Some of the more common questions people ask:

Who are Five Senses activities for?

I usually say everyone, of all ages and abilities, which works because I tend to keep numbers low so we don’t have groups of mixed abilities. I like to have like-minded people, people who not only get along but who like each other – who we like! Nearly everyone who has been with Five Senses are now friends. What are they like? Right across the range of age and physical abilities but nearly always wanting something different, better value for money and their time. The tend to be educated, intelligent, independent, modest, sometimes shy. Certainly not mainstream tourists. Five Senses guests think a lot, appreciate high quality and are environmentally aware. However, they are very normal, lovely people, not extreme at all. The scary people we reject! We work a lot with women, children, families, people who care about the planet, professionals, people like us, I guess.

Am I too old, too young, not fit enough?

If you are able to look after yourself, are breathing and are willing to try you are most welcome.

Who runs the activities?

I do. Malcolm, that is. I don’t subcontract work out and I am not big enough to employ people. But everyone helps too.

I am in my 40′s, have a few qualifications – MSc, BSc, ML and I am FRGS and member IOL. Mostly I love what I do and care passionately about sharing this with people.

Do you work with children?

Yes. I visit schools and all youth groups, work with families and I love it. Part of me relates to children.

Where are you based?

Outside the town of Stromness, West Mainland (largest of the Orkney Islands) in northern Scotland. We work from home and travel to various locations, such as the Cairngorms National Park, depending upon the activity. Home is a big part of what we do, so come and enjoy a cup of tea with us.

Why the mentioning of tea?

Malcolm doesn’t eat sugar, drink coffee or alcohol. He does drink lots of teas, of all sorts. And water.

Do you cater for special needs, diets and so on?

Yes, we love to. We respect your choices and needs. Though we eat meat, you don’t have to. And everyone has some disability which requires some consideration. All abilities are welcome. Everyone.

What about food? Do you provide food?

It depends upon the activity. Some events are catered with home cooked, local foods we source. Sometimes an activity has only a soup (Malcolm’s speciality), sometimes it is a bring your own lunch. It does depend. See the booking details for what you are doing. But don’t worry. Dietary requirements are high on our agenda.

Where is Orkney?

A group of island just off the north coast of Scotland, reached by various ferries or flights. On a map of Britain, look in the top right corner. Not to be confused with the more distant Shetland Islands or the Western Isles (Outer Hebrides). The Orkney Islands are pretty famous and special.

How best to get to Orkney?

We give a lot of advice on the most appropriate ways to visit Orkney. In a nutshell, if you have the money, first choice would be to fly to Kirkwall on Orkney. If you have less money and more time there are various ferries and ways to cross Scotland, such as train, coach, car and bike. Few walk but you’d be welcome if you did. See the Orkney information under ‘About’ for more details.

What experience do I need?

You can be an absolute beginner. If a course is to require certain skills before hand it will say so. However, most people do come with some kind of knowledge but are very modest and prefer not to profess this. Or so it seems. Malcolm has lots of patience and loves to work with enthusiastic beginners – far better than know-it-alls. Advanced courses are also run but not macho competitive ones. Be reassured but if you do have doubts, give us a call.

What equipment should I bring?

If you turn up with nothing you will be welcomed with open arms! Bring the least you feel comfortable with. See equipment check lists for the specific activity but whatever you do don’t go out and buy new stuff – unless you want to use it as an excuse to go shopping. The most useful things to have with you in Orkney, summer or winter, are: Windproof jacket, warm hat, sunglasses, footwear you are comfortable in, clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. A change of clothes. Other really useful stuff includes a sharp knife, a good compass (Silva, etc), a torch, a water carrier, a rucksack.

What kit, tools and equipment do Five Senses use?

As little as possible. We try not to buy stuff, trying to avoid consumerism and waste. We have various compasses and knives, flint & steels and sleeping bags, tents etc, available as and when needed but the emphasis is rightly upon natural materials, frugality and not needing lots of stuff. We harvest natural materials carefully, and use these as our ancestors did. Learning to do without is very liberating. Navigate by the stars, light fires with your bare hands, cut plant fibre string with a stone and sleep in a B&B, is a typical solution to minimising your impact on the world whilst staying in your comfort zone.

Who else will be on a course?

Courses are often run for friends and family and are therefore private bookings. We generally do not mix. Some courses may have other couples or people booked on but they will be of similar attitudes to you. The longer duration activities are carefully planned and as I said above, we only take people we like anyway!

Do you run events elsewhere in the country?

Yes, as much as possible. If you can organise a group of people to make the cost of travel worthwhile, we can make a booking at any location of your choosing – your garden, school, outdoor location, etc. These events are harder to arrange so are less likely to be listed well in advance – so get in touch and make a suggestion.

Do you have set dates and programmes?

Some activities are run regularly, here in Orkney and we will try to get events up onto the diary but much can and does happen behind the scenes, so it is best to ask for what you want – and we’ll see if we can make it happen. I might just want a holiday.

Do you do private bookings?

Yes. Often. Just ask me what you want.

How do we pay?

We accept cheques and PayPal in advance and cash on the day.

What if I need to cancel?

We understand and will work with you. People do not cancel for no reason and we respect that. See the booking details for more guidance.

Where can we stay, in Orkney?

You can choose from B&B or self-catering to campsite or hostel. Some people might choose an hotel but less often. We give a lot of advice when people are enquiring as to the right level and standard of accommodation. If you are anything like us this will be an important decision for you so we’ll help you get it right. Shelter building from natural materials is limited and takes time due to scarce resources. Also check out www.couchsurfing.org

What standard of accommodation do you use?

Guests are usually most comfortable in good quality, simple, well designed places, run to high standards. Obviously the best book up earliest so try to do the same. A lot of guests like to mix and match, with some nights in luxury and others camping or night navigating. Works for me too!

Will we be roughing it?

Probably not. This is a personal choice issue but from my way of seeing it, if you feel like you are roughing it your environment is not right for you. Adjusting to any new environment / bed / people is a process, a gradual one, and one that may take longer than you are able to give … the slow adaptation to an environment … but to adapt does mean exposing oneself to it in a controlled way, small steps outside that comfort … in ways that are in themselves so rewarding as to distract one from the elemental. My task is to ensure you are delighted no matter where you stay, be that a B&B or an open hillside in the rain.

What qualifications do you have?

MSc in Environmental Technology and BSc (hons) Geography, First Aid, Mountain Leadership, and then a lot or organisations and bodies for me to learn more and get the best insurance.

What about insurance and security checks?

Yes. We have Public Liability Insurance via membership of the Institute for Outdoor Learning. Never needed it. Never intend to, but it is there. Malcolm also has enhanced security clearance with Disclosure Scotland.

Risk Assessments?

Yes. Malcolm is keen to use these to prepare and manage all events. He takes this seriously, without losing the fun.

What are your environmental credentials?

We are doing everything we can to minimise our impact upon the environment – planet Earth. It does not seem right to us to claim to be eco-friendly, eco-tourism or an environmental company and then be driving a big bus, truck or a boat. Not unless they are solar powered and recycled. So, we sold even our private car. Now we use bicycles, public transport and only when necessary will we hire a vehicle (if you choose). We will work with you to arrive at the best transport solution for you, from door to door. Just don’t expect us to have a fleet of gas guzzling mini-buses. To get a flavour of this have a look at our sister company, a social enterprise called Touchwood Project. www.touchwoodproject.com