Inverness Tours in Fall

A fantastic trip to Orkney. We were fortunate with the weather the first week in September and there were still some wildflowers, butterflies and birds around on our coastal walks. However, for me my main reason for visiting Orkney was for the archaeology. I am so pleased I got to see the oldest settlement and stone circle in the UK. It was so worth the visit.

The tour was great, and the four staff on the Ros Crana boat were excellent. Whilst the full distance from coast to coast was 80 miles you did not have to walk the entire distance.

The crew (skipper, bosan, guide,cook) were all professional and fun and ensured all the guests were safe, enjoying themselves and extremely well fed. Each evening the following days barge trip was outlined as were the walking options. As the barge had to negotiate many locks there were many hop on/hop off points for those not wanting to walk the entire Great Glen. The scenery both from the barge and the well maintained walking tracks was so spectacular that the light rain each day of our trip seemed insignificant. The facilities on the barge were very comfortable and it was fun having meals all together around one large table. The cabins were comfortable and the showers functioned exceptionally well with good pressure and warmth. Our only suggestion would be the reconfiguration of the split level bed to two singles would suit the majority of travelers in our age group of retirees.

Both tour leaders were excellent - good communicators, good knowledge, good walking leaders, went the extra mile. (Group of 16) The Orkney Hotel isn't great - my bedroom was vary dark with hardly any daylight, shower cubicle and net curtain had mould. Breakfasts were good, dinners ok. The bar was enjoyable. Explore have had poor feedback about the hotel before but still keep using it. Dinners out in three different restaurants (one on Explore, the other two self-pay) were all very good choices, particularly the Kirkwall hotel's restaurant. Itinerary is a good mix of walks, archaeology, and local life. If you want to see puffins pay attention to the dates they will be there (NB having puffins as Explore's main photo for this trip is misleading).