be some of the places we will be visiting:
- After we pick you up we take you on a full circuit of some of the best sights on the Orkney mainland.
- Via our dramatic viewpoint stop we head past Maes Howe to the Stones of Stennes and the Ring of Brodgar.
- We have a short visit of Stromness, Orkney’s 2nd town, with its great views over to the Isle of Hoy with Orkney’s highest mountains and cliffs and over to the Graemsay lighthouse.
- At Yesnaby we go for a wee cliff top walk.
- At Skara Brae (entrance fee applies) you might wish to visit.
- There is the Marwick head nature reserve and seabird cliffs (puffins from May to July) and the Kitchener memorial.
- Walking the steps across the tidal brough of Birsay with remnants of its former Pictish & Viking settlements is always a highlight.
- The sands of Evie and the broch of Gurness afford great views of Rousay.
- There is also the Orkney brewery, the Kirbuster farm museum, Dounby and RSPB Birsay Moor.
- Depending on the tide times at Birsay and if you wish to visit Skara Brae or have a meal somewhere, for example in Stromness or if it is a busy cruise ship day with lots of visitors on Orkney or not we might vary the order of the stops along Orkney’s West mainland.
- We can have more nearby stops on the Orkney West mainland, including a stunning viewpoint stop, the Broch of Gurness, the sands of Evie, a dovecot or have a coffer, before we head back to Kirkwall, where we could drop you off at St. Magnus cathedral/opposite the Orkney museum or by the picturesque harbour and the town centre or alternatively at the end of this 1 day tour we drop you back off again at any place you prefer.
(Please note this1 day tour can be easily combined with any other of our other Orkney Isles itineraries.)
also see these longer multi-day private Orkney Isles tours we offer:
Orkney taster via Northern Highlands – 3 day tour
Orkney Islands explorer – 5 day tour
Shetland Isles Experience & 1 day for the highlights of the Orkneys – 7 day tour
Private tour price for the 8 passenger seater mini-bus & driver/tourguide, i.e. the tour price for a private group of min. 1 and max 8 passengers
Personalised & private small group tours all over Scotland (100+ itineraries: ½ – 7 day tour options & discounted multi-day tours to choose from) – with a set daily tour price for our tour guide driver & 8 passenger seater mini-bus (due to the fixed same overall cost for up to 8 passengers, the cheapest per person price for a private small group tour is if 8, 7, 6 or 5 are travelling together to share the set fixed daily cost, which is the same total cost, no matter if there are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 passengers on a private mini-bus tour)
All of these private & personalised, small group tours of Scotland
are available on any available green calendar days for private tours
| 5, 6, 7 days | 4 days | 3 days |
| 2 days | Scottish destinations/Tour extensions & add ons | 1 day |
| Activities, special interests & tour themes | Walking tours | ½ & short day tours |
- Choose any private & personalised tailormade 1/2 day tour on any available green calendar day.
- Choose any private & personalised tailormade 1 day tour on any available green calendar day.
- Choose any private & personalised tailormade 2 day tour on any 2 consecutive available green calendar days. Any private 2 day tours will already show a 2.5% discount.
- Choose any private & personalised tailormade 3 day tour on any 3 consecutive available green calendar days. Any private 3 day tours will already show a 5% discount.
- Choose any private & personalised tailormade 4 day tour on any 4 consecutive available green calendar days. Any private 4 day tours will already include a 7.5% discount.
- Choose any private personalised & tailormade 5 day tour on any 5 consecutive available green calendar days. Any private 5 day tours will already include a 10% discount.
- Choose any private personalised & tailormade 6 day tour on any 6 consecutive available green calendar days. Any private 6 day tours is discounted by 12.5%.
- Choose any private personalised & tailormade 7 day tour on any 7 consecutive available green calendar days. Any private 7 day tour prices already show the 15% discount.
Additionally from September to May there is a 12.5% student discount, which also applies to seniors over 65 and to children up to 17 travelling as part of a family group.
Extra costs & ferry info (if applicable)
Extra costs for this tour:
- Entrance fee (optional) to Skara Brae Skara Brae
- Entrance fee (optional) to the Broch of Gurness Broch of Gurness
- Food & drinks
Tour links
1 day Orkney tour highlights
Brough of Birsay – tidal island
Churchill barriers – Orkney.com
Churchill barriers – Visit Scotland
Marwick head RSPB nature reserve
Marwick head seabird cliffs & nature reserve
Ring of Brodgar Stone Circle & Henge
Scapa Flow – Northlink ferries
Skara Brae – Historic Scotland
St. Magnus cathedral – Kirkwall
Stones of Stenness Circle and Henge
& a lot more
Tour options
Free time & activities
1D/Orkney based or add on tour # 38 – Orkney’s West mainland, incl. Skara Brae, the ring of Brodgar, the stones of Stenness, Stromness, the broch of Gurness & its spectacular coast, incl. the Yesnaby cliffs, Marwick head & tidal island of Birsay, etc.
Tour pick up/start, drop off/end & joining options near to & along our tour route
pick ups and drop offs:
- from anywhere on the Orkney mainland & the conjoined islands via the Churchill barriers, incl. Burray & South Ronaldsay, any accommodation, incl. Kirkwall, Stromness, Kirkwall airport and the Northlink ferry terminal in Stromness, the Pentland ferry terminal in St. Margaret’s Hope and the John O’Groats ferry terminal at Burwick
- Kirkwall North Isles & Shapinsay ferry terminal
- Kirkwall bus station
- Tingwall ferry terminal
- Houton ferry terminal
- Skara Brae, Birsay, Yesnaby, Marwick head, Highland Park & Scapa distillery, etc.
Tour booking
To enquire, discuss and to book any of our tours, please email contact@unicorntours.co.uk or leave a message at +44-7429251980
As on most days we are driver/tour-guiding tours, we will get back to you and reply asap / within 36 hours at the latest.
1D#38 – Orkney’s West mainland, incl. Skara Brae, the ring of Brodgar, the stones of Stenness, Stromness, the broch of Gurness & its spectacular coast, incl. the Yesnaby cliffs, Marwick head & Birsay – 1 day – multi-day Orkney Isles add on tour or when we are Orkney based
Definitions:
Add on
- Add on = you have already booked a longer (generally a multi-day) private tour with us and now on top of it, you would now also like to add this tour/this itinerary/these stops/these places to your already existing longer private tour with us.
Tour base
Our home/office base is near Stirling in the Scottish Central belt, 45 minutes from Edinburgh, 45 minutes from Glasgow, 45 minutes from the Trossachs & Loch Lomond nationalpark/the Southern Highlands/ Perth & 45 minutes from the East Coast beaches of Fife.
From there & much of Scotland we pick up for our tours throughout much of Scotland and also run longer multi-day private tours throughout all across Scotland, including off the beaten track Scotland & the Shetland, Orkney & Hebridean Isles throughout all of the year, except for a few weeks each year, when we are temporarily based elsewhere..
Temporarily our tour base is elsewhere = for a few weeks throughout each year though, our tour operations are not in the Scottish Central belt, but temporarily we also run private short day and private 1 day tours in addition to our longer multiday private tours from our alternative mainly island tour bases, which can all be pre-booked through us:
Shetland
- When we are Shetland based, we also run short & 1 day (incl. longer) private tours starting/finishing from the Shetland Islands, i.e. usually from the Shetland mainland and mostly based around the Central Shetland mainland near Lerwick and Scalloway
- From Toft/Shetland mainland there are regular ferries to Yell
- From Yell there are regular ferries to Unst and a few every day to Fetlar
- From Laxo/Shetland mainland there are regular ferries to Whalsay
- From Lerwick/Shetland mainland there are hourly ferries to Bressay
- From Bressay there are a few summer only ferries to Noss
- From Sandwick/Shetland mainland there is a daily summer only ferry to Mousa
- From West Burrafirth /Shetland mainland there are a few ferries each week to Papa Stour
- From Vidlin/Shetland mainland there are a few weekly ferries to the Out Skerries
- Additionally there is the Grutvik/Shetland mainland ferry to Fair Isle and the Walls/Shetland mainland ferry to Foula
- Muckle Roe is connected by bridge to the Shetland mainland
- Trondra, East & West Burra are connected via bridge to the Shetland mainland
There are many daily flights from Sumburgh airport to Aberdeen and also Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness and Kirkwall.
There is the daily overnight ferry to Aberdeen on the Scottish Eastcoast, which stops every 2nd night in Kirkwall on the Orkney Isles
Orkney
- When we are Orkney based, we are usually based on the Orkney mainland in or around Kirkwall. We then also run short & 1 day (incl. longer) private tours starting/finishing from the Orkney Islands
- From Kirkwall/Orkney mainland there are the North Isles (Westray, Sanday, Stronsay, North Ronaldsay, Papa Westray & Eday) & Shapinsay ferries.
- From Tingwall/Orkney mainland there are the Rousay, Egilsay & Wyre ferries
- From Houton/Orkney mainland there are the Hoy & South Walls & Flotta ferries
- From Stromness there is the Graemsay ferry
Orkney is connected to the Scottish Northcoast/Caithness:
- from Scrabster (Thurso) on the Northlink ferry to Stromness
- from Gills Bay on the Pentland ferry to St. Margaret’s Hope on South Ronalday connected via causeway/Churchill barriers to the Orkney mainland
- summer only: John O’Groats passenger only ferry to Burwick on South Ronalday (connected via causeway/Churchill barrier to the Orkney mainland)
Every 2nd night there is the Northlink ferry, that connects Kirkwall/Orkney mainland with Aberdeen/Scottish Eastcoast and Lerwick on the Shetland Isles.
Oban, Argyll & West Coast
- When we are Oban and Argyll/Westcoast based, we also run short & 1 day (incl. longer) private tours starting/finishing from Oban, Argyll & the Westcoast.
- From Oban there are ferries to Mull (and via Mull to Iona/Ulva/Staffa & the Treshnish Isles), to Lismore, to Kerrara, to Coll & Tiree, to Barra, to South Uist and once weekly also to Colonsay and to Islay.
Lochaber, Mallaig, Arisaig & Fort William b
- When we are Lochaber/Mallaig/Arisaig & Fort William based, we also run short & 1 day (incl. longer) private tours starting/finishing from Lochaber/Mallaig/Arisaig & Fort William.
- From Mallaig there are ferries to South Uist (the Uists), the 4 “not so” Small Isles of Rum, Eigg, Canna & Muck & the Knoydart peninsula & Skye. Additionally there are some summer only ferries from Arisaig to the Small Isles.
Ardnamurchan & West Highland peninsulas
- When we are Ardnamurchan & West Highland peninsulas (Moidart, Sunart, Morvern & Ardgour) based, we also run short & 1 day (incl. longer) private tours starting/finishing from Ardnamurchan & West Highland peninsulas (Moidart, Sunart, Morvern & Ardgour) – there are regular ferries from Ardnamurchan/Kilchoan to Tobermory/Mull and Morvern/Lochaline to Fishnish/Mull.
Far/Northwest Coast
- When we are based in the Far/Northwest Highlands (Handa Island, Summer Islands/Tanera Mor & Keoldale/Cape Wrath ferry), we also run short & 1 day (incl. longer) private tours starting/finishing from the Far/Northwest Highlands
The same also applies when we are based in:
- Kintyre (ferries to Islay/Jura/Colonsay & Gigha) or
- along the North Coast/Caithness (ferries to Orkney & via Orkney to Shetland) or
- Aberdeenshire/East Coast (overnight ferry to Shetland, which stops on Orkney every 2nd night)
Hebrides
When we are based on the Hebrides, we also run short & 1 day (incl. longer) private tours starting/finishing from the Hebridean Islands,
our Hebridean bases could then be either on:
Outer Hebrides
- Lewis & Harris based (Lewis & Harris is one conjoined island & are connected by bridge with Great Bernera & Scalpay) with daily sailings from Ullapool to Stornoway/Isle of Lewis and numerous sailings across the Sound of Harris from Leverburgh/Harris to Berneray on the Uists. Additionally there are also sailings from Tarbert/Harris to Uig on Skye.
- Based on the Uists (the Uists – Berneray – North Uist – Grimsay – Benbecula – South Uist – Eriskay) are all connected via causeways with numerous sailings across the Sound of Barra from Eriskay to Barra, numerous daily sailings across the Sound of Harris from Berneray to Harris and usually once daily sailings from Lochboisdale/South Uist to Mallaig/Lochaber and also from Lochmaddy/North Uist to Uig on Skye.
- Based on Barra (which is connected via causeway with Bhatersay) and has a daily sailing to Oban and numerous daily sailings to Eriskay/the Uists. During the summer/weather permitting there are also daily boat landing trips to Mingulay.
Inner Hebrides
- Based on Mull & Iona (there are regular short ferries between the 2 isles, about 25 crossings every day)
- Based on Coll & Tiree (with daily sailings between the 2 islands and Oban and summer only once weekly sailings to Barra)
Southern Hebrides
- Based on Islay (with many regular short daily ferry crossings to Jura and usually twice weekly crossings to Colonsay)