My journey to Orkney from Lerwick in Shetland began with a late afternoon ferry trip. I had phoned ahead and made sure that I would be OK to arrive at the campsite in Kirkwall after 11.00pm. They seem to be used to the request and as I had paid in advance, I was given directions to my pitch. The light was just beginning to go when I cycled the mile or so from the terminal to the campsite and I got my tent pitched before it got too dim. (it doesn’t really get dark at this time of year)

I had a friend staying on Orkney at the same time I was there and we had arranged for her to take me around in her car to visit some of the sights. As the weather was to continue its wet and blustery theme, I was glad of the chance to get out of the rain and wind for a few hours. We spent a day visiting various places like the Ring of Brodgar, St. Margaret’s Hope and the Churchill Barriers which form a road bridge between the mainland and the islands of Burray and South Ronaldsay. We also spent the following day at Skara Brae. Orkney is full of archaeological sites and the four days I was spending on the islands was never going to be enough to see them all.

The landscape of Orkney is so different from that of its northern neighbours. The countryside is much greener with gentle sloping fields full of cattle, sheep and crops. This is probably the basis of the saying that a Shetlander is a fisherman with a croft and an Orcadian is a crofter with a boat. It can also be seen in the wide range of dairy produce from Orkney whereas Shetland mainly has its knitting and fish.

The roads are very straight. A legacy of them being mainly built by the military over the years, or so I was told by a local. As I was only there for four days the only cyling I really did was between Kirkwall and Stromness. I decided to stay in both places as I would be getting the ferry from Stromness. The cycle between them was very pleasant and the ten miles didn’t take me long so I had time to relax and stop in a few places to enjoy the improving weather.

Point of Ness campsite is situated about half a mile out of the town. It is reached by the main street through the older part of the town which winds its way between the old houses some built right on the shoreline, with narrow lanes angling off inland. It has a feeling of a pedestrian precinct, so care has to be taken to avoid traffic. One caution about the campsite – the online booking system for Orkney Council can be confusing and I managed to book a pitch at the wrong campsite. I have written to complain so hopefully it will be sorted. As with the site in Kirkwall it is run by Orkney Council and has everything you would need. It’s not quite so well equipped as the Kirkwall site but with that one being bigger and in the capital it’s understandable.

My last day on Orkney, finally and predictably, saw glorious weather so I spent a lazy day wandering around the town, visiting the museum and shopping. The following morning I headed to the harbour and the 11 o’clock sailing to Thurso. A rail strike meant that I had to alter my travel plans which involved a mad dash to get to the train in time. The wet weather had returned so I was glad I had made the only train of the day. A stop over in Inverness to stay with my brother gave me a taste of navigating using Google maps on my phone. This wasn’t at all successful and I got lost a couple of times. The long train journey to Glagow from Inverness was rounded off by a welcome cycle home in the dark which seemed the ideal way to end my tour.

I ended up wishing I had visited the two areas as two separate trips. I probably could have spent longer exploring Shetland and didn’t give myself enough time on Orkney. I found Orkney a much more attractive place for cycling than Shetland and whereas I would take a car if I returned to Shetland, I would probably go to Orkney with just the bike. I would also utilise more of the island ferries to visit more of the islands in the group.