THE TOURS
Full Day Tours, Half-Day Tours [all year] & Evening Tours [May – August only]:
Personalised Orkney Tours have several recommended routes. We know all the best places to stop for photographs, the best places to stop for tea and the best places to see the wildlife. We specialise in taking you to the ‘out of the way’ places that make Scotland so special – and that the tour buses can’t reach
! We know the places that should be on the Trip Advisor top-ten, but for some reason are not! If you have already seen Skara Brae, Maeshowe or St Magnus Cathedral then let us show you Orkney’s better-kept secrets. HALF-DAY TOUR OPTIONS:
Starting from Kirkwall, Stromness or your accommodation, we’ll take you to some stunning locations and return you within four hours, or longer if you prefer. You’ll have the choice of various routes; we can tailor your tour to your personal tastes (archaeology, wildlife, pre-history, World War military sites to name but a few). Perfect if arriving by Plane, Ferry or Bus. Take a taxi or bus to Kirkwall or Stromness to meet us or we can pick you up for a small extra charge. Please note: the minimum time required to see the Heart of Neolithic Orkney is 4 hours, 5 if you wish to include Maeshowe, 6.5 if you wish to include the Italian Chapel & 8 if you want to include St Magnus Cathedral, the Bishop's & Earl's Palaces in Kirkwall. Sites further afield such as the Broch of Gurness or the Tomb of the Eagles require additional travelling time. During July and August the Archaeological Dig of the enormous site at the Ness of Brodgar [in between the Stones of Stenness / Barnhouse Neolithic Settlement & the Ring of Brodgar] is uncovered, with approximately 100 archaeologists working on it each day, but can take up to an hour to explore. The site is open Mon – Fri 09.00 – 16.30; Sat / Sun 11.00 & 15.00 [public tours, weather permitting]. PANDEMIC CLOSURES
Please note that, during pandemic restrictions, certain sites are either closed or have limited opening hours. Personalised Orkney Tours can advise you of the latest details. Please note that, due to social distancing requirements, we are only able to tour with a single household at a time. All guests are expected to supply their own and wear face coverings [changed at a maximum of 4 hours] and hand sanitiser. Please note that I do have special masks bearing the Personalised Orkney Tours logo [adult size with adjustable ear loops, washable up to 50 times] for sale at £50 each which come in a sealed pouch for keeping them clean, which can be pre-purchased for your tour, or purchased on the day and delivereed to the starting point of your tour if necessary. Further to the First Minister’s announcement on 20th April, NHS Orkney is requesting that visitors to take Lateral Flow Tests 3 days prior to travelling, and repeated on the morning of the day of travel, to ensure that no virus is introduced to Orkney. (A set of 7 can be ordered free in advance from the NHS for those travelling to the Scottish islands, for those with no symptoms.) VEHICLES
I can either work for you as a Step-On Guide: if you wish to drive in your own vehicle I can sit in as a passenger, or we can use Orkney Taxis or minibuses who supply an experienced driver so that your guide can focus on you, the client. Please note Taxi rates are set by Orkney Islands Council and are non-negotiable. Alternatively, I can act as a Driver Guide, licensed by Orkney Islands Council as a Private Hire Driver with a Toyota Prius T4 Spirit Hybrid, which takes up to 4 passengers. Depending upon pandemic restrictions, if we cannot travel in the same vehicle in close proximity, we can use Follow Me procedures: I drive my Toyota and lead you in your car between sites. As they are always short journeys, I can explain what you will see en route before setting out. We are based west of Finstown – with the Heart of Neolithic Orkney on our doorstep. Enjoy a tour with us, and you’ll return home with some very precious memories indeed! To find us, copy & paste this link into your browser:
https://goo.gl/maps/P9W7bQpqe481z2eC9
For ideas of different types of tours to cater for all interests, Email me on [email protected]
PRICES
See the following table scales for tour prices in 2023
[Subdivide by the number in your party for individual costs.]
STEP-ON Tourist Guide – if you have your own vehicle & you drive [or Town Walking Tours]
In English:
4 hours £ 185
5 hours £ 225
6 hours £ 265
7 hours £ 305
8 hours £ 345
In French:
4 hours £ 225
5 hours £ 265
6 hours £ 305
7 hours £ 345
8 hours £ 385
DRIVER Guiding – I drive you in my Licensed Vehicle
In English:
4 hours £ 410
5 hours £ 450
6 hours £ 490
7 hours £ 530
8 hours £ 570
In French:
4 hours £ 450
5 hours £ 490
6 hours £ 530
7 hours £ 570
8 hours £ 610
FOLLOW-ME Guiding - if you have your own vehicle & you drive, following me in my vehicle:
In English:
4 hours £ 370
5 hours £ 410
6 hours £ 440
7 hours £ 480
8 hours £ 530
In French:
4 hours £ 410
5 hours £ 440
6 hours £ 480
7 hours £ 530
8 hours £ 570
Please note that my fee includes entry to all Historic Environment Scotland sites for the 1st 2 adult guests. Refreshments and other site entry fees are extra. In Orkney the current touring rate for taxis (i.e. the price for a licensed taxi & driver, but without a guide) is set by the Orkney Islands Council, and the minimum charge is £45 per hour for up to 4 people, and £67 per hour for 5 - 8 people. This equates to £360 or £536 per 8-hour day simply for transport between sites in a licensed vehicle. A waiting fee of £27 per hour is chargeable. When you hire a driver-guide you are receiving both transportation and qualified and insured guiding services. Personalised Orkney Tours offer full-day or half-day tours. Evening tours are available during our long light summers. Tours start from Kirkwall or Stromness or from clients’ accommodation. Ferry costs (where applicable) will be charged at the going rate. Refunds due to weather conditions are at our discretion. Prices do not include refreshments, ferry fares [where applicable] or entry to Historic Sites/Distilleries etc., unless specific arrangements have been made in advance. Online payments are made via Electronic Bank Transfer [BACS] / PayPal /Credit Card – we have a card-reader. Discuss your tour with us and we’ll email you the necessary details. We reserve the right to alter the itinerary of any of the tours if deemed necessary to take account of prevailing weather conditions and limitations of availability due to cruise ship visitors. AIRPORT / FERRY TRANSFERS
Due to the distances involved, I charge £45 per vehicle run for transfers within the Orkney Mainland, including the airport. [This is in line with the rates stipulated by Orkney Islands Council of £45 per hour.] This can be invoiced as part of a tour, or separately as a Private Hire, payable in advance. For transfers from Pentland Ferries [MV Alfred] port west of St Margaret’s Hope in South Ronaldsay to Kirkwall is £55 & to Stromness is £67. For transfers from the John o’ Groats’ ferry terminal at Burwick on the southernmost tip of South Ronaldsay to Kirkwall is £65 & to Stromness is £75. In order to prepare an Itinerary suitable for your needs, please supply the following information at your earliest convenience:
FULL NAMES [of all clients – for Track & Trace]:
AGE BRACKETS [for site entry fee levels] Infant under 5; Child aged 5—15; Adult over 16; Over 60/Unemployed Concession:
Levels of Fitness e.g. Very Fit [climb mountains/run marathons]/ Fit [walk several miles a day]/Sedentary lifestyle/Limited mobility as some sites may be unsuitable:
Any special areas of interest [Neolithic/Pictish/Viking/World War 1 or 2/Orcadian culture/Orcadian Food & Drink/Orcadian Crafts / Flora and Fauna / Agriculture / Family History]:
Dates / Days / Times requested for Tour:
Mode of Transport [Own Vehicle/Private Hire Vehicle]:
FOR INVOICING PURPOSES:
Full Postal Address [including Postcode]:
Telephone & Mobile Nos.:
Email Address:
Address [including Postcode] of where you are staying in Orkney or the start/end point of your tour:
INVOICES
Invoices will include transport costs as required. A 10% Deposit is needed in order to pre-book transportation, preparation of Itineraries, etc. Payment options will be on the Invoice. A Receipt will be issued electronically after full payment has been received. PAYMENT:
In Pounds Sterling only. On booking in excess of 1 calendar month before a tour, an administration fee is payable of 10% of the total by electronic bank transfer. On booking 1 calendar month or less before a tour: payment in full is expected. CANCELLATIONS
Once an Itinerary has been prepared and site bookings made, there is a cancellation fee of 10% of the total, which is equivalent to the administration fee. The remaining 90% will be refunded within 1 calendar month. Thank you for booking with Personalised Orkney Tours!
