Orkney Islands: An Off Beat But Sublime Honeymoon Destination
09/12/2007 09:09 a.m.
The words Orkney Islands and Honeymoon are rarely spoken together, as at first glance they would seem to be mutually exclusive. After all, honeymoons are usually to exotic tourist destinations where the newly married couple can romp around in five star luxury. However, your travel agent can show you how the Orkneys offer an albeit off-beat, but spectacular site for honeymooners to discover.
The Orkneys form an archipelago of 70 or so islands of which 17 are currently inhabited off the northern tip of Scotland at about latitude 60 degrees north. To put it into perspective, 60 degrees north in Canada or Russia would place you right smack dab in the middle of some of the most inhospitable Arctic wastelands on Earth. Fortunately for the Orkneys, the Gulf Stream keeps the islands at a remarkably mild temperature year round. In some cases, the Orkneys can have much higher winter temperatures than London! Check the wintertime weather charts your travel agent can provide and you'll see!
This constant, mild climate has been an attraction for visitors for more than 5,000 years and the Orkneys are rich in the heritage and culture of these ancient peoples. There are very few places left in Britain where this historical aura is as pronounced and marked as in the archipelago, where it is very easy to imagine yourself as a Druid looking out over sweeping panoramas unchanged from their day.
Wildlife can be found in every corner of the Orkneys as the summer brings hundreds of thousands of migrating birds of almost every European species. Winter can be an Orkney birdwatcher's favorite time of the year as over 50,000 waders feed on the Orkney shoreline through the mild local winter. Whooper swans and greylag geese can be seen on Shapinsay's fields, while wigeon, shoveler, redshank, pintail, and water railwhilst can be observed on the marsh at Mill Dam.
In recent years increasing numbers of dolphins, porpoises and whales have been spotted in Orkney’s coastal waters as they become warmer through the effects of Climate Change. Some of these new visitors to the archipelago include minke whales, humpback whales, orcas, porpoises and common dolphins. If you love watching seals then Orkney is the place to be, with a population of over 25,000 Grey seals alone plus countless common seals, you are likely to spot many of them lazing around on rocky skerries or playing in the waves.
All this outdoor activity is certainly bound to whet your appetite and the Orkneys can be a natural gourmand's paradise. Some of the archipelago's finest restaurants can be found in the area's charming hotels such as the Queens Hotel, Orkney Hotel and Lynnfield Hotel in Kirkwall, and the Ferry Inn and Stromness Hotel in Stromness. Make sure to try the local specialties which include Orkney Fudge, Orkney Chocolates, Orkney Herring, Orkney Cheese, and even Orkney Wine!
The towns of the islands feature a wide range of alluring accommodations from quaint, stone guest houses and B&Bs to the larger and stately hotels of the larger centers that your travel agent can book you in to. The Foveran Hotel is Kirkwall's highest rated hotel, and unlike the more typical characteristic hotels of the islands it is decorated in the Scandinavian style. For a more Orkney experience, choose Kirkwall's Ayre Hotel and ask your travel agent to insist that you get a room in the 1792 stone core building, not the modern and bland addition.
No matter where you go in the Orkneys, you are guaranteed a completely unique honeymoon experience. You won't find swaying palm trees and infinity pools, but you will see some of nature's most spectacular scenery and wildlife in splendid isolation and privacy.
Tags: nature, dolphins, seals, scotland
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