The Natural History of the Orkney Islands, Scotland

Lying 6 miles off the northern tip of Scotland and consisting of 70 islands, ‘the Orkneys’ offer a land of stunning landscapes and dramatic lighting effects. The largest island is called ‘Mainland’ and has a geography of rolling, fertile farmland ending abruptly in sheer cliffs with sandy beaches below. Orkney has the greatest concentration of archaeological relics in Europe, including Skara Brae, the best-preserved Neolithic village in Europe, and Maeshowe, a 5,000-year-old tomb for bishop-princes.

As well as taking time to enjoy some of Orkney’s famous antiquities, we will of course be concentrating on its wildlife from our base in Kirkwall. The islands’ special seabirds include Fulmar, Shag, Great and Arctic Skuas, Arctic Tern, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Gannet, Kittiwake and Puffin, and as we travel slowly around the quiet roads away from the coast we will also be hoping to see raptors such as Hen Harrier, Peregrine, Merlin and Short-eared Owl. We will also enjoy the drumming of Snipe on stretches of moorland, and other northern specialities such as Rock Dove, Twite and Raven. Grey and Common Seals and the endemic Orkney Vole are among the mammalian highlights, and we’ll also be hoping to see such plants as the endemic primrose, Primula scotia, plus Mertensia maritima.