Hidden orkney?

Yodagoat

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A bunch of us are heading up to Orkney soon. We've been before but I'm looking for some cool stuff for us to see and do away from the touristy stuff. Anyone got any local knowledge of lesser visited places on the Orkney Mainland? We could visit some of the other islands too depending on ferry price, some of us are on quite a tight budget.

Cheers

Mike
 
A good tip for new places is to go on Geocaching site and find a few caches in the area, the cache description will give you an idea if the location may be of interest. You can find some places that only local knowledge would know... no need to do the actual caching bit.

Starter for 10
 
Two places that I would recommend as a must. They should be major tourist attractions but nobody around when I visited:

Tomb of Eagles.
Isbister, South Ronaldsay, in the Orkneys.

The grave dates to c 3000 BC and contains the remains of perhaps 300 people buried over a period of 800 years. Beside the human remains, the talons and bones of around 14 white-tailed sea eagles were found. The bird remains date to c 2450-2000 BC. Once common on Orkney, white-tailed sea eagles became extinct in Britain in 1918, but in recent years a few of these magnificent birds have been reintroduced; they feed on fish, water birds and carrion.

The Tomb of the Eagles was discovered by accident in 1958 by local farmer, Ronnie Simison. The site has now been excavated and Neolithic artefacts and stone tools dated.

The Italian Chapel
All that remains of the Italian Prisoner of War Camp 60, the famous Italian Chapel was created from two Nissen huts in 1943, using material from sunken blockships in Scapa Flow.

Wonderful testimony to the artistic skills of Domenico Chiocchetti and his fellow prisoners who came to Orkney to work on the construction of the Churchill Barriers. Beautifully designed chancel, altar, altar-rail and Holy water stoup. Painted glass windows depicting St Francis of Assisi and St Catherine of Siena. Restored 1960. A Preservation Committee is dedicated to the upkeep of the Chapel.
 
Tomb of Eagles.
Isbister, South Ronaldsay, in the Orkneys.

The Tomb of the Eagles has lost a lot since the first time we went, the presentation while good to touch some artefacts used to be presented better. The old guy that used to talk about the house was entertaining but alas he is no longer there.

Very touristy.
 
Brough of Birsay, Highland Park Distillery (excellent), The Gloup in Deerness (almost an island), the Cathedral in Kirkwall, Ring of Broadgar, Yesnaby (close to the Brough of Birsay) for dramatic coastline and cliffs on a windy day, Helgies in Kirkwall for great local beer and food, in fact most places for great beer and food. Westray or Sanday are great day trips. You will not be short of stuff to do!
 
Thanks KBKLR but we've done most of that, although never the Highland Park Distillery for some reason. I'm looking for stuff that the average tourist won't know about.
Thanks though, Highland Park will be visited this time around!

cheers


Mike.
 
Ferry Inn Stromness used to be a good steak place, not been for 3 yrs. Ride to the top of Wideford Hill for the view,Scapa Distillery also.Ferry for Shetland leaves at 2330 three times a week if you fancy further North.:beerjug:
Enjoy your trip and i hope the weather improves.
 


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