Up here at Britain's top end it can feel more Scandinavian than Scottish, and no wonder. For the Vikings, the jaunt across the North Sea from Norway was as easy as a stroll down to the local mead hall and they soon controlled these windswept, treeless archipelagos, laying down longhouses alongside stony remains of ancient prehistoric settlements.
Scotland - Orkney & Shetland Islands (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet
shaking your head in astonishment at Skara Brae, a village of prehistoric perfection that pre-dates the pyramids
maps
plunging down the passageway into spooky Maes Howe, an enormous Stone Age tomb livened up by some bawdy Viking graffiti
transport
exploring the scenic majesty of Hoy and - for serious rock climbers - scaling the Old Man there
restaurants & accommodation
Coverage includes: Orkney Islands, Kirkwall, East Mainland, South Ronaldsay, West & North Mainland, Stromness, Hoy, Northern Islands, Shetland Islands, Lerwick, Bressay & Noss, Central & West Mainland, South Mainland, North Mainland and the North Isles.