About the Orkney islands
 There is much to see and do in Orkney, and this guide is designed to help visitors find and appreciate the main sites of interest on the Mainland and other islands.
The rich archaeological heritage of the islands is one of their prime attractions, but the soft green and fertile landscape, beautiful beaches, spectacular cliffs, abundant wildlife and above all friendly people are equally important in making up "Orkney".
Orkney lies just north of mainland Scotland
at around 59 degrees North and comprises over 70 islands of
which 17 or 18 are inhabited by about 20,000 people.
The first written reference to the islands is by Pytheas the Greek in 325BC, but they have been inhabited for at least 6,000 years.
The timeline from prehistory through historical times to the 21st century is continuous, making the division between past and present at times hard to discern.
Perhaps most famous for its exceptionally well-preserved
Neolithic monuments, some of which now enjoy World Heritage
status, Orkney has a wealth of other visitor attractions ranging
from archaeological sites, local museums, the Highland Park
Distillery and St Magnus Cathedral, to a diverse array of craft workshops and shops selling attractive local goods.
Wildlife, especially birds, is another feature
of Orkney not to be missed, whatever the season.
 The Old Red Sandstone rocks result in a combination of fertile agricultural land, most of which is used to raise Orkney's renowned grass-fed beef cattle, moorland and spectacular coastal fringes, making it a haven for many species of birds in every season, while in spring and Summer wild flowers are abundant.
The maritime climate combined with the relatively warm Atlantic Ocean, make the climate very equable, with snow and frost rare in winter. Equally, the temperature rarely exceeds 20 degrees in summer.
Situated at the meeting point of the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean the islands are surrounded by waters abundant in fish and shellfish, adding to the wide variety of locally produced quality foods.
Whether
you arrive by air or sea at Kirkwall or by sea at Stromness,
St Margaret's Hope or Burwick, Orkney presents a strong contrast
to the Highlands. Kirkwall and Stromness are dominated by their
winding main streets and harbours, while Kirkwall also has
the imposing 12th century St Magnus Cathedral.
Both towns have excellent shops, hotels and
eating places, as well as interesting museums and make goodbases
from which to explore the rest of Orkney. Even on the shortest
of visits there are several "must see" sites. Good places to
start are the Orkney Museum or the Highland Park Visitor Centre,
with its excellent audiovisual, in Kirkwall, followed by a
tour of the West Mainland taking in Maeshowe,
the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones and then Skara
Brae. If time permits there are many more places which can
be visited in a day.
On a longer visit it is strongly suggested
that a visit should be made to at least one of the other inhabited
islands, all of which are very accessible by ferry or aircraft.
Each island has a character all of its own and all have interesting
places to visit as well as accommodation and shops.
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