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(A) CYCLING IN ORKNEY (5 Sections)

Route Map

Map of Orkney

Key route details

Region(s): The Outer Isles - Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides
Distance: 0 miles
Difficulty: Varied route
Type of Ride: Road Cycling
Surface: Tarmac
Environment: Rural

Start Point: Orkney Islands
End Point: Overview

What's Nearby:

Find out what's nearby

Whatever your taste you are likely to find something to interest you in Orkney: the dramatic hills and sea cliffs of Hoy; the birds, puffins, arctic skuas, kittiwakes, guillemots to name just a few. Most intruiging is the mystery of Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar: neolithic monuments which pre-date the pyramids. Route E, Stromness to Birsay, takes in the most impressive monuments and if you have only one day in Orkney this might be your top priority.

The cycling is fairly easy with no serious hills except in Hoy. Because of the northern latitude there will be long hours of daylight in summer and it can be quite warm. Bear in mind however that there is very little shelter in Orkney because there are few trees. If you get some rainy days (Atlantic depressions can still occur in summer) you will need waterproof clothing.

The routes described here are part of the multi-country North Sea Cycle Route and the National Cycle Network and are being signed as Route 1 with blue cycle signs. There is no reason to restrict yourself to these only however. One of the pleasure of cycling on islands is island hopping so if you are on Orkney for any length of time you should visit the smaller islands such as Rousay (a short hop from Tingwall), or Sanday (great beaches). Hoy (high island) has some stunning cliff scenery including of course the Old Man of Hoy, an impressive rock stack on the west coast. There are only about 30 miles of roads on Hoy, the most attractive being in the north. Hoy might be an attractive day trip from Stromness, possibly combining a short cycle ride with a walk to look at the cliff scenery.