The Mainland is the archipelago’s main island, home to Orkney’s two largest towns, Kirkwall and Stromness. Almost 5,000 years ago, rings of colossal stone walls enclosed a complex  of temples at Ness of Brodgar, the most recently rediscovered the Orkney’s Neolithic relics. In 1999 , sites including the chambered tomb at Maeshowe and the Standing Stones of Stenness  and the Ring of Brodgar were granted UNESCO World Heritage status, and archeologists continue to unearth exciting finds that tell of a sophisticated ancient culture that flourished here long ago.

Hoy, Orkney’s second largest island, takes its name from the Norse word for “high island”, which refers to its spectacular cliff-lined terrain. Hoy is very different from the rest of archipelago , and its northern hills male excellent walking and bird-watching country.

Orkney’s outlying islands are sparsely populated and mostly the preserve of seals and seabirds. Rousay is known as the “Egypt of the North” for its many archeological sites. And Egilsay was the scene of St Magnus’s grisly murder in 1115. The 12^th century round-towered church dedicated to his memory is a rare example of Irish-Viking design.