A 6-day self-drive loop of Mainland Orkney from Kirkwall: UNESCO prehistoric sites, a Norse cathedral, a ferry to Hoy's sea stacks and the best of Scotland's ancient north.
Few places in the world match Orkney for sheer density of prehistory, and this Orkney road trip itinerary proves you need only six days and a small car to see the best of it. This loop of Mainland Orkney takes in a 12th-century Norse cathedral, WWII causeways and Italian prisoner-of-war art, a Neolithic village older than the pyramids, a harbour town with flagstone lanes that narrow to shoulder-width, and a day's sailing to stand beneath a 137-metre sandstone sea stack.
The island is only 30 kilometres across at its widest. Driving legs are never more than 40 minutes. What takes time here is not distance but the sites themselves, where a single stone circle or chambered cairn can hold you for hours.
The loop begins and ends in Kirkwall, Orkney's capital and the natural arrival point by ferry or plane. From Kirkwall the route drives northwest to Skara Brae on the Atlantic coast, then south to Stromness, before returning east to Kirkwall via the Ring of Brodgar. Total distance: around 73 km.
Route shape: loop, starting and finishing in Kirkwall.
This is a prehistory-and-landscape trip rather than a fast-paced adventure. It suits anyone drawn to ancient history, dramatic coastal scenery and slower travel. The walks are mostly short and well-marked; the most demanding is the 6.5 km return hike to the Old Man of Hoy on a separate island. There are no complex roads — Mainland Orkney is well-served by single-carriageway A-roads and is easy to navigate.
The two main options are the Northlink Ferries service from Scrabster (near Thurso) to Stromness, or from Aberdeen to Kirkwall. Loganair flights connect Kirkwall Airport with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness. Car hire is available at the airport and in Kirkwall town.
Six days (five nights) is the right pace for Mainland Orkney's highlights. With less time, four nights is workable by combining Skara Brae and Stromness into a single area and skipping Hoy. With more time, add a night on Hoy, Rousay (the broch island) or Westray for seabird colonies.
Kirkwall is Orkney's largest town and an easy place to spend the first two nights. St Magnus Cathedral, consecrated in 1137, is the centrepiece: a Romanesque building in warm red and yellow Orkney sandstone, its scale surprising for an island of 21,000 people. Entry is free. The Orkney Museum in the old Bishop's Palace next door is also worth an hour.
On day two, drive south across the Churchill Barriers. These four concrete causeways were built between 1940 and 1944 after a German U-Boat sank HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow with the loss of 833 lives. They now carry the only road link between Mainland and South Ronaldsay. On the small island of Lamb Holm, the Italian Chapel is a short detour: two Nissen huts transformed into a Catholic chapel by Italian prisoners of war in 1943, painted with extraordinary care from salvaged materials. Entry is free.
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Practical note: If you want to tour Highland Park Distillery (established 1798, the most northerly whisky distillery in Scotland), book in advance. Tours run most mornings.
Drive northwest from Kirkwall (about 35 minutes) to the Bay of Skaill on the Atlantic coast. Skara Brae was buried under sand for roughly 4,000 years until a winter storm uncovered it in 1850. What it revealed was one of the best-preserved Neolithic settlements in Western Europe: stone-built houses, each with a central hearth, stone-built beds, dressers and cupboards, occupied continuously between around 3100 and 2500 BCE. The site predates both Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Giza.
Book tickets in advance as daily visitor numbers are capped. The joint ticket with Skaill House, the adjacent 17th-century manor, is good value.
After Skara Brae, drive north to Birsay village (10 minutes) for the Brough of Birsay, a tidal island reached by a causeway. It is only accessible for two hours either side of low tide, so check the tide table before you go. The ruins include Pictish symbol stones and Norse longhouses.
For the one night in this area, accommodation is mainly rural B&Bs and self-catering cottages. Book ahead, especially in summer.
Stromness is Orkney's second town, 22 km south of Skara Brae along the coast road. Its single main street runs along the harbour for nearly a kilometre, paved in flagstone and barely wide enough for two people to pass in places. Every few metres, a narrow alley drops to a stone pier. The Stromness Museum covers Orkney's maritime and natural history.
Day trip to Hoy: The Northlink ferry from Stromness Pier to Moaness on Hoy takes around 25 minutes. From Moaness, a 6.5 km return hike through moorland leads to the cliff top above the Old Man of Hoy, a 137-metre sandstone sea stack that is one of the most iconic views in Scotland. Allow three to four hours for the walk. Book the ferry in advance; services are limited.
Day trip to the Heart of Neolithic Orkney: The Ring of Brodgar, the Standing Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe are all within 10 km east of Stromness along the A965. The Ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic stone circle with up to 27 of its original 60 stones still standing, set on a narrow isthmus between two lochs. Entry is free. The Stones of Stenness are older still, dating to around 3100 BC. Maeshowe is a passage tomb from around 2800 BC whose internal walls are covered with over 30 Viking runic inscriptions carved around 1150 AD. Maeshowe requires a guided tour booked in advance through Historic Environment Scotland.
Best time to go: May to September offers the most daylight and the best weather odds. Orkney in midsummer has near-constant daylight; in late June the sun barely sets. Spring is excellent for birdwatching. Winter closes some seasonal ferries and limits Maeshowe tours.
Getting around: A hire car is the only practical way to see more than Kirkwall and Stromness. Roads are generally quiet, clearly signed and easy to navigate. The main hazards are slow-moving farm vehicles and the occasional wandering sheep.
Accommodation: Kirkwall has the widest range including several hotels and guesthouses. Stromness has a good selection of B&Bs and two hotels. The Skara Brae area is served by rural B&Bs and self-catering; book as far ahead as possible as supply is limited.
Booking essentials: Pre-book Maeshowe (Historic Environment Scotland), Skara Brae (ticketed, capacity-limited), the Hoy ferry (Orkney Ferries), and Highland Park Distillery if touring. Everything else is walk-up.
Ready to explore? Use the full Orkney Islands Neolithic Loop below to see every stop, driving distance and overnight on the map.
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A 6-day self-drive loop of Mainland Orkney from Kirkwall, taking in a Norse cathedral, WWII causeways, a 5,000-year-old Neolithic village, a historic harbour town and some of the finest prehistoric sites in Europe.
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