Guided Orkney walks

Discover Orkney’s hidden gems.

We love finding the places few know about, the views that surprise, the hidden nooks and crannies of our islands that make us smile.

Our job is to find these places and then make it easy for you to enjoy them.

Come find out for yourself on our next half-day walk, taking place regularly throughout the year and see if we don’t surprise you.

Malcolm is an experienced Orkney tour guide and qualified mountain leader, a teacher of survival skills, a geographer and environmentalist.

We lead regular day and evening walks in Orkney, for locals and visitors alike – nearly everyone is surprised by what we discover, right on the doorstep of the World Heritage sites even.

Classic routes can also have a special twist, even the route to the Old Man of Hoy, the Dwarfie Stone or around the Standing Stones of Stenness have magic. Five Senses walks are about a lot more than just fresh air and exercise – there is another world to discover.

There are also regular Wednesday evening walks from Spring until Autumn, to capture the twilight and setting sun, even the stars and moon.

When most tourists are eating or in bed, we are out exploring! Why not join us?

Daylight in summer lasts almost 22 hours, so there is a lot to explore – but you cannot do that every night – and we know the places to go, how to access places off the beaten track, those special views and secret bays. We know where the barbed wire fences are too, all those things that can spoil a good walk.

Where to see puffins, oystercatchers, seals, orcas, dolphins, hen harriers, short eared owls, Primula Scotica, peat growing naturally, farming and every day life. Where to get the best smelling fresh air, and where you can put your feet up in the heather and have a great picnic, in silence.

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We will keep you safe and informed as you immerse yourself in nature, perhaps watch the setting sun, the twilight (simmer dim), stars, or the elusive aurora. Learn how to use sphagnum moss, nettles, birch bark, learn a little natural navigation, hear stories of old and listen to the sounds of seals and skylark … but always feel good outdoors.

The walks are for everyone. See the Events page and the Five Senses blog for latest updates and news. One blog in particular is of interest -

Walking in Orkney, all year – with advice on walking locations, access, maps, links and clothing.

Fitness?

These walks savour the landscape and views, using all our senses. There is no rush.

More energetic people might miss the magic, so we like to take it gently, quietly, exploring and at a pace comfortable for most. So fitness is not a big issue, as long as you are ok on hills and can walk for 5 -7 miles over 3 hours.

If you are unsure talk to me – Malcolm is a professional Mountain Leader not just a keen amateur, so he does the job properly, caring for everyone, planning meticulously and adapting to weather and circumstance. You will be in very safe hands.