The Orkney Islands

The Orkney Islands main
View of Stromness located on the Orkney Islands
Photo by: John, Creative Commons

The Orkney Islands is an archipelago located in northern Scotland, comprised of over 70 islands, of which only 16 are inhabited. The Orkney Islands can be divided into three regions: North Isles, Mainland, and South Isles. It is a fairly ancient human settlement: it has been inhabited for around 5,500 years, by Neolithic tribes. Now, the Orkney Islands hold one of the oldest and best conserved Neolithic sites in the world. The Orkney Islands is covered with ancient monuments! The Orkney Islands’ history and heritage are literally everywhere. They have Viking ruins, brochs, tombstones and cemeteries as old as 2,000 years old. It has medieval churches and magnificent Renaissance castles. The Heart of Neolithic Orkney is now an assigned UNESCO World Heritage site.

Apart from being a historical and heritage site, the Orkney Islands is the perfect place to travelers who crave for peace, relaxation and serenity. Your family can enjoy many various water sports and activities such as scuba diving and boating in the area. Fishing is a major industry and a great hobby to do while you are here in the islands. The waters are teeming with fish, and they have the best fishing spots in the world.

There is so much you can do in the islands explore, take a hike, and have a look around! However, when visiting the Orkney Islands, it is important to know the laws. Some islands forbid entry to tourists and people, so be careful not to break any rules!

How do you get to Orkney Islands? Transportation means are only by air and by sea. You can fly from the Scottish Highlands, and arrive to their only airport, the Kirkwall Airport. The primary airplane that takes you to the Orkney Islands is Loganair. You can also take a ferry that link Orkney to the rest of Scotland.

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