Orkney Islands

Pros: Great scenery, mild climate, steeped in history
Cons: None

I have wanted to go to Orkney for I don’t know how long really. I think I have been inspired by many holiday programs over the years. The Rings of Brogar on the Mainland is the Henge where Billy Connolly danced round butt naked, for those who watched the...

Pros: The perfect place to "get away from it all."
Cons: Weather can be iffy--watch out for those gale force winds!

When we were invited to visit a friend who lives on an island in the Orkneys, my first reaction was to ask "where the heck is Orkney?" It's not exactly #1 in any guidebook of the UK (I don't believe Rick Steeves even mentions it). But the Orkney...

Pros: History, whiskey, nature
Cons: Sometimes cold winds.

Destination facts.

Feel like a bit of geography? I always liked it at school... Ok, here you are. The Orkney Islands are part of the United Kingdom and consist of 68 islands in the North sea but I soon found out that only about thirty...

Pros: Isolation, beauty, off the beaten track, unique culture, strong connections to the past
Cons: Takes some doing to get there

Getting to the Orkneys is no quick jump on the Metroliner. Just look at a map. From London you've got to get up to Glasgow or Edinburgh. Then to Inverness, Scotland's northernmost principal city. But keep going north: from there it's a long, winding...

Pros: EVERYTHING
Cons: It's a 5 hour train ride and 2 hour ferry ride from London

During the summer of 1998, I was able to plan in a two-day excursion to the Orkney Islands on a stint to the UK. I am immensely happy that I did, since it turned out to be the best part of the trip, for many reasons. First of all, the scenery is...