Overseas Adventure Travel
Idyllic Great Britain: England’s Lake District, the Scottish Highlands & Orkney Archipelago
6/6/2025 to 6/27/2025
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Page 1 – Days 1-2 in Chester
Page 2 – Days 3-5 Wales & Lake District
Page 3 – Days 6-8 Lake District & Edinburgh
Page 4 – Days 9-11 Edinburgh & Orkney Islands
Page 5 – Days 11-13 Orkney Islands & Inverness
Page 6 – Days 14-16 Inverness
Tour Day 9 - Fly to the Orkney Islands
We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Just the way I like it. We were on a Loganair flight from Edinborough to Kirkwall, Orkney Islands. It was only about an hour flight. As we approached the island, we saw some impressive cliffs down below.
Our drive from the small airport was different in that we were driving through large fields to get to Kirkwall.
The Orkney Islands have a low population density with a population of 22,000 people spread over 382 square miles. 10,000 of those people live in Kirkwall. We arrived at the Kirkwall Hotel just before noon.
Tom told us that Prince William and Kate came to Kirkwall and stayed at this hotel. I couldn’t find anything online that confirmed that, so I reached out the hotel. They said they didn’t, but they did eat at the Storehouse restaurant close by.
We had the whole afternoon for free time or Tom set up a cooking class for those interested in it. Cathy was interested, but I had other plans. I had been coughing a lot for several days with chest congestion and it was keeping me awake at night. I felt like I was getting an infection, and I needed to get started on some antibiotics so I would be feeling better for the last 7 days of the tour. I asked Tom how I could see a doctor. We thought that perhaps the hotel was the best source to find one. They told me to call the hospital and ask for the clinic. They gave me the phone number, and I talked to someone about getting an appointment. They told me that I would have to come in first and fill out some paperwork before I could schedule an appointment. The hotel called me a taxi, and I was at the hospital fifteen minutes later. It was just over a mile away. It was a fairly new hospital having been completed in 2019. Prince William visited the Kirkwall in 2021 to officially open the hospital. The lobby looked very nice.
I found the door to the clinic and was given a clipboard with a couple forms to fill out. One form was contact information, and the other was a HIPPA type form. Since I wasn’t a British citizen, I assumed that they would want a lot of medical and financial responsibility information. They told me they would get in touch with me about an appointment and asked what local phone number they could reach me at. I told them that my mobile was the only one I had. The front desk person talked with someone else in the office. I guess they didn’t want to make an international call to me. They then asked if I wanted to wait there until they could find out when they could get to me. I was thrilled to wait, since I didn’t want to go back and forth again. I waited a while, and they told me that I could see the doctor at 3:00 PM. That was outstanding!
The doctor called me in and asked a few questions about my condition. He asked if I was diabetic and what meds I was taking. He then listened to my chest and wrote out a prescription for an antibiotic. He told me that I probably had bronchitis and would be better in a couple days even without the antibiotic. He said I should wait to take it to see if I didn’t get better. That wasn’t going to happen. I took them as soon as I got the prescription filled back in town.
I couldn’t believe that they never took my temperature or gave me a covid test. I would think that would be necessary for anyone with my symptoms. I was very surprised at the very limited examination. I was fine with getting my antibiotics, but I’m glad I didn’t have anything more severe. I asked where I could pay for my visit. They told me there was no charge. I guess the National Health Service doesn’t have a price list for non-Brits or have a way to even collect a charge. I was very appreciative that they were able to see me and resolve my issue so quickly. I would be able to finish the tour without getting sicker.
Since it was after 3:00 PM, I would be able to go our room at the hotel. Our luggage was there, and I could take photos. Cathy was still at cooking class. The room was OK, but once again we had a queen size bed and a tiny closet. There were a few drawers. There was no need for air conditioning in Kirkwall. The windows pushed out some from the top which allowed cool air to enter the room. We never needed the heaters.
The bathroom had no shelf space and it did have one of those showers that sprays on the floor. I think we were getting used to them.
An interesting feature of this hotel is the old-fashioned elevator. It worked fine, but when someone took it, they had to firmly close both doors. If they didn’t someone would have to run up the stairs to close them. It happened more frequently than it should have. Our room was on the third floor. One day, we went to the elevator, and someone left both doors wide open. Very inconsiderate.
The pharmacy was just a few blocks away, so I quickly left to fill my prescription. They told me to come back in 10 minutes. I walked down the street to kill time and came to the St. Magnus Cathedral. Quite a large church for such a small town. There was a nice tower across the street from it. We would be coming back over the next couple days to check them out.
When I returned to the pharmacy, my prescription was ready. Once again, no charge. It was one of those inexpensive prescriptions that we get for free at home too.
For dinner, the group was going to the Albert Hotel just down the street. The meal selection was pan-fried chicken with Sauce, Local Hake Filet with Sauce or Vegan Cottage Pie. I ordered the chicken, and Cathy ordered the fish without the sauce.
Both meals were very bland and overcooked. One of the worst meals of the trip.
Tour Day 10 - Explore the Orkney Islands
We would be learning about the history of the Orkney Islands, especially regarding WW2. Our guide for the day was David, a fine well-educated gentleman who passed on so much interesting information to us. I took his photo with Sheena, another guide we would learn from.
As we left Kirkwall, David told us about how the Orkney Islands were involved in WW2. The British navy kept many of their ships in the Scapa Flow, a body of water that was between five of the Orkney Islands. Defenses were put up between the islands to keep out German submarines. They used sunken block ships, booms and submarine nets to protect the harbor. On October 14, 1939, a submarine did get through the obstructions and was able to sink the HMS Royal Oak killing 834 soldiers. As a result, then First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill ordered the construction of permanent barriers to keep the subs out. These barriers were also beneficial as bridges between the islands.
As we drove around the island, we saw how flat it was with very few trees.
In the distance we saw our first of the four Churchill barriers.
Nearby was our first stop, the Italian Chapel. This chapel was built by Italian prisoners of war. They wanted to have their own place of worship. Some of the prisoners were artists and construction experts. They created a beautiful chapel for themselves and now for tourists.
We stopped in the parking lot where Sheena got onto the bus. David told us how lucky we were that Sheena was able to join us today. She was able to tell us first-hand accounts of people that were involved in constructing the chapel as well as activities with the British soldiers stationed on the island. She told us emotional stories of joy and sadness along with funny stories of interaction between the residents, soldiers and POWs.
She took us into the chapel to tell us about the many artistic features. It was quite an achievement to build during the war.
On one side of the property, they built a statue of St. George and the Dragon.
We thanked Sheena for sharing her experiences. She was a special treat for us. As we headed to our next destination, we saw our first Highland Cow. They are so cute!
We came to another barrier where there were some sunken boats that were used for the original barriers. We watched some Kayakers doing their thing next to the barriers.
There were so many suncken boats that had been part of the original barriers.
We soon came to the Orkney Fossil and Heritage Center (https://www.orkneyfossilcentre.co.uk). This is a museum of fossils found in the Orkneys and other parts of the world along with historical objects related to life on the islands.
We looked at the various exhibits on the first floor but didn’t go upstairs to see the household and farming implements on display up there.
A most interesting part of the visit was in a room that had a large map on the floor showing the Scapa Flow. David described the events of the sinking of the Royal Oak.
He also discussed the events at the end of WW1 where 74 German ships were being held in Scapa Flow pending the final treaty to end the war. The German Rear Admiral decided to scuttle the fleet when he thought that treaty period had ended. He didn’t want his ships used against Germany. He didn’t realize that the treaty period had been extended. The map shows where all the ships were located. It is a popular dive site for those that can dive in very cold water.
After leaving the museum, we continued our drive through the islands and over the barriers. There were lots of shipwrecks to see.
On the way to a restaurant for lunch, we saw a totem pole as we quickly drove by it. We weren’t expecting to see that. We didn’t stop to get a better look at it. I was lucky to get a photo. There are two totem poles on the island. The other one has the head of a Viking at the top.
For lunch we stopped at a coffee shop type restaurant. They asked if we wanted tea or coffee. They then put out plates with sandwich quarters of tuna salad, egg salad and cheese salad. This was our lunch? The sandwiches tasted OK, but I expect a more complete meal when on an OAT tour.
After “lunch”, we headed to our next stop. On the way, David told us to look to the right as we drove by a unique breed of pig. The Mangalica pig is from Hungary and developed by cross breeding with a boar. They are the only type of pig with curly hair. Quite unusual looking.
Our last stop of the tour was at a Royal Oak memorial site. There were monuments to the 834 soldiers who lost their lives. There was also a small cabin with memorials and messages inside. The messages and photos of their lost loved ones were so sad. It was a moving tribute.
As we were leaving a large group of kayakers we saw when we arrived were leaving.
When we returned to the hotel, we thanked David for his excellent and most informative presentation. The rest of the afternoon was free time for us, so we walked back down the main street next to the hotel. In this small town, we were always close to the city center.
The main attraction in Kirkwall is St. Magnus Cathedral. The large building dominates the skyline. Construction on the church began in 1137 AD and continued for the next 300 years. It is the oldest cathedral in Scotland and the northernmost cathedral in the UK.
The pink sandstone used in the construction was most attractive.
I liked the memorial to surgeon and explorer Dr. John Rae. He was chilling!
On the grounds next to the cathedral was the ruins of the Bishop’s Palace. It was built around the same time as St. Magnus. It must have been a very attractive place.
Across the street from the Bishop’s Palace is the ruins of the Earl’s Palace. It is much newer in that it was built in 1607.
While we were on our tour with David, he told us that we might get to experience a Blackening. It is a pre-wedding custom where the bride and/or groom are covered in messy substances like tar, soot or food and paraded through the streets. He also told us that they are tied to the cross in front of St. Magnus. As we were leaving the Bishop’s Palace grounds, we heard all sorts of noise. There was hooting and hollering along with the banging of metal objects. Then we saw a red truck with a group of disheveled young people enjoying themselves driving by. This must have been part of the Blackening celebration.
We continued to check out the shops in the town. We then saw that the truck had stopped in front of the church and part of the wedding party was tied to the cross in front of the cathedral with plastic wrap. Everyone was laughing, so I guess they were having a good time. The participants in the truck were enjoying watching the group trying to escape the cross.
They eventually did. But that didn’t end their party. They were driving around banging their cups and hollering for the next couple hours. Occasionally, we would hear the sound and/or see the truck pass by. They were a hardy group.
We went back to the hotel where I dropped Cathy off. I wanted to check out the port area that Cathy saw the previous day while I was at the hospital. It was near the port, but I could see the 3,500 passenger Regal Princess cruise ship in the distance at the cruise terminal. This was the reason that there were so many people walking around town.
From the port, I could look back at our hotel. The only other things to see there were a rescue boat and small lighthouse.
That evening we booked an Italian restaurant named Lucano. We were very pleased with the atmosphere, delicious food and service. Cathy had some mussels and an appetizer pasta dish. I had meal portion pasta dish.
On the way back to the hotel, I was able to get a nice photo of the front of St. Magnus.
We also enjoyed the empty streets with the cruise ship away from port.
Tour Day 11 - Explore Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar
This would be a most interesting day where we would be experiencing things that are thousands of years old. We had another awesome guide named Kevin to show us three UNESCO World Heritge Sites and help us understand them.
Our first destination was the Standing Stones of Stennes. This Neolithic monument is believed to be the oldest henge site in the British Isles having been made in 3100 BC or 5100 years old. At one time there were twelve stones in a circle.
Like the 500-year younger Stonehenge, they are believed to have various powers. A local farmer tried to destroy the stones by blowing them up and knocking them down. He didn’t like all the people coming to the field to visit the stones. They did stop him before he destroyed them all, but he did a lot of damage. Everyone was enjoying the visit, especially in the sunshine.
We boarded the bus and headed to our next Neolithic location, the Ring of Brodgar. This henge is very large with a 341-foot diameter and is the only major henge and stone circle in Britain that is in an almost perfect circle. It is believed to be between 4400 - 4600 years old. The ring originally had up to 60 stones but only 36 are still there.
There was a deep trench totally encircling the stones. They believe that the trenches were dug out with antler pics that were found at the site.
I took so many photos from different angles of this amazing place. We weren’t allowed to go inside the circle, but we enjoyed what we did see.
As we were leaving, Kevin pointed out a plant that is a type of cotton. It is a wild plant rather than one that is farmed.
We got to see some of the beautiful treeless countryside on the way to our next destination.
We were visiting Skara Brea, Europe’s most complete Neolithic village. This village is composed of ten clustered homes that were occupied between 3180 – 2500 BC, 5200 years ago. As we walked to the village, we stopped along the beach. Kevin pointed out how the land was eroded away by the Atlantic Ocean over all the years. The village was far from the ocean 5000 years ago. In the photo, the edge of the village is where people are standing near the sea wall. We were most fortunate that our schedule to be at Skara Brae was changed from the previous day. Kevin said that there were 1,000 people at the site with the Regal Princess cruise ship in port.
When we got to the village, the first thing we saw was an opening into the replica house. This is an example of what the houses we were about see would have looked like when they were lived in. Kevin told us to wait to enter until we had free time after he showed us the village.
We took a trail that allowed us to walk above the houses and look down into them. We couldn’t walk in the houses themselves. Probably a good idea. The houses had primitive sewer systems and toilets in them.
Below is a layout of the buildings.
It was very helpful to have Kevin describe what we were seeing. I have put in a couple of the explanatory markers next to a couple buildings.
When Kevin was done, we came back to see inside the replica house. There were too many other people in the house to be able to get decent photos, but you can get the idea. With the Neolithic period considered to be the new stone age, the house looked more comfortable than I would have expected.
Since it was after 1:00 PM, we went to the welcome center café for a light lunch. After lunch, we had a few minutes before we needed to get on the bus, so I walked up to the Skaill House nearby for a very quick visit. This is the home of the family who discovered Skara Brae.
It was a very nice and interesting house with lovely period pieces. It is more of a museum that would have been worth spending more time in.
On the way to our last destination, we saw more wide-open spaces. In the distance we saw a tall stone tower.
We stopped at an old farmhouse. Kevin wanted to show us what life used to be like there. Unfortunately, after a mostly clear sunny day, the rain started. Good timing, since we would be inside.
In the kitchen, a peat fire was burning. The smoke was overpowering, so I didn’t stay in there long. Everyone’s clothes smelled smokey after the visit.
The rest of the rooms were more tolerable.
When we got back to the hotel, we went to the bar for a drink. The hotel’s bar is called the Highland Park Bar. It is the only brand of whiskey they sell. They must have had at least 30 different types of Highland Park scotch. Highland Park is distilled in Kirkwall.
We had our group dinner at the hotel. It was quite good, especially the tomato bisque. The salmon and chicken were good too.
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