Kirkwall orkney

Kirkwall, Orkney, Western Isles, Orkney & Shetland

Recommendation added: 09/07/2007 15:29
By: jyb3 (YSUK rating +55)

jyb3 has been thanked 2 times for this contribution

"Kirkwall one of the two main towns in the lovely Orkney, a lovely place for all to visit there are many of lovely hotels where you can stay and plenty of restraunts to eat out at night most of which are child friendly. While in Orkney there is plenty to do you can
1 visit the skail house, a 17th century mansion, which can be found in the parish of Sandich only 300 meters from the village of Skara Brea, take a look around the mansion or a nice leisurely walk through out the gardens, the house of open every day from 1st of April to the 30th of September from 9.30am – 6.30pm, there I a small entry charge and the place is also wheelchair accessible and has disabled toilets as well.
2 you can visit the tomb of the eagles, the tomb they say is around 5000 years old, and can be found 21 miles for kirkwall its self, I know it's a bit to travel but is well worth it. the tour lasts around an hour and a half to two hours so make sure you come with plenty of time to spare, you can enter the tomb using the 3meter crawl entrance most people love getting in this way, there is also the cliff walk to the tomb which is fun and safe for all so long as you stay to the trail. The tomb is open for only two hours a day during March, and for eight and a half hours a day during April through October.
3 you can visit the stromness museum, where you can see a display of the islands maritime heritage, from the 18th and 19th centuries. The museum is open October – April from Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm and also is open on Sundays from may – September from 10.30am – 12.20pm and 13.30pm – 17.00pm.
these are just a few of the things that you can do at most times of the year in Orkney, if you go during the summer you can see the Orkney festival which is always a good time, or if you go in the winter you can take part or watch the ba which takes part in kirkwall its self, the game takes place every Christmas and new years day. The game is played in the streets of kirkwall between what they call the uppies and the doonies. This game has been played since 1850, the have two games one for the men and one for the boys. And you can find up to two hundred people taking part in this mass game of street football, can never really get how this game is played or how they win, they have to put wooden bars over all the shops and houses door and windows so that if people bang into them then they don't break anything, this game seems to spend a lot of time of the roofs of houses and other buildings and always has an ambulance on side just in case so if you do come to watch this game play it safe and stay back out of there way.
So if you want to plan a nice cultural holiday then Orkney is the place for you, you can get to the island via plane, or though on of the ferries there is a ferry from Aberdeen, from Shetland and one from scrabster as well both of these run al of the year, there is also a shorter crossing straight into kirkwall from thurso but only runs during the summer periods."