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...thinking and planning ahead for next summer.
Share ideas for road & gravel exploring on Orkney Islands please.
Current idea is some time near Kirkwall then head to a more Northern island. Ideally some day trips on ferry to other islands etc.
Also, anyone done the day trip to Fair Isle from Orkney?
There is a nice downhill track from Wideford Hill back to Kirkwall. Its fun on a gravel bike as I did it a couple of weeks ago!
Ride out west from Kirkwall around Evie,Birsay and Ring of Brodgar is ace with cafe at Fintown, Evie,Birsay.
Day trip to Hoy is ace. Postmans path to Rackwick bay (bothy there too) is gravelable as is the ride out to the old man of hoy from the end of it. Dwarfie stane near the road in the way back.
East from Kirkwall around tankerness and deerness has plenty of gravel sections you can do. Sheila Fleet cafe is well worth the stop.
Day trip to sanday is ace with lots of gravel links possible. Again Rousay is a nice spin around the islands circumference.
I've actually gravelled all the way from Strommess up the west coast to Birsay which was good fun as part of a round trip from Kirkwall.
Pity ive taken my YouTube channel down as I had loads on there from a number of trips to Orkney. Lots of interest there for walking, archaeology and cycling.
I used to live on Shetland and went to Fair Isle a good few times. Didn't know you could from Orkney. Lovely for walking and the birds for a day trip. No use cycling as only about 3 miles of road and the rest is either lots of stiles through parks or rough moor. Limited accommodation there since the Obs burnt down and just one small general shop.
Thank you @longdog, just what we needed. Sounds ideal.
Day trip to Fair Isle is a flight - but I think it's an overnight trip as the plane touches down then heads to Shetland, next day the reverse.
FYI - flow country tracks just S in Caithness are imho the ultimate gravel. Can link with train there.
I did a loop - main to N hoy, old man, then s on hoy and back to main.
We enjoyed - Yesnaby, skara brae, maes Howe (* when visiting tourist stuff try to do it when no cruise ships in harbour or v early, everything is less good [imho] when you’re being followed by 7 bus loads of people), day trip/tour to Sanday, Italian chapel, you could do the worlds shortest commercial flight. Scape flow museum on Hoy, area round the Covenanters memorial was lovely and peaceful (*yes it was a really nice day). It’s a cracking place.
Yeh +1, Caithness gravel options are ace.
Me and my mate have come down through Orkney to the mainland and onwards west and South a few times to end up getting the ferry back north to Shetland from Aberdeen.
Orkney is my favourite of the Scottish Islands. We had a week there last summer in July. Kirkwall and Stromness are great bases. We had great weather so did a fair bit of paddle boarding and swimming interspersed with the usual site visits. A trip to Hoy should defo be in your list, but be aware that some of the smaller islands are currently closed to visitors due to avian flu.
This is July 23, mrs_oab planning a trip without kids for the first time in 20 years!
Sanday is a very impressive fatbike destination. Even sand bottomed caves to ride through.
Thread revival
Boat Saturday...
Been a few times. Last year took he bike from stromness too the mx track.
Hopefully its not as windy this year. But any tips welcome