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I felt that there wasn't enough pubs, coffee shops, shops open on a Sunday. I felt Stromness was quiet and there was a severe lack of shops. The Blues Festival was on when we were there and if this was not on Stromness would have been very quiet indeed. A lot of empty shops on Kirkwall and Stromness high streets which is really sad to see.

There is so much to see and do in Orkney it warrants several visits to explore the sights and other islands. Local food is excellent. Try the seafood restaurants. Local people we met were helpful. A great place for a holiday and share with friends.

These islands have a fascinating history and culture with internationally notable archaeological sites such as Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, and Maeshowe. For Maeshowe its is important to book ahead as access is limited. You can do this at the very helpful Visit Scotland Travel Centre in Kirkwall by the bus station. It is now thought that Neolithic Orkney may have been the wellspring of the culture that built Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland. The museums in Kirkwall and Stromness are well worth a visit. The former is free and the latter very cheap. The bus service on the main island, unsurprisingly called Mainland, is excellent. Day tickets are available and good value on the buses. I spent a day looking at the Churchill Barriers around Scapa Flow and the quaint and interesting second town of the islands, Stromness, using the buses. There is a frequent bus service, no. 4, between Kirkwall Airport and the Travel Centre in the heart of the town. There is plenty of natural interest as well as archaeology. I saw a hen harrier, skua, a pair of eider ducks, and common and grey seals. Food and drink is good. I recommend St Ola's, a friendly locals' pub on the harbour side, with good ale from both the excellent island breweries and food. Helgi's next door is worth trying but tends to get very full. Next time I will visit some of the other islands of the archipelago. Beware that visiting cruise liners can double the population of the islands and according to the locals everywhere is then utterly packed out. I visited in the last week of April and first one of May, just before they started to arrive. Worth checking on cruise ship visits to Kirkwall before booking your trip.

Easy to find your way around with plenty of clear signposts and good roads. Picturesque towns, fantastic scenery and historic sites. Friendly people, good quality food, not overly priced in my experience. Spectacular sunsets. Be prepared for variable weather.

We had the most fabulous trip, fitted in most of the sites we wanted to see, despite some..umm...changeable weather. The Orcadians were very friendly and helpful, and also knowledgeable about their historic sites, which was what we had gone for. The only drawbacks were some hailstones at the Stones of Stenness, and the fact that both Kirkwall and Stromness seemed to close down completely at 4pm. Not a problem for us as we'd done everything by then, but we did find ourselves taking a trip to Stromness, arriving at 4.10 to all the shops shut and a whistle-stop tour around the museum (which closes at 5). The roads were a dream to drive, straight and hardly any traffic, but also hardly any garages, so fill up with fuel when you find one!

Landscapes, ancient sites. Skara Brae astounding as were other Brochs and Stone Circles etc. St Magnus Cathedral also worth a visit as is the Italian Chapel. Excellent restaurants, even at the end of October. (e.g. Helgis, The Storehouse, The Kirkwall Hotel) Excellent range of 'independent' shops. Free Toilets just about everywhere and clean and open!!! Decent roads, we had our car. Would like to (may well) return in a different season particularly to see the birdlife and visit other islands.