Ultimate Orkney

✘ Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland • September 1, 2025

⌖ Stones, Saints, and Single Malt on Scotland’s Northern Frontier

The day began with a brisk wind off the North Sea as we boarded our coach at the pier in Kirkwall. Our driver and guide, Alistair, wasted little time reminding us that Orkney’s narrow roads and sharp gusts make seatbelts more than a formality.

The first few minutes of the drive sketched Orkney’s contrasts. To the right, the unmistakable pagoda rooftops of the Highland Park Distillery rose on the hillside. To the left stretched the broad gray waters of Scapa Flow, one of the largest natural harbors in the world and a name woven into 20th-century naval history.

Alistair’s commentary filled the spaces between villages and fields. He recounted how in October 1939 the German submarine U-47 slipped into Scapa Flow and torpedoed HMS Royal Oak, sending 835 sailors to the bottom. That disaster spurred Churchill to order the construction of the massive concrete causeways now called the Churchill Barriers.

① Standing Stones of Stenness & Barnhouse Village

We stepped off the coach into a gust strong enough to tug at jackets and hoods. Our guide explained that this site dates to around 3100 BC, making it one of the oldest stone circles in Britain and nearly a millennium earlier than Stonehenge. Originally there may have been up to 12 stones, enclosing a central hearth and surrounded by a ditch cut deep into the bedrock. Standing here, with the Loch of Stenness on one side and the Loch of Harray on the other, it was easy to see why this natural saddle might have drawn people together for ritual gatherings.

The wider landscape offered more context. Across the fields lay the mound of Maeshowe, famous for its Viking runic inscriptions, and the excavation zone of the Ness of Brodgar, which is still rewriting what we know about Neolithic life. Nearby are the low foundations of Barnhouse Village, once home to the builders who lived within sight of the stones they raised.

The guide also pointed out where the Odin Stone once stood, a holed monolith that locals once used to seal marriages and oaths by clasping hands through the opening. It stood until the 1800s, when a tenant farmer destroyed it to discourage gatherings on his land — a decision that earned him lasting infamy in Orkney’s folklore.

We took a slow loop around the surviving stones, cameras fighting the wind, before heading back to the shelter of the coach.

② Ring of Brodgar

A short drive carried us deeper into the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, where the Ring of Brodgar dominates a natural saddle of land between the Loch of Stenness and the Loch of Harray. Unlike the smaller Stenness circle, this site immediately impressed with its sheer scale — a wide sweep of heather and grass enclosing what was once a near-perfect stone ring.

Originally, the circle may have held 60 megaliths, some towering over 13 feet. Today, only 27 remain standing, their lichen-streaked faces weathered by 4,000 years of wind and rain. A broad ditch, once nearly 30 feet deep and 30 feet wide, encircled the stones — carved directly into the rock using only antler picks and stone tools.

Visitors can no longer walk through the interior to protect the fragile ground, so we followed the gravel path along the perimeter. The wind rushed hard across the exposed moor, flattening the grasses and pushing clouds quickly overhead. Our guide reminded us that this circle likely served ceremonial or astronomical purposes. Excavations nearby have uncovered traces of cremation burials, suggesting that the site remained sacred long after its construction.

Despite the weather, we lingered for photos, trying to capture both the expanse of the ring and the solitude of individual stones. By 9:55 a.m., jackets zipped tight, we reboarded the coach to continue toward the coast — and the day’s most anticipated site, Skara Brae.

③ Skara Brae and Skaill House

The plan had been to explore Skara Brae, Europe’s best-preserved Neolithic village, but high winds forced the site to close. The exposed coastal path down to the stone homes was unsafe, leaving only the reconstructed model inside the visitor center to suggest what daily life might have looked like 5,000 years ago. Its hearth, stone beds, and shelving gave a useful impression, but everyone knew it was only a substitute.

Instead, the visit shifted focus to Skaill House, the 17th-century mansion built by William Watt of Breckness, the laird who uncovered Skara Brae after a storm in 1850. The house has been lived in ever since, and its interiors blend lived-in domesticity with a collector’s curiosity cabinet.

Room by room, we encountered artifacts that told Orkney’s layered story:

The windows looked out over Skaill Bay, where whitecaps rolled hard against the shore. It was easy to picture how the same storms once tore away sand dunes to reveal the hidden village beneath.

We had about an hour here — enough to stroll the manor, pause for photos of the rugged bay, and browse the modest shop — before regrouping on the coach.

④ Stromness

The coach eased into Stromness before noon, a town pressed tightly between hillside and sea. Its main street is little more than a flagstone-paved lane, winding along the waterfront with stone houses and shops built shoulder to shoulder. Passing vehicles performed what our guide called “creative reversing,” backing into gaps until the road becomes clear.

At the bus drop-off point we were greeted by a local resident, who handed us a short history printout and sketched crude directions for making the most of our time. Armed with his notes, we set off on a short walking loop through Stromness’s famous closes.

We began at the Stromness Hotel, a Victorian landmark that once hosted Arctic explorers and whaling captains, and continued past the old parish kirk, a simple stone building tied to the town’s 18th-century growth as a Hudson’s Bay Company recruiting ground. It was here that we stopped a passerby to ask the best way to see the town. Rather than answering himself, he said, “You need to talk to this man,” and guided us to another local nearby. That gentleman handed us a printed history of Stromness and scribbled walking directions to the town’s most interesting closes.

With his notes in hand, we set off on a loop walk. First came Leslie’s Close, a narrow lane that once carried fishermen directly from their houses down to the harbor. From there we climbed the steep Khyber Pass, named in the 19th century when its incline reminded locals of the mountain defile in Afghanistan. At the top, the back lane offered views over rooftops and out to the sea before dropping us into Puffers Close, perhaps Stromness’s most photographed passageway. Its stone steps and arched view framed the harbor perfectly, a scene that begged for photographs.

From there, we wandered onto the harbor front, where fishing boats and dive vessels shifted with the tide. The quayside told its own history — Stromness supplied ships for whaling, Arctic exploration, and later the Royal Navy — and its sheltered port remains central to island life today.

We then retraced our steps through the main street, browsing shop windows and dogging cars on the narrow flagstone lane, before returning to the coach at the NorthLink ferry terminal. Waiting for us were boxed lunches: sandwiches (roast beef or crab), crisps, fruit, a chocolate bar, and bottled water.

⑤ The Italian Chapel

After lunch, the coach crossed the Churchill Barriers, causeways built by Italian prisoners of war during World War II to secure Scapa Flow. On the small island of Lamb Holm, their most unexpected creation awaited us: the Italian Chapel.

From the outside, it appeared modest — two Nissen huts joined end to end, still recognizable as military leftovers. Yet stepping through the doorway felt like entering a different world. Inside, painted stone blocks lined the walls, though none were real — just trompe-l’œil artwork that fooled the eye into seeing masonry. The vaulted ceiling glowed with frescoes of cherubs, doves, and a Madonna and Child lovingly copied from a prayer card. Light streamed through stained-glass windows depicting St. Francis of Assisi and St. Catherine of Siena.

Our guide explained the men behind the transformation. Domenico Chiocchetti, the lead artist, stayed behind after the war to complete his work and returned several times for restoration until his death in 1999. Palumbi, the camp blacksmith, fashioned the wrought-iron screen from salvaged metal. Bruto Pastore poured the concrete altar and floor, while the baptismal font stood improbably on a lorry spring. Their ingenuity turned scrap materials into a sanctuary that has endured as a symbol of faith and resilience.

The chapel still hosts Mass once a month and serves as a popular wedding venue. Inside, signs reminded us not to touch the painted surfaces or use flash photography — the illusion of stonework is fragile after 80 years.

Back outside, the scene felt equally photogenic. Just across the fence, a small herd of Highland cows grazed, their russet coats and long fringes blowing sideways in the gale. They were almost as popular as the chapel itself, a pastoral punctuation to a moving visit.

⑥ Kirkwall (St. Magnus Cathedral & Palaces)

Our final stop returned us to Kirkwall, the largest town in Orkney and the hub of island life. The group disembarked at the Kirkwall Hotel, where most guests went upstairs for a Highland Park scotch whisky tasting experience. We chose instead to spend the hour exploring on foot, heading into the historic quarter where three major landmarks stand within a stone’s throw of one another.

At the center rose St. Magnus Cathedral, built from red and yellow sandstone. Construction began in 1137 under Norse Earl Rognvald in honor of his martyred uncle, Magnus, and the building has dominated Kirkwall’s skyline ever since. Inside, the nave was cool and hushed, with shafts of light falling through stained glass onto massive Romanesque pillars. Gravestones paved the floor, each bearing names that stretched back centuries, reminding us this was as much a place of community memory as of worship.

After exploring the interior, we circled outside through the cathedral graveyard, where lichen-covered stones leaned at angles and the spire towered above rows of markers. From the perimeter paths, we photographed both the building and its surroundings — a perspective that made the cathedral feel even more commanding in scale.

Just across the street were the ruins of the Bishop’s Palace and the Earl’s Palace. We purchased tickets to step beyond the gates and wander both frameworks. The Bishop’s Palace, first home to Kirkwall’s early bishops, retains its stout tower and traces of medieval halls. Next door, the Earl’s Palace, built in the early 1600s by Earl Patrick Stewart, was more ambitious: an ornate Renaissance residence now roofless but still imposing. Through the empty windows and roofless arches, the spire of St. Magnus Cathedral appeared in the distance — a single view that brought together Orkney’s Norse, medieval, and Renaissance past.

As we returned toward the pickup point, our guide pointed out Kirkwall Library, part of Scotland’s oldest public library system, operating here since the 17th century. Nearby lay Gallows Hill, where those accused of witchcraft were once executed. A simple stone marker in the grass now reads “Just Folk” — a quiet memorial to ordinary lives ended in fear.

Closing Reflection

Even with Skara Brae closed by high winds, the day never felt lacking. Orkney revealed its story through other layers: Neolithic stones aligned to the sky, a wartime chapel painted with devotion, and a cathedral raised by Norse earls that still dominates Kirkwall’s heart. The itinerary bent with the weather, but the thread held firm — a chain of places where past and present continue to overlap.

☑ Who Is This Tour Best For?

• History buffs – Neolithic circles, Viking cathedrals, and WWII stories layered in one route.
• Archaeology lovers – from 5,000-year-old stone villages to Skaill House’s storm-born discovery.
• Whisky enthusiasts – Highland Park tasting offered for those who prefer a dram over a cathedral.
• Scenery seekers & photographers – sweeping coastal bays, stone circles, and Stromness closes.
• Curious minds -the Italian Chapel’s trompe-l’oeil artistry and “Just Folk” witch memorial spark reflection.
• Cruisers who like variety – mix of standing stones, town wandering, and free-choice finale in Kirkwall.

⊞ Tour Summary

• Tour Name: Ultimate Orkney
• Offered By: Princess Cruises
  Total Duration: 7 hours
• Main Stops: Standing Stones of Stenness, Ring of Brodgar, Skaill House (Skara Brae closed), Stromness, Italian Chapel, Kirkwall (St. Magnus Cathedral & Palaces or optional whisky tasting)
• Drive-By Highlights: Scapa Flow, Churchill Barriers, Maeshowe, Barnhouse Stone, Ness of Brodgar, Copinsay Island, Orkney farmland and villages

▣ Activity Summary

• Walking Distance: 3–4 miles total across the day (variable at Stromness and Kirkwall).
• Terrain: Uneven gravel paths at circles, flagstones and cobbles in Stromness and Kirkwall, soft ground near Skaill House; exposed to strong winds.
• Accessibility: Moderate – no entry to stone circles; Skara Brae path closed for safety; Skaill House and Stromness involve stairs/flagstones; cathedral interior accessible.
• Meals Included: Yes – boxed lunch with sandwich (roast beef or crab), crisps, fruit, chocolate, bottled water.

Excursion Disclaimer: Descriptions of shore excursions on OceansAfoot reflect individual travel experiences and are not official representations of the cruise lines or tour providers mentioned. All information is based on personal participation, publicly available facts, or traveler observation.

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