Orkney – Two Day Tour – Neolithic Orkney & Skara Brae
Enjoy the Private Group Heart of Neolithic Orkney and Skara Brae Two Day Tour. We leave from Inverness and stay in ancient Kirkwall. The Inverness Tour Guides share local knowledge while you travel in style and comfort in our air conditioned vehicles. Tours priced for up to 7 passengers. See FAQ tab for info on supplementary fares for ferry and guide lodgings.
Visit the UNESCO World Heritage sites; Stones of Stenness, Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae and many other interesting places besides.
Departure
Collection from within 16 miles of Inverness included in the price.
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£1,180.00 2 days
Orkney – Two Day Tour – Neolithic Orkney & Skara Brae – Itinerary
Our Orkney Two Day Tour, Neolithic Orkney & Skara Brae – begins with the stunning coastal drive north from Inverness. We make a lunchtime crossing on the Orkney ferry and as a result have the afternoon to enjoy Orkney. We drive round the beautiful body of water, Scapa Flow, and have time to visit to several places of interest. Kirkwall is our overnight base, and day two takes us to the Heart of Neolithic Orkney. We visit all of the core sites of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Finally, we cross back to the mainland and return to Inverness.
Our Neolithic Orkney Tour takes you to many amazing places including the Stones of Stenness, Maes Howe and Skara Brae. We describe these sites more fully below. We may shuffle the order in which we visit attractions, or which ferries we recommend using, because of weather and other factors.
Scapa Flow and the Churchill Barriers
Many of the Orkney Islands, together, nearly encircle an area of sea called Scapa Flow. It was the home of the British Navy in both World Wars, and has a chequered history. Scapa is one of the most popular cold water diving centres in the world because of the scuttling of 52 ships of the German High Seas Fleet in 1919. The sinking of the Royal Oak in WWII led Winston Churchill to question the security of Scapa Flow, and the Churchill Barriers were built as a result.
The Italian Chapel
Winston Churchill tasked Italian prisoners of war with building the Churchill Barriers in 1942. These causeways between the islands protected Scapa from attack, but also resulted in improved communications. Those prisoners created the Italian Chapel as a place of worship within their camp. Given what they managed to build from two Nissan huts and the everyday materials they had to hand is truly amazing. As a result, locals often refer to the chapel as “the miracle of Camp 60.
Kirkwall
Kirkwall (meaning Church Bay) is Orkney’s main settlement. This small but attractive city has many attractions, including an award-winning library and great museum. The main street has many 16th century buildings and a range of attractive local shops. The bustling harbour, too, is a great place to spend time.
The Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces
The Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces are a complex of ruined historical buildings in the centre of Kirkwall. The Vikings built the Bishop’s Palace in the 1100’s. Patrick, known as “Wicked Earl of Orkney” was the tyrant responsible for building the Earl’s Palace in the 1600’s. It surprises us that despite his tyranny and cruelty, Patrick was responsible for the building of “possibly the most mature and accomplished piece of Renaissance architecture left in Scotland”
St Magnus Cathedral
The Vikings began the mammoth rask of constructing St Magnus Cathedral in 1137. It is a stunning building, containing many items of interest and a wealth of stories. It belongs to the people of Kirkwall and Orkney and so has played host (even in modern times) to the services of different denominations as required.
The Stones of Stenness
The Stones of Stenness (at about 5,200 years old) is thought to be the oldest stone circle in the country (1,000 years older than Stonehenge). This was an ancient ceremonial site which originally had a circle of 12 stones. Only 4 still remain upright, but the tallest still stands over 16 feet tall.
Maeshowe Chambered Cairn
Maeshowe (around 4,800 years old) is the largest of Orkney’s chambered cairns and is aligned on the midwinter setting sun. The passage to the central chamber is nearly 50 feet long. That chamber has the largest collection of Viking runes outside of Scandinavia due to the carving skills of some bored and snowbound Vikings in 1153.
The Ring of Brodgar
The Ring of Brodgar (around 4,500 years old) is a massive stone circle, about 340 feet across. Originally having 60 stones, 36 now survive (along with over a dozen prehistoric burial mounds). Although mystery still surrounds its original purpose, there is no denying the significance of its location, on a rise surrounded by land and water, under big skies and an ever-changing island light.
Skara Brae
Skara Brae has been called Western Europe’s most complete Neolithic village. Preserved beneath the sands of a large sand dune for millennia, until uncovered by a storm in 1850, this cluster of 5,000 year old houses is remarkable. The village street, the drains, the furniture and even the artifacts of everyday life are all there, thus helping us understand how our distant ancestors lived.
The Broch of Gurness
The Broch of Gurness is one of about 100 brochs in Orkney. You may have time to visit it depending on which ferry choice has been made for your return. Brochs are iron-age round towers unique to Scotland. Gurness is a fine example, where it is easy to make out the remnants of the large central tower and also the detail of the surrounding settlement. This location, inhabited from Pictish and Norse times is also a good place from which to see seals, otters, seabirds and even occasional orcas.
Orkney – Two Day Tour- Heart of Neolithic Orkney and Skara Brae – Price
£1180 for the tour. Ferry tickets are separate online purchases for you. The ferry tickets price may vary slightly as a result of the number of people in your party, and there will be a guide lodgings supplement of £150 for 2024
Orkney – Two Day Tour- Heart of Neolithic Orkney and Skara Brae – Departure
Collection from anywhere within 16 Miles of Inverness included in price.
FAQ
Can each person in the party pay for the tour separately?
Driver/Guide licencing in Scotland will only allow us to take one payment per tour, so if people in a party wish to split the cost then they arrange that amongst themselves and make one tour payment to us.
What is the supplementary charge for our party if the guide requires an overnight?
Our guide lodgings fee is £150 per night away from home on the islands. This tour requires 1 night away from home. This supplement is payable directly to the guide at the time the tour takes place.
Do I need to book any items in advance?
You will need to book the ferries and a visit to Maeshowe in advance, but we are happy to advise and assist you with this.
Are entries to the various visitor attractions or ferry fares included?
We don’t include entry to the attractions – and that way we leave the day as flexible as possible for you. Ferry fares vary dependent upon your party size so we cannot include them in a single set price. We have, however, given you a price indication below.
How much will we have to pay for the ferries on this tour?
The 2024 peak-season total cost for the van to travel return, with driver = £188.80. There will then be a charge per person in your group of £40. (Your guide will advise you how to pay this, once you have booked your tour with us.
Can you book my accommodation for me?
Travel Industry regulations in the UK preclude us from “booking” your accommodation, but we are always more than happy to help and advise. We also have an accommodation page here, with some B & B and hotel ideas.
What will we be doing for lunch?
You are responsible for paying for your own food & drink during your tour. Lunch could be in a café, pub, restaurant or even a picnic at a beauty spot. Your guide can discuss and advise on options when you meet them.
Find all of our other FAQ’s here
Why Choose Us
Why Choose Inverness Tour Guides?
Our Inverness Tour Guides are a hand-picked team. As well as being accredited members of the Highlands of Scotland Tour Guide Association, they are all well-recognised as being at the top of their fields. They were chosen because they are great storytellers, are fun to be with, and are uniquely qualified to do what they do well. We are convinced that there is no better team of guides to be found. See their individual profiles here
Performance
Here at Inverness Tours we continually monitor performance. As a result we are confident that we offer long experience and expertise in providing quality, value and enjoyment.
Our Vehicles
Our vehicles are spacious and air conditioned, easily accommodating up to seven passengers. The reclining seats and tinted windows ensure touring in comfort and style.
Our Track Record
Inverness Tours has been taking visitors on world-class tours for more than fifteen years and has been striving to make its exclusive tour business the finest of its kind available in Scotland.
Our Customer Care
The Inverness Tours admin team are frequently complimented on responsiveness, flexibility and care.
Our Environment
Inverness Tours have offset the impact of visitor footfall in the Highlands by contributing financially to environmental and community projects.
Our Precautions
Our COVID19 precautions – Inverness Tours has always carried bacteriological and virucidal disinfectant sprays, disposable gloves and the necessary wipes etc. The vehicles are cleaned on a daily basis. We are investigating and instituting further measures to keep you safe at this current time and into the future.
Our Reviews
All the above contribute to our fabulous back-catalogue of reviews. Check out the TripAdvisor reviews here. You will find that over 98% of our reviews are five-star and as a result we have achieved TripAdvisor’s annual Certificate of Excellence and placement in their Hall of Fame!
What’s included?
The 7-passenger vehicle together with qualified driver/guide is included.
Summary terms and conditions:-
- All tours are exclusive and the same price for between one and seven people. Your booking is considered confirmed once we send out your confirmation.
- While Inverness Tours shall do everything reasonably possible to provide your tour itinerary and/or services as planned, we reserve the right to alter itineraries, guide, transport or accommodation if circumstances require us to do so. If we have to cancel a tour you receive a full refund of the amount paid and that is the extent of our obligation.
- Our normal Cancellation Terms as outlined in the point below have been temporarily relaxed. The relaxation is in relation to any booking which requires to cancel due to COVID-19. Our COVID-19 cancellation terms are outlined here.
- If you wish to change any part of your confirmed booking you should inform us in writing as soon as possible. We will do our best to assist you, but cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your request. If you cancel a booking up to 30 days in advance you receive a 75% refund of the total paid. Cancellations between 30 and 10 days before the tour receive a 50% refund. There is no refund if you cancel within 10 days of the tour or are not at the organised departure or pick-up point.
- We are happy for you to enjoy bottled water and hard candies while we travel. Other types of food and drink have proved previously to be quite hazardous (on Highland roads) both to yourselves and seat upholstery.
See our full terms and conditions here