SPRING IN SCOTLAND: THE MYTHICAL ORKNEY ISLANDS

May 2016 (7 nights)

DAY 1
Arrival at Kirkwdall airport and a look around the island of South Ronaldsay. Spectacular coastal scenery, puffins and sea duck.

DAY 2
The island of Westray for spectacular cliffs, puffins, Artic terns, Arctic & great skuas and a gannetry.

DAY 3
The island of Hoy for a walk out to the famous sea stack of ‘The Old Man of Hoy’ for spectacular coastal scenery, great skuas (‘bonxies’) and red-throated divers.

DAY 4
The West Mainland of Orkney, including wetland sites (red-throated divers, ducks, waders); and the 5,000 year old Neolithic village of Skara Brae, one of the best preserved prehistoric sites in Europe.

DAY 5
Over the Orkney moorlands to look for hen harriers and short-eared owls; followed by a short flight out to the remote island of North Ronaldsay.

DAY 6
North Ronaldsay. Expect to see rare migrants, seaweed-eating sheep, and one of the most picturesque of the Orkney islands as we spend 2 days exploring Orkney’s northernmost island.

DAY 7
North Ronaldsay, as above.

DAY 8
A short flight back to Kirkwall and depart for the return journey to England.

Orkney in late May and early June is a birding and photographers’ paradise. The wintering birds such as great-northern divers and long-tailed duck are still around and in stunning summer plumage. Our breeding seabirds (auks, puffins, skuas, terns and gannets) are present in large colonies, and our other speciality of raptors (hen harrier, peregrine, short-eared owl) are breeding and relatively easy to see. It is also migration time, and with the eastern seaboard of Orkney being on the main migration route, anything can and does turn up on especially on the islands of North and South Ronaldsay.

The coastal scenery is spectacular, and the light for photography is stunning. The cliff top flowers, the luminous light, 24 hour daylight, and the calls of the breeding waders (lapwing, curlew, snipe and redshank) will be memories that stay with you forever. If we are lucky we may see cetaceans (harbour porpoise, orca, minke whale); and we will certainly see both species of seals in large numbers.

PRICE: £ 1000 pp

PRICE INCLUDES: Food & accommodation

DATES: Saturday 16 May – Saturday 23 May (7 nights)/2015

Pick-up & drop-off at Kirkwall Airport on dates of arrival & departure.

HOW TO BOOK: Confirmation of booking by website email on receipt of bank transfer for deposit of £100 to:

Banco Mare Nostrum: IBAN/BIC (SWIFT): ES 60 0487 3208 0790 0002 0419/ GBMNESMMXXX

The balance to be paid no later than three weeks prior to the tour date.