cruise critic kirkwall

• British Isles/Western Europe

Orkney/Kirkwall - Taxi vs Tours

By yaletownboy , October 28, 2016 in British Isles/Western Europe

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yaletownboy

Does anyone know if there's a difference in seeing Orkney in taxis versus taking a 'Tour'?

For example, does Craigie's Taxi provide a guided tour or provide information like a guide does as you're going to the site?

Does a 'tour' involve a separate guide (vs driver) coming to the site with you and 'talking' about the historical significance of the site?

As taxi fares seem to be 'regulated' for tours, it is by the hour but my impression is that it's just a fee for 'taking you there'.

What, if any, is the major differences in people's experiences (for those who actually have gone on these 'tours' or have used companies such as Craigie's Taxi.

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LondonTowner

We used a tour last year in Orkney as my OH is interested in the WWII history. There was just the two of us in a minibus with the driver/guide.

The guide was excellent and I don't think we missed hardly anything of importance on the island.

I had contacted the Orkney tourist board and the lady working there sent a message out to all the companies that operate tours and had availability. I think the company we went with was called Wild about Orkney.

I can thoroughly recommend and you need to book well in advance as they get reserved quickly.

In 2012 we used Explore Orkney for a tour in Kirkwall: http://www.exploreorkney.com/index.php

It was a great tour very similar to the tour they now have for cruise ship passengers. DH and I have been to many places all over the world and, to me, the Orkneys were one of the most fascinating places we ever visited. This is a family owned company and they that great pride in their home place. If you decide you want a tour book early as tours fill up fast.

<<<Karen>>>

Skara Brae is a MUST see, because of it's uniqueness, whether going it alone or on a tour!! We did it via a ship's excursion from the Caribbean Princess a few months ago and IMO having a guide is definitely valuable for the historical info they provide. We saw much more than just Skara Brae as we traveled around the island on our excursion and we had an excellent tour guide.

um..so getting back to the original questions..

the difference between taxi and an actual tour ?

From a recent response, I received from a tour operator is that taxi operators offering the hourly rate are not true guides but basically drive you to your destination. They may comment on the site but really don't give you more than what anyone can get off the internet.

If you want a 'tour' in the sense of the true fashion of tours, you will require an official Orkney Green Badge guide that will come with you to the sites.

Just wanted to make sure that I've got my facts straight and those who had already taken tours can verify. I also see that these tours are per person and hitting over $100GB per person

Yaletownboy

I think the private tour we did last year was £120.00 for the two of us. I can't imagine taxis are particularly cheap on Orkney and the taxi will be just that, a taxi service.

For further information why don't you do what I did and contact the Orkney Tourist Board. I found them very helpful.

Yaletownboy   I think the private tour we did last year was £120.00 for the two of us. I can't imagine taxis are particularly cheap on Orkney and the taxi will be just that, a taxi service.   For further information why don't you do what I did and contact the Orkney Tourist Board. I found them very helpful.

Do you remember which company did your tour? I am getting quotes far north of that price and would be very happy with what you paid.

I think the company was called wild about Orkney, but as already mentioned I contacted the Orkney Tourist Board and she sent a message to all the local tour operators and the ones with availability contacted me.

Perlgirlnj   I think the company was called wild about Orkney, but as already mentioned I contacted the Orkney Tourist Board and she sent a message to all the local tour operators and the ones with availability contacted me.

Thanks for the quick reply.

A little off topic, but if you want a budget alternative, the local bus service offers an alternative if you just want transportation and not a lot of chit chat. We took a bus that left Kirkwall and drove to Skara Brae via Stromness, stopped to allow self guided tours and then went on and stopped at the The Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Steness.

The price was 8.30 pounds per person (cash no credit cards). Admission to Skara Brae was extra. Our driver did not provide any commentary but the reviews I read suggested some are more talkative.

I think there were some other options bus options if you are there in high season (we were a bit earlier) and if your port stop was long enough to allow you to take advantage. This tour left us time to wander the town a bit and enjoy a pint.

If you have a special interest in archeology and history, you should know about Orkney Archeology Tours . Both guides are working archeologists, and our day with Caz Mamwell, who started the company, was absolutely the highlight of our round-Britain cruise.

• 7 months later...

You got it right. It is just a taxi ride. Carl (driver from Orkney taxi) never spoke however we heard other drivers were more talkative. We called him the Driver Stone. But there was free guided tour at Brodgar and a tour was included in admission at Skara Brae and we brought the ships newsletter that explained things. 6 people, 3 hour taxi was 20 pounds each! Ship tour was about 6 times that!

quote=yaletownboy;51430410]Does anyone know if there's a difference in seeing Orkney in taxis versus taking a 'Tour'?

I'll add a word of caution about Kirkwall and other ports that are missed frequently because of weather. Most tours are pre-paid and non-refundable. We were not able to dock at Kirkwall on our May 1st cruise because of high winds. We had booked with Explore Orkney and they would not offer any refund. I am now working with my travel insurance to recoup my money. I'm not bashing the tour company for their refund policy (although they really could have offered a small goodwill gesture refund) but rather a "buyer beware" word of caution here.

BelhavensBest

Does anyone know if there's a difference in seeing Orkney in taxis versus taking a 'Tour'?   For example, does Craigie's Taxi provide a guided tour or provide information like a guide does as you're going to the site?   Does a 'tour' involve a separate guide (vs driver) coming to the site with you and 'talking' about the historical significance of the site?   As taxi fares seem to be 'regulated' for tours, it is by the hour but my impression is that it's just a fee for 'taking you there'.   What, if any, is the major differences in people's experiences (for those who actually have gone on these 'tours' or have used companies such as Craigie's Taxi. Thanks

The regular tour providers in Orkney apparently get booked-up far in advance. I emailed the Visitors Center to ask if anyone was available for our day in port and received only three replies, the most timely of which was, in fact, Craigies Taxis. I opted to go with Craigies Taxis and we had 3 couples from our cruise in the van, along with our driver and de facto guide, Archie.

All of agreed that this was one of the best tours thus far on our cruise. Archie was very informative and took us to all of the major sites on the island: Skara Brae and Skaill House, the Italian Chapel, Yesnaby Cliffs, Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness, Bushmills, and ended the tour at St. Magnus and the Bishops and Earls palaces. All of this in a bit over 5 hours @ £60 per hour, which worked out to £55 per person including tip.

Obviously, not every taxi driver will be able to provide as much background information or provide as good a tour. With taxis it is going to be hit and miss, but I would certainly recommend using Archie at Craigies Taxis when visiting Kirkwall.

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• British Isles/Western Europe

Kirkwall, Scotland

By lidorose , March 16, 2007 in British Isles/Western Europe

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Can anyone tell me where the ship docks/tenders? Is there anything right at the dock or will we need to find transportation to see the town/sights? Recommendations for sightseeing?

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Post Captain

lidorose, I've not been to Kirkwall yet, but it (and the Orkney Islands in general) are high on my list of places to visit. In the meantime, to try to answer your question, my sources say: " Larger ships dock at Scapa Flow; smaller ships use Kirkwall Harbor."

However, my educated guess is that the words "dock at," above, should be "anchor in," as Scapa Flow is a large natural harbour, not a "dock." Whether you dock or anchor will depend on the size of your ship.

If you give the name of your ship, no doubt other posters here will be able to give you a more definitive answer.

A brief history lesson re. Scapa Flow: After the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the First World War, 74 ships of the German High Seas Fleet were interned at Scapa Flow. In June 1919, the Germans scuttled all their ships. The British subsequently raised and salvaged most of the ships, but evidently eight remain submerged in Scapa Flow.

Post Captain,

We are on Celebrity Century. Thanks.

My guess, then, is that you will be brought ashore by tender. The itinerary posted on the Celebrity website should say.

Yes, our itinerary says we tender (I didn't bother to check before I asked the question). However, when we are tendered in, is Kirkwall right there or will we need to find other transportation? Any sightseeing recommendations, anyone?

Yes, our itinerary says we tender (I didn't bother to check before I asked the question). However, when we are tendered in, is Kirkwall right there or will we need to find other transportation? Any sightseeing recommendations, anyone?   Thanks,

Lidrose, Again, this is just an educated guess, but based on everything I've read, I think it's safe to say that your tender will land you right in the town, so you shouldn't need transportation to see anything in town. (The town is right on the waterfront.) Kirkwall is fairly compact.

St. Magnus Cathedral is the main (perhaps only?) historic site in the town itself. Outside of Kirkwall (but within reasonably short driving distances), if you're interested in the neolithic period, Skara Brae, Maes Howe, and the Ring of Brodgar are all important sites. The Italian Chapel (built by hand by Italian POWs during WWII) might also be worth a visit.

Have you checked the following web pages? Lots of information:

http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/kirkwall/kirkwall/index.html

http://www.scotland-info.co.uk/kirkwall.htm

• 2 weeks later...

On one visit walked out to the Highland Park Distillery on the road to Scapa flow and enjoyed a tour and tasting. Another time, we took the local bus around the island and stopped off to explore Stromness.

The tender drops you off right in the little town. It is very quaint and easy to walk around. The Cathedral is nice to visit but the entire town is worthwhile. We also took an excursion to a small castle across the harbor and had a nice walk and tour of the castle including tea and refreshments. :):)

FinelyRetired

This little port seems to have a veritable "treasure trove" of sites to see....be they short walks, a castle or a multitude of Neolithic sites. I don't think you can "miss" no matter what you decide to do.

Check out the websites posted in Post Captain's post. I did.

MANY private tour guides listed there. The one that looks VERY exciting to me is through: Orkney Archaeology Tours (.co.uk): FULL day & Includes: Broch of Gurness, Churchill Barriers, Corrigall Farm Museum, Cuween Chambered Cairn, Earl's Bru, Italian Chapel, Maeshowe, Rennibister Earth-House, Round Kirk, St Magnus' Cathedral, Scapa Flow, Skail House, Skara Brae, Stones of Stennes, Ring of Brodgar, Unstan Cairn, a local knitwear factory(shopping:))and local pottery factory(shopping :) )! What a day.

The history of this Port and its surrounds is amazing. Spend some time reading about it. I think it will be a terrific stop.

It IS a tender port. Princess says they have NEVER missed it in August.....though MAY is dicier. Orkney Archaeology Tours says that ships SELDOM miss this Port in August as it is their best month for weather.

I hope you have a wonderful visit there! When do you visit? Martha

We will be in Kirkwall in May on Celebrity. Any particular recommendations as to tours anyone has most enjoyed?

Thanks Nancy

Sorry for the delayed reply. We are in Kirkwall May 21st. Can't wait for our cruise! Just got our docs yesterday!

Hi Martha,   Sorry for the delayed reply. We are in Kirkwall May 21st. Can't wait for our cruise! Just got our docs yesterday!   Thanks,

We must be on the same cruise as we are also in Kirkwall on May 21st. Celebrity Century cruise. Have you decided what to do in Kirkwall? I am so anxious to go on this cruise.

Nope, no decisions, but I'm thinking that since this is one of the few stops on our cruise where we don't have to find some sort of transportation from the ship, and it's small enough to walk around, we might just "play it by ear."

I have heard that we actually dock about one mile from Kirkwall, not in town. I am sure there will be some kind of transportation (walking if nothing else).

cruisintwinsmom

Could you use the local bus to get to some of the archeological sites? I was going to sign us with a tour company, but they required deposits (which I have never done before), and would not refund we could not tender in. Thanks for your help!

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