Kirkwall Walking Tour

Most day-trippers tick St Magnus Cathedral off the list and shuffle back to the cruise tender. You, having committed to a bed in Kirkwall, can do better. The walking tour stitches the cathedral, the ruined Earl's and Bishop's Palaces opposite, the merchant lanes off Albert Street and the working harbour into one coherent loop, with admission to the palaces included so you don't fumble for change at the gate.

Your guide does the heavy lifting on the dates and the dynastic feuds, which leaves you free to actually look at the red sandstone — quarried locally in 1137 and still, somehow, the colour of a freshly poured cup of tea. There's bottled water along the way, which sounds twee until hour three on the cobbles.

Anyone who can manage three to four hours on largely flat pavement and the odd uneven flagstone. There's no climbing involved beyond entering the cathedral nave, and the cathedral itself is wheelchair accessible — the palace ruins, sadly, are not. Curious history readers, retired teachers and the type of traveller who actually opens the guidebook will all get their money's worth. If your idea of a holiday is a beach lounger, give it a miss.

Tours run year-round and meet in central Kirkwall — your operator confirms the exact spot when you book. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, which is the polite Orcadian acknowledgement that the weather here writes its own itinerary. Wear a waterproof and proper shoes; the wind off the harbour treats umbrellas as a personal insult.

Children are welcome and tend to perk up at the Viking-era tales, though under-eights may flag before hour four. Bishop's and Earl's Palaces entry is bundled in. Lunch, snacks and anything stronger than tap water are on you — handy, since the lanes around Albert Street hide several pubs worth ducking into afterwards.