Tour summary & highlights
Discover Orkney’s many sites & treasures & sample a few northern high-lands/lights-stops on our way to the ferry
Orkney & the northern Highlands
3 days+ tour to explore & experience
for your private, flexible tailor-made small group sample itinerary 3D#7
We would be delighted to run this tour as a private, small group tour (up to 8 people)
Orkney & the northern Highlands – 3 days to explore & experience
including the Orkney Top 10/tourists’ favourites – Scara Brae, Ring of Brodgar & Stenness standing stone circles, Scapa Flow, St. Magnus cathedral, , the Italian chapel, Brough of Birsay & Broch of Gurness, Kirkwall/Stromness town, harbour
&
optionally Highland Park & Scapa distilleries, Maes Howe & the Ness of Brodgar, museums, great beaches, seabird cliffs, island views & a lot more etc.
As this is your own private small group tour, the itinerary is very flexible and along the way, we can add additional nearby stops and depending on the weather it is also possible to swap the route of day 1 and day 3 around. So the route each day is a sample itinerary and can be amended if you prefer.
Day 1Day 1 and day 3 can also be swapped around and a lot also depends which ferry we take when to Orkney and when back to the Scottish mainland Through Highland Perthshire, past Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Dalwhinnie and the Cairngorm nationalpark we pass Inverness and 3 bridges up north (Kessock bridge over the Murray & Beauly Firth to Ross and Cromarty – the Black Isle), (Cromarty bridge from the Black Isle up towards Alness & Invergordon), (Dornoch Firth bridge from Tain/Glenmorangie distillery to Sutherland and Royal Dornoch) – we pass a seal colony, Dunrobin castle and can have at least a photo stop from the outside, Carn Litath broch, some towns, beaches, before after Wick we can take a photostop of the Duncansby head seastacks. If there is time and depending on which time we take the ferry to Orkney we can also visit the golden sands of Dunnet bay or also Dunnet head, the northernmost point of the Scottish mainland. In the summer Castle Mey is open as well. Our main goal though, subject to ferry times and our accommodation is to still reach Orkney on day 1. |
1st night1st overnight options(a) You choose the type / price-category of your accommodation For every location/area our guests have the choice to either stay at a hotel, B&B or hostel, it is up to you how much you wish to spend for the night and it makes no difference to the tour, whether we pick you up from an upmarket or budget place (b) You choose the location of your accommodation
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Day 2Day on the Orkney mainland (which is connected through the Churchill barriers with Lamb Holm – Glimpse Holm – Burray & South Ronaldsay, which we will visit as well) we will visit:
Yesnaeby cliffs – Unicorn Tours
1 day Orkney tour highlightsBrough 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
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2nd night2nd overnight options(a) You choose the type / price-category of your accommodation For every location/area our guests have the choice to either stay at a hotel, B&B or hostel, it is up to you how much you wish to spend for the night and it makes no difference to the tour, whether we pick you up from an upmarket or budget place (b) You choose the location of your accommodation
Orkney hotels, B&BS and hostels
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Day 3Day 1 and day 3 can also be swapped around and a lot also depends which ferry we take when to Orkney and when back to the Scottish mainland On day 3, we are trying to vary the route and stop and visit other and new places – compared to day 1 on our northbound journey -travelling southbound again.
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Scotland’s Northcoast, Dunnet head and beach, Duncansby cliffs combined with Orkney .
The Northern Highlands are an absolute highlight with great beaches to some of the wildest, most isolated and least populated parts of Europe, where nature still reigns & to the west the wild Atlantic pounds the coast, the almost Norwegian type fjords and high coastal mountains.
Orkney should not be rushed, it is a place of peace, beauty and tranquility and with 70 islands – 20 inhabited – and some of them quite large, there is plenty to see and do – check out our 5D#5 Orkney Islands Explorer tour as well
Some of our Orkney Tours’ facebook entries
On route to our Unicorn Orkney islands tour
– via Sutherland (Helmsdale), Caithness (Castle Sinclair Girnigoe) & the Pentland ferry to St. Margaret’s hope (South Ronaldsay, which along with Burray, Glimps Holm & Lamb Holm are connected to the “Orkney mainland” via the Churchill barriers along Scapa Flow – the 2nd largest natural harbour in the world)
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Orkney Isles – summary of Unicorn Tours’ June 2022 tour
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Orkney Islands Unicorn Tours – videos of day 1
including of Marwick head RSBP seabird cliffs, the Lord Kitchener WW1 memorial & Stroma (Pentland Firth)
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Orkney Unicorn Tours – a few of the tourists’ favourites
– Scara Brae, Ring of Brodgar & Stenness standing stone circles, Scapa Flow, St. Magnus cathedral, Maes Howe & the Ness of Brodgar, the Italian chapel, Brough of Birsay & Broch of Gurness, Kirkwall/Stromness town, harbour & museum, Highland Park & Scapa distilleries, etc.
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Roussay (via Egilsay & Wyre) – Orkneys – Unicorn Tours
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Marwick head seabird cliffs & Lord Kitchener memorial – Orkney mainland – Unicorn Tours
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Yesnaeby cliffs – Unicorn Tours – 09 June 2022
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Puffin nesting season on Westray
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Orkneys day 2 – Westray – Unicorn Tours
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Sanday via Eday & Stronsay – Orkney Isles – Unicorn Tours – Day 3, Sunday
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Isle of Hoy, Orkney & Rackwick bay
Hoy (northern side) afternoon of day 4 – Orkney Isles – Unicorn Tours
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Surfing seals & skydiving gannets on Hoy/Orkney Isles – Unicorn Tours
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More photos of our Unicorn Tours stops on the Orkney mainland
during our 5 day tour of the 5 largest Orkney Isles ( Orkney mainland plus all the conjoined islands along the Churchill barrier), Hoy (& S. Walls), Sanday, Roussay & Westray
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Day 5 Unicorn Orkney Tours – Hoy via Scapa Flow – Orkney mainland & connected islands along the Churchill barrier & Pentland ferry – Caithness – Sutherland on the way back south again
Orkney & Northcoast 3 day tour
Depending on your preferences and interests, the main places that have been agreed and discussed, the overall time we have left after our stops (especially in the winter months with shorter daylight hours), the places listed above are just a few among other nearby options, that we might be travelling through and see, stopping at and/or visiting along the way as on each of our friendly, flexible and personalised tours we maximise and offer you the best tour experience given the conditions on the day (for example if it is pouring down with rain on one side of a mountain range, we believe in offering you the alternative sunny route on the other side of the mountains, etc.)
Subject to availability possible overnight (hostel, bed & breakfast, hotel, camping) options do all exist for your 3 days tour. As there are too many possible places to stay at, we can check room availability for your preferred option at the time of your enquiry/booking.
Orkneys
Orkney mainland & connected islands via the Churchill barriers:
- depending on the weather, as ideally we are looking for a bright clear window in time, to best savour the moment – to drive up to Wideford Hill – for one of the best all round views across much of the Orkney archipelago – giving you a good insight into the lie of the land, including views across the sea & towards the Scottish mainland – but weather/visibility is all here – we rather pick the right moment – as it is only worthwhile for the perfect magic view moment
- Stopping at the Standing Stones of Stenness and the ring of Brodgar stone circle ( past the Ness of Brodgar, where archeologists do live/more excavations and tours of those can also be organised) – (likewise we pass Maes Howe – one of the best preserved & oldest chambered burial cairns where only at the midwinter solstice when light wins over darkness and the days begin to get longer again sunlight will hit the interior chamber – at the and tours can be organised) – what I suggest is also to visit Unstan Cairn (as there we can just stop, look and leave and get a wee impression of Maes Howe, without having to book & join a tour)
- Coastal loop of the West mainland – including
- Gurness broch also for its location on the coast, past the beach, overlooking the isles of Rousay, Wyre, Egilsay, Gairsay, Eynshallow & on a clear day with some of the more northerly Orkney Isles visible in the distance
- the Brough of Birsay – a tidal island – so we have to ensure we can cross the causeway out and back during low tide – with Pictish & Viking settlement remains
- Early June is the my favourite time, live has fully come back and the spring bloom is at its best – at the Marwick head nature reserve/Lord Kitchener memorial I can offer you a superb clifftop walk – where we see the breeding seabirds – with some luck also a few puffins – below us
- Skara Brae – to really properly take it all in with all the displays and the audivisuals plus once you are there, you usually have a quick look at the included historic Skail farmhouse thereafter, the beach & the cafe/restaurant thereafter – anything from a very quick 1 hour – usually 2 hours+ up to 3 hours – if we are talking 3 hours – that is a good part of a day – and so one of my suggestions would also be that Skara Brae could be done by yourself on one of your easy days, as you have buses and taxis going there as well – but with 100 clients, each one is unique and also depending on the weather and your interests, the overall plan for the day – I leave this up to you – For Skara Brae it can also make a difference if it is a cruise ship day or not – as having just a few people around and you can enjoy and take in the place or (I would not go to call it that extreme – but on some other sights, Loch Ness/Edinburgh castle, etc. in Scotland) you can’t see “Skara Brae anymore, as all you see is lots of people”
- The dramatic Yesnaby cliffs
- Stromess, Orkney’s 2nd big harbour town – again as there are hourly buses from Kirkwall and it is only 30 minutes journey – you might want to visit on your own on the free day – but I love taking people to the far end of Stromness to show them the great views over to Graemsay and the high mountains of Hoy
- the southern route along Scapa Flow – one of the world’s largest natural harbours with a lot of esp. WWI & II naval history – past Orphir and Waulkmill bay
- to Scapa beach
- through Kirkwall
- heading to the Western mainland of Orkney – highlights of which are Deerness, the Gloup seacliff/cave/sea arch walk, the beaches on both sides of the narrows and the viewpoint overlooking the Churchill barriers and the southern isles
- Crossing the Churchill barriers to the Island of Lamb Holm with the Italian chapel built by prisoners of war
- crossing over to Burray and taking pictures of the shipwrecks and beach, which also depends on the state of the tide, which can be different on both sides of the barriers
- crossing over to South Ronaldsay, highlights among others are for my the small stunning cliff walk from Burwick in the south overlooking the Pentland Firth towards the Scottish mainland and the islands of Swona, Stroma & the Pentland Skerries + St. Margaret’s Hope and Hoxa head with views over to the oil-terminal-island of Flotta
- plus around every corner there is actually a lot more
- and we have not even touched on Kirkwall, the picturesque harbour, the central historic small cobbled streets, amazing historic St. Magnus cathedral and the Orkney museum – all of which for example could take up a few hours of your time on your free day
On either day 1 or day 2 of our tour, I will study the internal ferry time table first, I most highly recommend to visit the Isles of Hoy & South Walls (connected via causeway) – South Walls is generally a quick flypast, a lot is about naval world war history, but our real destination would be the northwest of Hoy with the truly magic & inspiring Rackwick Bay beach in all weathers, nestled below the high cliffs and if you are really intrepid the 2 hours or so return walk to the highest seastack, the Old Man of Hoy with a true wild, nature, wilderness experience – Hoy will give you a sense of a place apart – mythtical, where heaven meets earth, spiritual or what we call “thin” places.
A journey to Hoy including the 40 – 60 minutes return journey each way and the 15 minutes check in before will make up 2/3 to 3/4 of a day and the rest of the day we can visit places on the Orkney mainland, you have not seen yet on day 1.
Suggestion for your free day:
- Kirkwall
- Skara Brae, if you have not yet been yet
- Stromness
- I most highly recommend the Orkney Isles internal ferries, from Kirkwall harbour you have the ferry terminal to the northern isles – Westray, Sanday, Eday, Stronsay and Shapinsay just across the bay (the other ferry terminal is from Tingwall and for Hoy in Scapa Flow in the South it is Houton) – the islands, esp. Westray and Sanday are a lot bigger than you might think and for each of those you could have a full day tour with a driver/guide.
There are also the smaller isles of Papa Westray and North Ronaldsay (with its seaweed eating ancient Viking soay sheep breed & they wander along the seashore beyond the seawalls shielding the fields.
Some more additional Orkney info web links:
South Ronaldsay
Burray
Mainland (Orkney)
incl. Skara Brae
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Birsay
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Ring of Brodgar
Stenness Standing Stones
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Scapa Flow
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Yesnaby cliffs
Orkney – add on/extension options,
if you are looking for a 4 day or longer tour:
Hoy & Graemsay
North Ronaldsay
Sanday
Stronsay
Papa Westray
Westray
Eday
Rousay, Egilsay, Wyre and Eynhallow
Shapinsay
Tour itinerary
Day 1
Travel through Highland Perthshire – the Cairngorms nationalpark & Northern Highlands to Caithness and the Scottish Northcoast
Day 2
On the Orkney Isles
sample itinerary of a recent 1.5 day tour on Orkney:
Thurso to Kirkwall
We leave early and head for the Northlink ferry from Scrabster/Caithness to Stromness/Orkney.
It is a dreich, grey, rainy and windy day, yet we still manage to spot the Old Man of Hoy 137 metres high seastack.
Upon arrival on the Orkney Isles we go for a stroll around the harbour and Old town of Stromness.
As this first day on Orkney is a wet and rainy day, we opt for visits indoor. We stop by at the Scapa distillery and a drive along Scapa beach, before heading to St Magnus cathedral and the Orkney museum in Kirkwall.
We go shopping at the Orkney brewery shop before heading to the Earl’s & Bishop’s palace opposite Magnus cathedral in Kirkwall.
We visit the Sheila Fleet jewellery shop before walking along the picturesque harbour to the Orkney distillery gin shop, while our driver/guide Mike is checking us into the Albert hotel in Kirkwall.
A full day on the Orkney Isles
Kirkwall start to Kirkwall end
A bright, generally sunny day awaits us and we are off to Wideford hill to savour the views across the Orkney mainland and Scapa Flow beyond all the way to Hoy.
We go for a walk around the Ring of Brodgar, before stopping at the Stenness standing stones.
Dana visits the interior of the Unstan burial cairn “mini- Mae’s Howe”.
Past Stromness we enjoy the views across to the Isles of Hoy & Graemsay.
We go for a spectacular, but windy walk around the stormy & wavy Yesnaeby cliffs.
We visit Skara Brae & the Skaill house.
Afterwards we have a coffee & a beer at the Orkney brewery, before enjoying the walk along the Marwick head cliffs towards the Lord Kitchener memorial.
As it is low tide at Birsay we walk over the causeway to the Brough of Birsay with its Pictish & Norse ruins
We drive along the Northwest coast of the Orkney mainland and stop at the Broch of Gurness looking across to Rousay.
Through Kirkwall and past the Highland Park distillery we head south overlooking Scapa Flow and at St. Mary’s with its
Hanseatic harbour house, we leave the Orkney mainland behind and cross over the Churchill barriers south:
– to Lamb Holm & the Italian Chapel
– to Glimps Holm
– to Burray
– to South Ronaldsay, where we drive towards Hoxa Head almost in the heart of Scapa Flow overlooking Flotta with its oil terminal. Past the beach & St. Margaret’s Hope we head back to Kirkwall.
Day 3
return back south but on a different route with different new stops (other stops, we have not yet visited on day 1 on the way up north)
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)
On our Coast, sea Highlands & Islands – Unicorn Tours multi-day tours throughout Scotland, we drop you off at your accommodation at the end of the day touring with us.
In the morning before we start our new touring day, we pick you back up from your accommodation.
Accommodation on the Orkney mainland
Accommodation on the Orkney Isles
plus many more places to stay at
Tour links
Orkney Isles
Orkney tourist info – Visit Scotland
Orkney Isles – Orkney mainland – 1 day tour
1 day Orkney tour highlights
Brough of Birsay – tidal island
Churchill barriers – Orkney.com
Churchill barriers – Visit Scotland
Kirkwall – St. Magnus cathedral
Kirkwall / Orkney Isles – Coast, sea Highlands & Islands – Unicorn Tours throughout Scotland
Marwick head RSPB nature reserve
Marwick head seabird cliffs & nature reserve
Ring of Brodgar Stone Circle & Henge
Sanday / Orkney Isles – Coast, sea Highlands & Islands – Unicorn Tours throughout Scotland
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
Orkney – Coast, sea Highlands & Islands – Unicorn Tours throughout Scotland
Sample itinerary of one of our recent 2 days on Orkney on a private tour:
Orkney Isles
– D1:
– St. Magnus cathedral – Orkney museum – Kirkwall –
Wideford hill – Brough of Birsay tidal island – ,Marwick head national nature reserve Stromness – Scara Brae – Ring of Brodgar – Stones of Steness – Maes How visitor centre – Unstan – Scapa Flow & the Italian chapel – Deerness beach
– D2:
Ferry to Hoy – Old Man of Hoy walk with views of Rackwick bay & beach – Orphir Orkninga Saga – Yesnaeby – another drive past Orkney’s neolithic standing stones – Kirkwall harbour walk & free time before the 23.45 pm overnight ferry to Shetland
Tour options
Information about tour options for a private tour in general
Private & personalised tailormade tours to suit your group’s preferences
This is your very own private tour for you and your friends and family members of up to 8 people travelling on this tour together.
Before any private tour, we always discuss with you and check for your must-see stops, interests, hobbies, activities, preferences, priorities and any special requests you might have and we ask you about your preferred pace of travel so to tailor make and personalise the tour to suit your needs.
The route, the stops and the itinerary we give on our website for any private tour are for information and guidance only, as in the end it is you, who decides, what you wish to do, where you wish to stop and what you wish to do and see.
Any private tour itinerary can be shortened, extended or amended, if you wish to do so.
Flexibility on private tours
We also like to keep things flexible as our experience is that there are places, once you arrive and see them, you just fall in love with and wish to spend more time and longer.
whereas some other times we arrive at a place and they are different from what you had expected and you are ok to have a shorter stop and to move on quicker.
Flexibility is also good as on a beautiful gorgeous blue sunny day when all colours in nature and the landscapes are sparkling and you have clear and amazing far distant visibility and the scenery and places are at their best, you probably prefer to spend more time outdoors, while on a stormy, wet, dark, grey and cold day, you are likely to prefer more indoor venues during your stops.
Travelling at your own pace on private tours
Some guests are on a whirlwind tour with little time and wish to pack as much into a short time as possible and are ok with just short photo stops,
whereas other tour guests prefer to travel at a more leisurely pace to be able to explore and discover and soak it all in and leaving the tour with a memorable and lasting experience.
All of this is possible within the constraints of your chosen route, the distances involved
and during the winter season the shorter daylight hours we have.
Lunch breaks on private tours
Some guests put a lot of emphasis on a good quality lunch in a good atmospheric restaurant and we can prebook lunch venues,
whereas other guests are ok to just stop at a supermarket for a sandwich to eat on the go
or just need a short lunch stop for some light snack to eat.
Your tour options on any private tour are unlimited and endless
Same place, same route – but one one private tour, the private tour guests would want to visit the castle, while on another tour at the same place, they want a whisky tour instead and yet again same place on the next tour the private tour guests, want to just go for a walk on the beach there, while another time at the same place, they just want to go shopping, visit the museum or stop at the golf course – so same place, but on each private tour at this very same place, we visit different places and the itinerary, stops and experience is different.
As this is a private & personalised tour to suit your interests, preferences, hobbies and activities, it is up to you and we can either offer our normal tour itinerary for the location with all the many local highlights and sights and be flexible depending on the season, the weather, the time we have and also be fully flexible during the tour (as some places, you will love and stay longer and at other places you come to, you might wish to just take a photo and then leave, so in the end you might on the day of the tour decide to stay longer or shorter at some of the places we visit or you might still decide to add in some additional stops and places you had not thought about before) and also partially or fully adjust it to suit your interests and preferences or entirely turn it into a specialist interest tour “a whisky tour”, “a castle, cathedral, historic sights tours”, a “walking tour”, a “nature & wildlife tour”, a “golf tour”, an “activity tour”, etc. depending on what you request (also see our full range of Activities, special interests & tour themes.)
If it says on the tour itinerary, the tour starts in A and ends in Z and on our journey from A to Z we are travelling and can be stopping at B, C, D, E, F…… X & Y,
it might be the same route on every such private tour, but with every private tour group and individuals, it could still be an entirely & very different tour after all,
as there are so many different special interests & tour themes
so that the main focus of some private tour groups could be
- architecture & charming towns & villages
- castles, history
- child-friendly stops
- churches, abbeys & religious sites
- dining & and having a great lunch eating out
- events based, such as visiting the Highland games while on the tour with us
- family history & genealogy
- gardens, flowers & parks
- golf, football or other sports’ venues
- literature, film or movie fictional based tour, i.e. visiting filming locations of Outlander, Harry Potter, Shetland crime series, Downtown Abbey. etc.
- nature & wildlife, seabirds, puffins or whale
- watching
- the scenery, the coast & beaches
- snow and wintry landscapes
- tourist steam train in conjunction with our tour
- walking
- waterfalls
- whisky distilleries, gin and breweries
- etc.
Pick ups & drop offs anywhere on private tours
As mentioned in the pick up section, on a private tour we can pick up from anywhere and drop off anywhere and offer staggered free pick ups and drop offs, which are dependent on the distance from our Alloa home base near Stirling. Our home base is 30 miles from Edinburgh, Glasgow & Perth in the heart of the Scottish Central belt:
- for short & half day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 15 miles of our Alloa home base (which includes Stirling, Falkirk, Dunfermline & Gleneagles)
- for 1 day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 35 miles of our Alloa home base (which additionally includes Edinburgh, Glasgow & Perth)
- for 2, 3 & 4 day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 50 miles of our Alloa home base (which additionally includes Dundee, St. Andrews & the entire Scottish Central belt)
- for 5, 6 & 7 day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 75 miles of our Alloa home base
Additionally as stated we sometimes offer free pick ups for places on the route to our destination, even though they might exceed the free mileage zone, so for example for a West Coast tour and we need to head westbound anyway for the tour, we could be pick up at locations west free of charge, depending on the exact route and distances involved.
(During a few weeks every year we are also Shetland, Orkney, Hebridean Isles or regionally based
and the free pick ups will then be based from that local area, such as on the Shetland, Orkney or on some of the Hebridean Isles for example.)
Accommodation on multi-day tours is your choice
Some of our guests are budget travellers, whereas others are luxurious travellers, while others chose a mid-range 3* hotel.
We are happy to give you tips, links and info about your accommodation options for the towns and villages we are staying overnight, but in the end it is up to you, where you would like to stay, at which hotel or guesthouse and for which price.
However much or however little you wish to spend for your overnight accommodation is your choice.
On a private tour we will pick you up from any accommodation in the morning and in the evening drop you off at any accommodation of your choice for your overnight tour accommodation and and chosen location.
Free time & activities
Tour pick up/start, drop off/end & joining options near to & along our tour route
private 3 day tour pick ups & drop offs anywhere throughout Scotland
*** for those in your private group, who can’t make it for the full 3 days Orkney tour
(& for those prefer to fly to/from the island quicker
without the need to catch the ferry and include the Scottish mainland tour part to the ferry port)
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- We are happy to pick you up from the 3* weekly Aberdeen to Kirkwall/Orkney ferry at 11pm or from the various daily ferries into Stromness (from Scrabster – you have trains to Thurso) or from St. Margret’s Hope or at Burwick/South Ronaldsay on Orkney
- We are happy to pick you up from Kirkwall airport/Orkney (there are flights from Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Inverness to Orkney)
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- We are also happy to drop you off at the Kirkwall/Orkney ferry terminal so you can take the 3* weekly ferry at 11.45pm overnight back to Aberdeen or drop you off in Stromness for the 1.5 hour ferry to the Scottish Northcoast, to Scrabster, from where from in Thurso 2 miles away, you can catch the train back south
- We are also happy to drop you off at Kirkwall/Orkney airport again for your flight back south
Our standard tours start from and finish back at the Scottish mainland:
Pick up / drop off points for private small group 3 Days Tours, from anywhere as it is your own private tour:
- within the Stirling/Uni area
- within the Forth Valley area
- from within the Scottish Central belt, Edinburgh & Glasgow included
- from within the Dundee, St. Andrews & Perth area
- from places beyond on request
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- from places listed along or nearby the route and the stops of this particular 3 Days Tour
Tour booking
To enquire about this tour or to book please email contact@unicorntours.co.uk
As this will be your very own tailormade, personalised, flexible private small group tour, we will discuss:
- Your preferred travel dates
- Your preferred route
- Based on your preferred route, we will give a choice of overnight locations to stay
- Once you have chosen your preferred overnight location, we would like to know about your preferred type of accommodation, any special requests or a price range and your preferred roomtypes
- Based on your choice, for example hotel with * ** *** **** ***** star rating, guesthouse/B&B, self-catering or budget hostel accommodation, etc. for each overnight location, we can then give you suggestions and also check the room availability for each night
Accommodation
- Unicorn Tours is happy to assist you with your questions regarding your accommodation & accommodation booking
- The general rule is that you should then book your accommodation yourself, let us know where you are staying during which night, as it is there that we will drop you off at the end of the tour day and pick you up on the beginning of the next tour day
- The choice of your accommodation, how much or how little you wish to spend for your overnight accommodation is unconnected and separate from your tour with Unicorn Tours throughout the daytime – for the same day and tour, we have picked up guests from 5* hotels and guests from budget hostels, but the tour experience during the daytime with Unicorn Tours remains the same.
- When ferries or any other additional costs are involved, we also want to make sure, you are happy with those
Once the tour details, including
- tour itinerary & special requests
- pick up/drop off locations & timings
- tour duration, passenger numbers and price
- etc.
- have been discussed and agreed
- and you are happy to proceed with the booking
- we send you an invoice which allows for payment by Paypal / card or by BACS bank transfer
This tour is for a private small group of up to 8 people.
We will personalise & tailor make this flexible tour itinerary to suit your preferences, interests & requirements.
This tour is available on any green calendar day
except during our Scottish Islands based tour days
for a few weeks each year.
Once you wish to book, we send you an invoice with a payment link and also allowing for a UK & international bank transfer.
Once you have paid, we send you your tour confirmation and will mark this day as “red” unavailable/booked out in our tours availability calendar
We can pick up from anywhere, but for a 3 day tour the free pick up zone is within 50 miles from our Alloa home base (which includes does Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth, Dundee, St. Andrews & places throughout the entire Scottish Central belt and anywhere in between, such Stirling, Falkirk, Dunfermline & Gleneagles)
Pick ups & drop offs anywhere on private tours
As mentioned in the pick up section, on a private tour we can pick up from anywhere and drop off anywhere and offer staggered free pick ups and drop offs, which are dependent on the distance from our Alloa home base near Stirling. Our home base is 30 miles from Edinburgh, Glasgow & Perth in the heart of the Scottish Central belt:
- for short & half day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 15 miles of our Alloa home base (which includes Stirling, Falkirk, Dunfermline & Gleneagles)
- for 1 day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 35 miles of our Alloa home base (which additionally includes Edinburgh, Glasgow & Perth)
- for 2, 3 & 4 day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 50 miles of our Alloa home base (which additionally includes Dundee, St. Andrews & the entire Scottish Central belt)
- for 5, 6 & 7 day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 75 miles of our Alloa home base
Additionally as stated we sometimes offer free pick ups for places on the route to our destination, even though they might exceed the free mileage zone, so for example for a West Coast tour and we need to head westbound anyway for the tour, we could be pick up at locations west free of charge, depending on the exact route and distances involved.
(During a few weeks every year we are also Shetland, Orkney, Hebridean Isles or regionally based
and the free pick ups will then be based from that local area, such as on the Shetland, Orkney or on some of the Hebridean Isles for example.)
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email contact@unicorntours.co.uk to discuss further
3D#7 – Orkney taster via Northern Highlands – 3 day tour
Discover Orkney’s many sites & treasures & sample a few northern high-lands/lights-stops on our way to the ferry
Orkney & the northern Highlands
3 days+ tour to explore & experience
for your private, flexible tailor-made small group sample itinerary 3D#7
Orkney & the northern Highlands – 3 days to explore & experience
including the Orkney Top 10/tourists’ favourites – Scara Brae, Ring of Brodgar & Stenness standing stone circles, Scapa Flow, St. Magnus cathedral, , the Italian chapel, Brough of Birsay & Broch of Gurness, Kirkwall/Stromness town, harbour
&
optionally Highland Park & Scapa distilleries, Maes Howe & the Ness of Brodgar, museums, great beaches, seabird cliffs, island views & a lot more etc.
As this is your own private small group tour, the itinerary is very flexible and along the way, we can add additional nearby stops and depending on the weather it is also possible to swap the route of day 1 and day 3 around. So the route each day is a sample itinerary and can be amended if you prefer.
Day 1Day 1 and day 3 can also be swapped around and a lot also depends which ferry we take when to Orkney and when back to the Scottish mainland Through Highland Perthshire, past Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Dalwhinnie and the Cairngorm nationalpark we pass Inverness and 3 bridges up north (Kessock bridge over the Murray & Beauly Firth to Ross and Cromarty – the Black Isle), (Cromarty bridge from the Black Isle up towards Alness & Invergordon), (Dornoch Firth bridge from Tain/Glenmorangie distillery to Sutherland and Royal Dornoch) – we pass a seal colony, Dunrobin castle and can have at least a photo stop from the outside, Carn Litath broch, some towns, beaches, before after Wick we can take a photostop of the Duncansby head seastacks. If there is time and depending on which time we take the ferry to Orkney we can also visit the golden sands of Dunnet bay or also Dunnet head, the northernmost point of the Scottish mainland. In the summer Castle Mey is open as well. Our main goal though, subject to ferry times and our accommodation is to still reach Orkney on day 1. |
1st night1st overnight options(a) You choose the type / price-category of your accommodation For every location/area our guests have the choice to either stay at a hotel, B&B or hostel, it is up to you how much you wish to spend for the night and it makes no difference to the tour, whether we pick you up from an upmarket or budget place (b) You choose the location of your accommodation
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Day 2Day on the Orkney mainland (which is connected through the Churchill barriers with Lamb Holm – Glimpse Holm – Burray & South Ronaldsay, which we will visit as well) we will visit:
Yesnaeby cliffs – Unicorn Tours
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2nd night2nd overnight options(a) You choose the type / price-category of your accommodation For every location/area our guests have the choice to either stay at a hotel, B&B or hostel, it is up to you how much you wish to spend for the night and it makes no difference to the tour, whether we pick you up from an upmarket or budget place (b) You choose the location of your accommodation
Orkney hotels, B&BS and hostels
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Day 3Day 1 and day 3 can also be swapped around and a lot also depends which ferry we take when to Orkney and when back to the Scottish mainland On day 3, we are trying to vary the route and stop and visit other and new places – compared to day 1 on our northbound journey -travelling southbound again.
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Scotland’s Northcoast, Dunnet head and beach, Duncansby cliffs combined with Orkney .
The Northern Highlands are an absolute highlight with great beaches to some of the wildest, most isolated and least populated parts of Europe, where nature still reigns & to the west the wild Atlantic pounds the coast, the almost Norwegian type fjords and high coastal mountains.
This private 3 day Orkney tour can also 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 Orkney Isles 3, 2, 1 & short day tours
Orkney should not be rushed, it is a place of peace, beauty and tranquility and with 70 islands – 20 inhabited – and some of them quite large, there is plenty to see and do – check out our 5D#5 Orkney Islands Explorer tour as well
Some of our Orkney Tours’ facebook entries
On route to our Unicorn Orkney islands tour
– via Sutherland (Helmsdale), Caithness (Castle Sinclair Girnigoe) & the Pentland ferry to St. Margaret’s hope (South Ronaldsay, which along with Burray, Glimps Holm & Lamb Holm are connected to the “Orkney mainland” via the Churchill barriers along Scapa Flow – the 2nd largest natural harbour in the world)
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Orkney Isles – summary of Unicorn Tours’ June 2022 tour
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Orkney Islands Unicorn Tours – videos of day 1
including of Marwick head RSBP seabird cliffs, the Lord Kitchener WW1 memorial & Stroma (Pentland Firth)
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Orkney Unicorn Tours – a few of the tourists’ favourites
– Scara Brae, Ring of Brodgar & Stenness standing stone circles, Scapa Flow, St. Magnus cathedral, Maes Howe & the Ness of Brodgar, the Italian chapel, Brough of Birsay & Broch of Gurness, Kirkwall/Stromness town, harbour & museum, Highland Park & Scapa distilleries, etc.
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Roussay (via Egilsay & Wyre) – Orkneys – Unicorn Tours
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Marwick head seabird cliffs & Lord Kitchener memorial – Orkney mainland – Unicorn Tours
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Yesnaeby cliffs – Unicorn Tours – 09 June 2022
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Puffin nesting season on Westray
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Orkneys day 2 – Westray – Unicorn Tours
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Sanday via Eday & Stronsay – Orkney Isles – Unicorn Tours – Day 3, Sunday
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Isle of Hoy, Orkney & Rackwick bay
Hoy (northern side) afternoon of day 4 – Orkney Isles – Unicorn Tours
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Surfing seals & skydiving gannets on Hoy/Orkney Isles – Unicorn Tours
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More photos of our Unicorn Tours stops on the Orkney mainland
during our 5 day tour of the 5 largest Orkney Isles ( Orkney mainland plus all the conjoined islands along the Churchill barrier), Hoy (& S. Walls), Sanday, Roussay & Westray
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Day 5 Unicorn Orkney Tours – Hoy via Scapa Flow – Orkney mainland & connected islands along the Churchill barrier & Pentland ferry – Caithness – Sutherland on the way back south again
Orkney & Northcoast 3 day tour
Depending on your preferences and interests, the main places that have been agreed and discussed, the overall time we have left after our stops (especially in the winter months with shorter daylight hours), the places listed above are just a few among other nearby options, that we might be travelling through and see, stopping at and/or visiting along the way as on each of our friendly, flexible and personalised tours we maximise and offer you the best tour experience given the conditions on the day (for example if it is pouring down with rain on one side of a mountain range, we believe in offering you the alternative sunny route on the other side of the mountains, etc.)
Subject to availability possible overnight (hostel, bed & breakfast, hotel, camping) options do all exist for your 3 days tour. As there are too many possible places to stay at, we can check room availability for your preferred option at the time of your enquiry/booking.
Orkneys
Orkney mainland & connected islands via the Churchill barriers:
- depending on the weather, as ideally we are looking for a bright clear window in time, to best savour the moment – to drive up to Wideford Hill – for one of the best all round views across much of the Orkney archipelago – giving you a good insight into the lie of the land, including views across the sea & towards the Scottish mainland – but weather/visibility is all here – we rather pick the right moment – as it is only worthwhile for the perfect magic view moment
- Stopping at the Standing Stones of Stenness and the ring of Brodgar stone circle ( past the Ness of Brodgar, where archeologists do live/more excavations and tours of those can also be organised) – (likewise we pass Maes Howe – one of the best preserved & oldest chambered burial cairns where only at the midwinter solstice when light wins over darkness and the days begin to get longer again sunlight will hit the interior chamber – at the and tours can be organised) – what I suggest is also to visit Unstan Cairn (as there we can just stop, look and leave and get a wee impression of Maes Howe, without having to book & join a tour)
- Coastal loop of the West mainland – including
- Gurness broch also for its location on the coast, past the beach, overlooking the isles of Rousay, Wyre, Egilsay, Gairsay, Eynshallow & on a clear day with some of the more northerly Orkney Isles visible in the distance
- the Brough of Birsay – a tidal island – so we have to ensure we can cross the causeway out and back during low tide – with Pictish & Viking settlement remains
- Early June is the my favourite time, live has fully come back and the spring bloom is at its best – at the Marwick head nature reserve/Lord Kitchener memorial I can offer you a superb clifftop walk – where we see the breeding seabirds – with some luck also a few puffins – below us
- Skara Brae – to really properly take it all in with all the displays and the audivisuals plus once you are there, you usually have a quick look at the included historic Skail farmhouse thereafter, the beach & the cafe/restaurant thereafter – anything from a very quick 1 hour – usually 2 hours+ up to 3 hours – if we are talking 3 hours – that is a good part of a day – and so one of my suggestions would also be that Skara Brae could be done by yourself on one of your easy days, as you have buses and taxis going there as well – but with 100 clients, each one is unique and also depending on the weather and your interests, the overall plan for the day – I leave this up to you – For Skara Brae it can also make a difference if it is a cruise ship day or not – as having just a few people around and you can enjoy and take in the place or (I would not go to call it that extreme – but on some other sights, Loch Ness/Edinburgh castle, etc. in Scotland) you can’t see “Skara Brae anymore, as all you see is lots of people”
- The dramatic Yesnaby cliffs
- Stromess, Orkney’s 2nd big harbour town – again as there are hourly buses from Kirkwall and it is only 30 minutes journey – you might want to visit on your own on the free day – but I love taking people to the far end of Stromness to show them the great views over to Graemsay and the high mountains of Hoy
- the southern route along Scapa Flow – one of the world’s largest natural harbours with a lot of esp. WWI & II naval history – past Orphir and Waulkmill bay
- to Scapa beach
- through Kirkwall
- heading to the Western mainland of Orkney – highlights of which are Deerness, the Gloup seacliff/cave/sea arch walk, the beaches on both sides of the narrows and the viewpoint overlooking the Churchill barriers and the southern isles
- Crossing the Churchill barriers to the Island of Lamb Holm with the Italian chapel built by prisoners of war
- crossing over to Burray and taking pictures of the shipwrecks and beach, which also depends on the state of the tide, which can be different on both sides of the barriers
- crossing over to South Ronaldsay, highlights among others are for my the small stunning cliff walk from Burwick in the south overlooking the Pentland Firth towards the Scottish mainland and the islands of Swona, Stroma & the Pentland Skerries + St. Margaret’s Hope and Hoxa head with views over to the oil-terminal-island of Flotta
- plus around every corner there is actually a lot more
- and we have not even touched on Kirkwall, the picturesque harbour, the central historic small cobbled streets, amazing historic St. Magnus cathedral and the Orkney museum – all of which for example could take up a few hours of your time on your free day
On either day 1 or day 2 of our tour, I will study the internal ferry time table first, I most highly recommend to visit the Isles of Hoy & South Walls (connected via causeway) – South Walls is generally a quick flypast, a lot is about naval world war history, but our real destination would be the northwest of Hoy with the truly magic & inspiring Rackwick Bay beach in all weathers, nestled below the high cliffs and if you are really intrepid the 2 hours or so return walk to the highest seastack, the Old Man of Hoy with a true wild, nature, wilderness experience – Hoy will give you a sense of a place apart – mythtical, where heaven meets earth, spiritual or what we call “thin” places.
A journey to Hoy including the 40 – 60 minutes return journey each way and the 15 minutes check in before will make up 2/3 to 3/4 of a day and the rest of the day we can visit places on the Orkney mainland, you have not seen yet on day 1.
Suggestion for your free day:
- Kirkwall
- Skara Brae, if you have not yet been yet
- Stromness
- I most highly recommend the Orkney Isles internal ferries, from Kirkwall harbour you have the ferry terminal to the northern isles – Westray, Sanday, Eday, Stronsay and Shapinsay just across the bay (the other ferry terminal is from Tingwall and for Hoy in Scapa Flow in the South it is Houton) – the islands, esp. Westray and Sanday are a lot bigger than you might think and for each of those you could have a full day tour with a driver/guide.
There are also the smaller isles of Papa Westray and North Ronaldsay (with its seaweed eating ancient Viking soay sheep breed & they wander along the seashore beyond the seawalls shielding the fields.
Orkney – add on/extension options,
if you are looking for a 4 day or longer tour:
Hoy (48) & Graemsay (49)
North Ronaldsay (51)
Sanday (52)
Stronsay (53)
Papa Westray (54)
Westray (55)
Eday (56)
Rousay (57), Egilsay (58), Wyre (59) and Eynhallow (60)
Shapinsay (61)