orkney brewery tours

Orkney Tour designed for you by an Orcadian

Patricia Long grew up in Orkney and can trace her ancestry back to the Norse Earls.

Orkney Tours – designed for you

It couldn’t be easier to book an Orkney tour and make the most of your time on the islands with the help of a knowledgeable local guide. A lot can be fitted into a day but there is so much to see that you could easily fill a week or more. Book a longer tour or use a day tour to help plan the rest of your stay.

The first step is to send an enquiry to  [email protected]  with the dates you are looking for and the size of your group. I will let you know if the dates are available and what the cost would be. I will then send a suggested itinerary, which can be changed around as much as you like.

Your tour will be designed specially for you but here are some suggestions for tours, to give you an idea of the wealth of possibilities.

Orkney Highlights Tour

Orkney archaeology tour, orkney wartime tour, orkney – the wey hid wis, king hereafter tour, family history tour.

• Skara Brae – 5,000 year old Neolithic village rediscovered in 1851
• Ring of Brodgar – one of the largest stone circles in the country and one of the most impressive
• Standing Stones of Stenness – the oldest known stone circle
• Italian Chapel – built by the Italian PoWs building the Churchill Barriers during World War II
• St Magnus Cathedral – founded in 1137 and still in active use
• Scapa Flow – the main base for the British fleet in both World Wars and the site of the scuttling of the German fleet in 1919
• There may be time for something else. Get in touch for a personal itinerary

The tour begins at the Standing Stones of Stenness, the oldest known stone circle in Britain, dated to c 3000 BC. A short walk takes us to the site of Barnhouse Village, only discovered in 1986.

It is time then to head to the Maeshowe Visitor Centre, for the 10 am tour of the most remarkable Neolithic tomb in Western Europe. The astonishingly well-built walls are covered in the largest collection of Norse graffiti in the world, written by Vikings in the 1150s. We hope Maeshowe will reopen sometime in 2022.

The Ring of Brodgar is one of the best known stone circles in Britain and the third-largest. There will be time to walk around the ring before lunch

After lunch, there is the option of a stop at Unstan Cairn,  another Neolithic tomb but built in a much more modest style.

We will visit the Ness of Brodgar archaeological dig when it is open in July and August. I can show you the astonishing Neolithic buildings they are uncovering and the hole my grandfather dug there in 1925, under the impression he was excavating a small grave.

The village of Skara Brae was hidden away in sand dunes until uncovered in a storm in 1851, revealing 5,000 year old houses still standing in a unique state of preservation.

If tide times allow, the tour can include the Norse remains on the Brough of Birsay. If this isn’t possible, we could drive along the coast to end the tour at the Iron Age Broch of Gurness

The tour begins with a look around Hatston Industrial Estate, once the site of HMS Sparrowhawk, one of the four WWII airfields in Orkney. You will see a few buildings still in use and hear the astonishing story of the sinking of the German ship Konigsberg in Bergen harbour.

The Churchill Barriers were built to block the eastern side of Scapa Flow after the Royal Oak was sunk in 1939. We will drive across all four of them and take a walk around the village of St Margaret’s Hope.

Many of the men who built the Barriers were Italian PoWs and the chapel they built on the island of Lambholm, out of the most basic of materials, is unmissable.

Lunch will be at the Orkney Fossil and Heritage Centre, which includes a display about the building of the Barriers among its fascinating collections.

In the afternoon, there will be a tour of either Ness Battery http://nessbattery.co.uk/ or HMS Tern http://hmstern.co.uk/

The drive back to Kirkwall will be along the shore of Scapa Flow, the home of the British fleet in both world wars. The German Fleet was interned here after WWI.

If your ancestors emigrated from Orkney or if you are interested in Scottish life, this tour will show you what life was like not so very long ago.

The tour will begin in Kirkwall, with a visit to St Magnus Cathedral, which has watched over the Royal Burgh since the 12th century, and a walk along the street.

The next stop will be Stromness, the charming harbour town with a lively history. It lies on one of the safest harbours in the North so grew quickly in the 18th and 19th Centuries. A walk through the winding main street will take us to Stromness Museum, run by the Orkney Natural History Society. It is one of the oldest privately-run museums in Scotland.

Lunch will be in the Orkney Brewery, which was once the Quoyloo School, and then we will visit the last working watermill in Orkney. The Barony Mill https://baronymill.com/ is the only mill in the world which still grinds bere, the ancient form of barley.

The Click Mill near Dounby hasn’t been used for a very long time but it has been very well restored and is a fascinating example of a horizontal water-wheel.

There are two farm museums so we will have to choose between Kirbuster, the last surviving example of a fire in the middle of the floor and Corrigall with its well-restored byre and barn. If you are interested and we move quickly, we could fit them both in.

The greatest Earl of Orkney was Thorfinn the Mighty, who ruled over all of the north of Scotland and as far as the Isle of Man. According to the Orkneyinga Saga, Thorfinn travelled to Rome. Other sources say Macbeth travelled to Rome at the same time. It was suggested they may have travelled together but Dorothy Dunnett, in her detailed historical novel, King Hereafter, went a step further and suggested that Thorfinn was Macbeth.

The novel follows Thorfinn/Macbeth all over Scotland and as far as Rome but much of the action is in Orkney and we will visit all the sites.

Thorfinn’s main residence was in Birsay and this is where he promised the Pope that he would build a cathedral and establish a bishopric. There is no sign of the cathedral but the Norse remains on the Brough of Birsay include parts of structures from the time of Thorfinn and his father Sigurd.

We will visit the Orkneyinga Saga Centre in Orphir, site of another of Thorfinn’s residences, and see the remains of the Round Church built by his grandson Hakon

In King Hereafter , a dramatic scene between Thorfinn and his rival Rognvald is set in the impressive burial chamber of Orkahaugr. We know it now as Maeshowe and a tour there will let you see the astonishing structure and the largest collection of Norse graffiti in the world.

According to the Orkneyinga Saga, Thorfinn’s foster father, Thorkel Fostri, lived at Skaill in Deerness. Although there are no visible Norse remains now, excavations in the 1970s found some substantial Norse buildings. A visit to the site on the eastern coast of the Mainland will help us to picture the sea battle which took place there.

The tour will end at St Magnus Cathedral. Although this cathedral was founded a century after Thorfinn’s, this ‘Wonder and Glory of the North’ is a vivid illustration of the importance of the earldom of which Thorfinn the Mighty was the greatest leader.

However much you know about your family’s connections with Orkney, I can help you find out more; visit the places your family would have known and find out whether you have relatives here.

Before you arrive, I will have found out as much as possible, using the local archives, the resources of the Orkney Family History Society https://orkneyfhs.co.uk/home.php and perhaps my own family records.

Of course, the tour will vary, depending on what I have discovered and what you would like to do.

If there are family homes still standing, we will visit those. On a tour in Hoy we were looking at the modern house which stood on the location of the family home when a lady came out and invited us to look inside the well-maintained outbuilding which had once been the house. On a visit to Orphir, the house was long gone but old maps enabled us to find where it had stood and to admire the marvellous view.

Last year, I found the widow of my guest’s grand-uncle so we visited for tea and got copies of many family photos. I discovered that the grand-uncle of another guest had written a book about his experiences in the Hudson’s Bay Company.

All the churchyards in Orkney have been recorded so, if there are gravestones, we can visit them. Then we can visit one of the farm museums and take a walk through Kirkwall or Stromness, to get a feel for what life would have been like for the family.

We might finish with a visit to the Orkney Archives http://www.orkneylibrary.org.uk/archive.htm if there are family records or documents there.

Orkney Brewery

The folk here have been producing their brilliant Orcadian beers – Dark Island is a standout, while Skullsplitter lives up to its name – for years now, and this brewery's visitor centre is a great place to come and try them. Tours run regularly from noon to 3pm and explain the brewing process, while, fashionably decked out in local stone, the cafe-bar is atmospheric.

Get In Touch

01856-841777

https://​www​.orkneybrewery​.co​.uk​/

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Predating Stonehenge and the pyramids of Giza, extraordinary Skara Brae is one of the world's most evocative prehistoric sites, and northern Europe’s best…

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Nearby Orkney attractions

1 . Skaill House

Next to Skara Brae, and entered on a joint ticket, Skaill House is an imposing step-gabled Orcadian mansion built for the bishop in 1620. It may feel a…

2 . Skara Brae

3 . Barony Mills

This working watermill is a satisfying sight – it's still running, and producing flour from bere (a type of barley) that you'll find in baked morsels…

4 . Earl's Palace

The ruins of this palace, built in the 16th century by the despotic Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney, dominate the village of Birsay. Today it’s a mass of…

5 . Brough of Birsay

At low tide – check tide times at any Historic Environment Scotland site – you can walk out to this windswept island, the site of extensive Norse ruins,…

6 . Ring of Brodgar

A mile northwest of Stenness is this wide circle of standing stones, some over 5m tall. The last of the three Stenness monuments to be built (2500–2000 BC…

7 . Ness of Brodgar

The spectacular finds from ongoing excavations at this archaeological site between the Standing Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar have…

8 . Unstan Chambered Cairn

This atmospheric neolithic tomb, on a smaller scale than nearby Maeshowe, is a site that you may well get to yourself. It's a very tight squeeze down the…

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The Orkney Brewery

Welcome to the Orkney Brewery, housed in the former schoolhouse at Quoyloo, one mile from Skara Brae, in the heart of Neolithic Orkney.

The Orkney Brewery invite you to  share our craft at our award-winning, family-run visitor centre.

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For more information about our tours, tasting hall and opening hours, please visit our  website

Formerly a Victorian schoolhouse, there’s no better place to learn about the history of brewing and our particular craft. Kids will love dressing up in Victorian school uniform on the childrens’ tour. Adults will enjoy finding out how our wonderful, hand-crafted beers are made. 

The beautiful  GIFT SHOP  offers some of our products and merchandise, as well as a range of local crafts and produce. And you can sample our creations in the  TASTING HALL CAFE , where we also serve a selection of local specialities.

It’s all fully accessible, except for the viewing platform. But picture support means even those with reduced mobility can enjoy the full tour. And guests with specific needs are always welcome – just let us know how we can help. 

Our Tasting Hall café used to be a classroom. Today it’s the perfect place to learn about our famous beers, local speciality foods, home baking and history. It’s a chance to relax and revel in the building’s past, surrounded by some of the fascinating artefacts we saved from the old schoolroom.

There are plenty of ways to keep little ones happy, like a big box of toys for tiny toddlers, and a special dressing-up tour of the brewery and schoolhouse for slightly older kids. After putting on their Victorian school uniform, they’re given a puzzle and activity jotter and sent off to collect the stamps from stopping-off points along the tour.

You don't have to visit the brewery to be able to sample our beers, you can order them now by visiting our  ONLINE BEER SHOP .

[email protected]

www.orkneybrewery.co.uk

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The Orkney Brewery

News & events.

• Visitor Centre

20 Sep 2012

5 stars for visitor centre.

5 STARS - NATIONAL FIRST FOR NEW ORKNEY BREWERY VISITOR CENTRE

The Orkney Brewery’s brand new Visitor Centre has been awarded five-star status by the national tourism organisation VisitScotland, just weeks after opening to the public. 

That makes it the only brewery visitor centre in Scotland to hold VisitScotland’s top classification and one of only four five-star attractions in Orkney. 

A central element of a major redevelopment programme at the Orkney Brewery’s Quoyloo site, the new Visitor Centre has already proved a massive hit with local people and tourists alike, with thousands streaming through its doors since it opened in July.

The centre, in Orkney’s west mainland, gives visitors the opportunity to see the brewery’s range of Award-Winning beers being crafted during informative and entertaining guided tours. Family activities are also available, with a special kids’ trail - based around the elusive Corncrake bird, found in the fields surrounding the brewery - running throughout the centre.

A wide selection of high quality local fayre is on offer in the centre’s Restaurant, with its shop stocking Orkney crafts and gifts, in addition to the Brewery’s full range of beers. The centre is also proving popular as a venue for functions, meetings and other special events.

Norman Sinclair, managing director said: “Whilst we set out to create the very best visitor facility we possibly could, one that properly reflected the high quality of our products, this almost instant award of five- star status from VisitScotland is quite overwhelming and hugely exciting for us. We’re proud to be the only brewery in Scotland with this classification and it’s a great advert for Orkney too. I’d also like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the dedicated team of highly skilled local craftsmen who have worked so hard to create our new centre.”

Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, said: “Achieving five-star status is unique for a Scottish brewery visitor centre and I would like to raise a glass to the Orkney Brewery on this fantastic achievement. VisitScotland has a world-leading Quality Assurance Scheme and seeing a five-star logo guarantees visitors a wonderful experience. But we have to remember that our Quality Assurance Scheme is about so much more than the stars above the door - it is about the entire visitor experience, and factors such as the warmth of the welcome, excellent facilities, amazing service and, increasingly, value for money, are all expected in a holiday.”

The Orkney Brewery site incorporates the former Quoyloo Schoolhouse, which dates from 1876. Reflecting its past use, the new visitor centre contains many old photographs of the school and its classes, along with educational memorabilia. Shortly after opening in July, the visitor centre played host to a reunion of former Quoyloo School pupils.

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© 2024 Sinclair Breweries Ltd

MY ORKNEY TOURS with Marlene Thomson

Hello are you thinking about a trip to orkney, i’m marlene, native orcadian and stga qualified green badge tour guide for this area. i’m born & raised here in orkney, with a fount of local knowledge and a real love for my home islands., – new orkney farm tours – , come on a tour with me.

Orkney is a wonderful place to visit at any time of year. In the Summer we have long days with almost 24 hours of daylight so you can be out sightseeing till midnight if you choose. And in the Winter, short days, spectacular storms, clear starry skies, a chance to see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) and to settle by an open fire with a glass of our local Whisky or Beer before a meal at one of our many fabulous pubs or restaurants.

There is so much to see and do here, history covering over 5000 years of continuous occupation, from the Stone Age, Iron Age & Bronze Age, to the Vikings, and to modern day, with touches of Wartime History, Tales of Cruel Earls & Shipwrecks throughout the ages.

We have amazing birdlife, scenery to take your breath away, nature by the bucketload. Crystal clear skies and pure light will give you some of the best photographs and memories you have ever had.

STGA qualified Green Badge tour guide

Southern Odyssey

A Drive through Agricultural scenery down to the pretty village of St Margarets Hope via the famous Churchill Barriers and the amazing Italian Chapel. Time for a coffee & shopping break in the village.

Country & Western

From Kirkwall out to the Neolithic Heart of Orkney, Calling at the Standing Stones of Stenness, Ring of Brodgar and finishing up at Skara Brae our original neolithic village by the shores of Skaill bay. Have a coffee at the visitor centre or dip your toes into the Atlantic Ocean at the white sandy beach.

Western Explorer

A panoramic tour around our West Mainland, around the north & west coast lines of Orkney, returning via Scapa Flow where our wartime history is strongest.

Orkney Food & drink

A tour of one of our two distillaries, The Orkney Brewery, and to one or two of our artisan food producers – depending on length of tour.

Orkney Farm Tour

A tour to some local farms, pedigree, commercial beef or dairy units, with visits to local agricultural businesses. Let me know what you’re interested in.

Ask Marlene!

Or book a tour of your own choice. Tell me what you like and I will find it for you! Entrance fees to sites may be payable above cost of tours, contact me for prices.

View sample itinerary

Booking information, contact me for prices and booking.

Marlene Thomson

East Massater Windwick, Orkney KW17 2RN

• +44 (0)7710 494187
• [email protected]

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I am a driver guide with a comfortable minibus which can carry eight guests, I can also hire bigger vehicles up to 50 seats if necessary. I am also happy to work as a step on guide and join you in your car or coach. If you’re here on business for a day and have a few hours to look around, I can plan you a route and show you the sights you want to see, saving you time and from concentrating on a map. I know the best places to eat and where to find our local delicacies… even the best ice cream shops on route!

Tours start from 4 hours up to 8 hours daily, and I can either make up a tour with you to suit your interests & abilities, Or you can take one of my set tours just to give you a feel for Orkney and its people. I can entertain and enlighten you as we drive through My Orkney.

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GoOrkney Luxury Guided Tours

• Plan Your Trip
• Guided Tours

GoOrkney, Garson House, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JU

Explore Orkney in style. Relax and let us take care of you. Immerse yourself in Orkney's amazing history and scenery, engaging folk lore, island culture, outstanding arts and crafts, unbelievable food and drink, world leading renewables technologies and our very BIG 'sky'.

Go ORKNEY HIGHLIGHTS TOURS - REGULAR SMALL GROUP TOURS (Max 15)

SET ITINERARY HALF DAY TOURS WITH ACCREDITED GUIDES

PICK UP AND DROP OFF AT YOUR SHIP OR LEAVING FROM KIRKWALL/STROMNESS TRAVEL CENTRE (by request)

WANT TO SEE THE BEST OF ORKNEY IN A MATTER OF HOURS THEN BOOK ONLINE: http://www.goorkney.com

• St Magnus Cathedral
• Churchill Barriers
• Italian Chapel
• Cliffs of Yesnaby
• Ring of Brodgar
• Standing Stones of Stenness

Make the most of your time in Orkney. GoOrkney has created this set tour, to cater for those guests that wish to see the best of Orkney in a day. Ideal for those visiting Orkney on a cruise, day trip or that last minute booking. Seats can be booked and paid for online. Guests are picked up and dropped off at the Pier or at the Kirkwall Travel Centre/Stromness Ferry Terminal (on request). Dates and availability detailed on our website http://www.goorkney.com

GoOrkney also offer a wide portfolio of bespoke tour options to suit most interests, tastes and levels of activity.

• Full Day Tours
• UNESCO World Heritage, Neolithic and Megalithic Sites
• Wartime History Tour
• Food & Drink
• Distilleries & Brewery Tour
• Arts & Craft Tour
• Renewable Energy Trail Tour
• Walking and Wildlife – Cliffs and coastline
• Tours to the smaller islands
• Boat tours to the Old Man of Hoy (subject to availability and weather)

Whether your interest lies in our World renowned 5000-year-old Neolithic sites, our World leading Renewables technologies or anywhere in between. Just relax and let GoOrkney will take care of all your tour requirements. http://www.goorkney.com

We promise you'll have a great time with GoOrkney!

Business Hours

Open All Year Round.

From £135 pp

Contact Details

GoOrkney Garson House Stromness Orkney KW16 3JU

Tasting Traditional Orkney

FIND OUT MORE

Farming has been at the heart of Orkney for 5000 years, and this tour lets you experience how and where our unique products are made. And of course there is plenty opportunity to taste for yourself!

Step back 5000 years to explore one of Europe’s best preserved prehistoric settlements. It was first uncovered during a storm and most of the houses, including furniture are still standing exactly where they were built.   As you will see, the diet of 5,000 years ago has changed very   little!

The Orkney Brewery

Beer has been brewed in Orkney since the Neolithic, probably reaching its highpoint in the Viking period!   This craft brewery wins prizes every year and is the perfect place to sample locally produced beer, or sample local foods.

The Barony Mill

This is Orkney’s last water driven mill , producing beremeal from our local strain of barley.   It is an ancient cereal that has been used for centuries to produce our unique bread, as well as fine home baking.

Kirbister Farm Museum

Visitors can see the traditional Orkney farm house which changed little over the centuries. This dwelling house has stone beds and a central hearth, very similar to the houses in the Stone Age village of Skara Brae that was lived in 5000 years ago, Things change slowly in Orkney! 

The Brig, Kirkwall

A gourmet, retail food centre showcasing Orkney grass fed beef, alongside freshly caught fish and shellfish from local waters. Our dairy products are seen in cheese – farmhouse, smoked and cheddar – butter, and ice cream.   And of course our local beer, whisky and wine.

Highland Park Distillery

The world’s most northern whisky distillery , producing a distinctive and internationally famous single malt.   The brand is over two hundred years olden is still going strong.

Contact us to find out more about this and our other tours.

DOWNLOAD ITINERARY PDF

• Hen Harriers at Cottascarth 28 June 2018
• Harraymen’s Graves 14 April 2018
• Ring of Buikan 13 April 2018

[email protected] Phone: +44 (0)1856 761304 Mobile: +44 (0)779 886078