Rated 4.9275 reviews
6 hOrkney: West Mainland Group Day Tour
★ 4.9 · 275 reviews
- Six hours, Skara Brae guided tour, 85 minutes
- Limited to 14 guests
- Cheapest here
- Free cancellation
$157$26.17 / hour
Check availability→ The west of the main island
Orkney West Mainland tour: stones, village and cliffs
An Orkney West Mainland tour packs the islands’ best-known Neolithic sites into one day: the Standing Stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar, the village of Skara Brae, the cliffs of Yesnaby and the palace ruins at Birsay. This guide walks the route stop by stop, shows which other tours cover the same ground, and what each price covers. Day tours start at $157 per person.
Quick answer
The short answer. Book the West Mainland group day at $157 if you are already in Kirkwall: six hours, up to 14 guests, a guided 85 minutes at Skara Brae and 40 at the Ring of Brodgar, plus Yesnaby, Birsay and a farm museum. It has 275 reviews at 4.9, the most on this site. Coming over on the ferry from Scrabster for the day? The $157 ferry day meets the boat in Stromness, and its price includes the Skara Brae entry fee. For a private Orkney West Mainland tour at your own pace, see the two private days further down.
Orkney West Mainland tour at a glance
- Where
- Orkney MainlandScotland
- Price
- From $157per person, group day
- Length
- 6 hoursfrom Kirkwall Travel Centre
- Group size
- Up to 14 guestsper the listing
- Meeting point
- Stand 5Kirkwall Travel Centre
- Skara Brae
- 85 minutesguided tour
- Ring of Brodgar
- 40 minutesguided tour
- Stenness
- 15 minutesphoto and sightseeing stop
- Rating
- 4.9 from 275the most reviews on this site
- Cruise passengers
- Port drop-offat the end, if required
- Language
- Englishlive guide
- Cancellation
- Free cancellationreserve now, pay later
The route
The West Mainland day, stop by stop
The order of the group day at $157. Stop lengths are the ones the listing gives; where it gives none, we give none.
- Kirkwall Travel Centre, Stand 5
The day starts in the centre of Kirkwall, with up to 14 guests and a live guide in English.
- Scapa Flow, from the road
A scenic drive over Scapa Flow, the main British naval base in both World Wars, with the guide telling its story.
- Standing Stones of Stenness, 15 minutes
A photo stop at a circle the listing calls one of the oldest stone circles in the UK.
- Ring of Brodgar, 40 minutes
A guided tour of the henge, which the listing dates to 4,500 years ago.
- Yesnaby, a photo stop
The wild cliffs of Yesnaby, some of the most striking coastal scenery in Orkney.
- Skara Brae, 85 minutes
A guided tour of the 5,000-year-old village, called the best-preserved Neolithic village in Northern Europe. Then time on your own: the 400-year-old Skaill House or the visitor centre.
- Birsay and the Earl’s Palace
Time on your own in Palace Village, with the 16th-century Earl’s Palace beside it.
- Kirbuster Farm Museum, then back
Island farm life in bygone years. The tour ends at the Travel Centre, or at the cruise port if you need it.
The five places
What you are actually looking at
Two stone circles, a village, a cliff coast and a palace.
Stenness and Brodgar are the two stone circles, and most listings here visit them on the same day. The group day calls Stenness one of the oldest stone circles in the UK and dates Brodgar to 4,500 years ago; another listing places Brodgar in Orkney’s UNESCO World Heritage site. On an Orkney West Mainland tour with the group, you get a guide at Brodgar and a quick photo stop at Stenness.
Skara Brae is the stone village that lay hidden beneath sand dunes until its discovery in 1850. It gets the longest stop of the group day, 85 minutes with a guide; other day tours give it an hour or 1.5 hours.
Yesnaby is the cliff coast, a photo stop on the group day. Birsay means two different things in the listings: the group day stops at the village and its 16th-century palace, while three other tours head for the Brough of Birsay, a tidal island you reach only when the tide allows.
On the ground
Stones, houses and cliffs
Four frames from the places an Orkney West Mainland tour stops at.
Standing stones
Three thin grey slabs rise from mown grass, the nearest the tallest, with a few walkers and low farmland on the horizon.
Inside a Neolithic house
Shelves of flat stone slabs stand against a curved drystone wall, with slab-edged boxes on the sandy floor.
The cliff coast
Thin layers of brown rock step down into a dark blue sea, with white foam at the foot of the cliff.
Palace ruins
Tall walls of flat brown stone stand open to a blue sky, with square niches along the inner wall.
Who else goes west
Other tours that cover the same ground
Same stones, different start points, group sizes and lengths.
The group day is not the only Orkney West Mainland tour on this site. Nine more listings name some of the same stops, and each changes one thing: where you start, how many come with you, or how many days you stay.
The $157 ferry day meets the Scrabster to Stromness ferry and returns in time for the boat back. It covers Yesnaby, Skara Brae with Skaill House, Brodgar and Stenness in 5.5 hours, with up to 14 passengers. It is not set up for cruise passengers: the cruise port is 15 miles from its start.
The $225 beaches and cliffs day starts in Kirkwall with up to seven people and leans to the coast: Scapa beach, Waukmill Bay, Stromness, Yesnaby, the Bay of Skaill and the Brough of Birsay, with the two stone circles as optional stops.
Private and multi-day
Private days and longer trips
From five private hours to two nights on the islands. One private day names no stops at all.
- Private full day, $212 per person, 8 hours
Skara Brae for 1.5 hours, Stenness, Brodgar, Unstan Cairn, Yesnaby, the Brough of Birsay at low tide and the Broch of Gurness. Pickup from five points.
- Private five hours, $1,316 per group of up to 3
Skara Brae, Brodgar and Stenness with a guide, plus Unstan and Yesnaby, at your own pace. Pickup in Kirkwall.
- Private cruise day, $249 per person
Six hours with pick-up and drop-off included. Neolithic, Viking and wartime history, but no named stops.
- From Inverness, 3 days, $654, our top pick
Day two brings Skara Brae, Brodgar, Stenness and the Maeshowe cairn, with two nights in Kirkwall guesthouses and B&Bs.
- From Inverness, 3 days, $779
Day two covers Stenness, Brodgar, Skara Brae, Yesnaby and the Brough of Birsay if the tide allows.
Every tour, current fare
Orkney West Mainland tour prices, side by side
The six day tours, both trips from Inverness and one from Edinburgh. The price covers only what the covers column says.
| Tour | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Where it starts | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Mainland group day | $157 | per person | 6 hours | Live guide; guided tours at Skara Brae and Brodgar; cruise port drop-off if required | Stand 5, Kirkwall Travel Centre | 4.9 · 275 |
| Ferry day from Stromness | $157 | per person | 5.5 hours | Skara Brae and Skaill House entry fee included; ferry fares not included | Stromness Ferry Terminal car park | 4.8 · 223 |
| Private full day | $212 | per person | 8 hours | Private group; pickup from five points | Kirkwall, Hatston or Stromness | 4.4 · 5 |
| Beaches and cliffs | $225 | per person | 6 hours | Up to 7 participants; stone circles optional | Hatston, Kirkwall | 4.8 · 21 |
| Private cruise day | $249 | per person | 6 hours | Pick-up and drop-off included; stops not listed | Pickup; place not stated | 5.0 · 15 |
| Private five hours | $1,316 | per group, up to 3 | 5 hours | Private vehicle and guide; Italian Chapel at extra fee | Pickup in Kirkwall | 5.0 · 50 |
| From Inverness, our top pick | $654 | per person | 3 days | Two nights in en suite guesthouses and B&Bs; ferry crossing on the route | Ardross Street, Inverness | 4.8 · 87 |
| From Inverness, Far North | $779 | per person | 2.5 days | Two nights on Orkney; ferry crossing on the route | Victorian Market, Inverness | 4.9 · 25 |
| From Edinburgh, 5 days | $1,257 | per person | 5 days | Two nights in Kirkwall; Maeshowe on the route | Parliament Square, Royal Mile | 4.8 · 22 |
Tickets and extras
What the price leaves out
Entry fees, food and seat width.
On an Orkney West Mainland tour with the group, the listing gives a guided 85 minutes at Skara Brae but does not say the entry fee is in the price, so ask before you book. Only the ferry day says it plainly: Skara Brae and Skaill House, entry fee included.
No listing on this page says lunch is in the price. Pam from the United Kingdom, on the ferry day: «Take a packed lunch as it gets very busy to find food.» The Italian Chapel is an optional extra fee on the ferry day and the private five hours.
Group day seats are 48 to 51 cm wide; the listing offers a second seat if you want more room.
In their words
What people say after the group day
Verified reviews of the West Mainland day, word for word.
- Tomas, Sweden
«We did the Orkney West Mainland Tour … and it was fantastic.»
- z, United States
«Great selection of sites. Good pacing for that group. Answered a bunch of questions and provided many insights during the drive.»
- Julie, United Kingdom
«It was an excellent trip. … It was such a good introduction to Orkneys»
- Jayne, United Kingdom
«Such a stunning place, we visted for a day as part of a cruise, we are already on planning a return holiday.»
Before you book
Four things to check before you pay
Two minutes on the listing makes an Orkney West Mainland tour run smoothly on the day.
- Where you start
In Kirkwall, take the group day. Off the Scrabster ferry, take the ferry day; the ferry fare is not in its price.
- The Skara Brae entry fee
Included on the ferry day. The other day tours do not say, so check first.
- Seat width
Group day seats are 48 to 51 cm wide. Book a second seat if you need the room.
- Cruise timing
The group day can drop you at the cruise port at the end. The ferry day is not set up for cruise passengers.
Our verdict
Our verdict on the West Mainland
Book the group day at $157 for a classic Orkney West Mainland tour from Kirkwall: 275 reviewers rate it 4.9, and you get Skara Brae and Brodgar with a guide, plus Yesnaby and Birsay. Off the Scrabster ferry, take the ferry day at $157, entry fee included. For your own pace, the private five hours, rated 5.0 by 50. For two nights on the islands, our top pick from Inverness at $654.
Book direct
Four ways to see the West Mainland
The group day, the ferry day, the private five hours and our top pick from Inverness. The private tour is priced per group of up to 3; the others per person.
Lowest price here223 reviews
5.5 hOrkney Day Trip: Meets the Scrabster - Stromness Ferry
★ 4.8 · 223 reviews
- 5.5 hours, Meets the Scrabster–Stromness ferry
- Skara Brae entry fee included
- Likely to sell out
- Free cancellation
$157$28.55 / hour
Check availability→ 
Rated 5.050 reviews
5 hHistoric Orkney Private Odyssey by a Native Islander 5h
★ 5.0 · 50 reviews
- Five hours, Private group, up to 3 people
- Pickup in Kirkwall
- Skara Brae guided tour, 1 hour
- Free cancellation
$1,316per group, up to 3 people
Check availability→ 
Our top pick3 days
3 daysFrom Inverness: 3-Day Orkney Islands & Skara Brae Tour
★ 4.8 · 87 reviews
- Three days, Two nights in Kirkwall
- Maeshowe and Skara Brae visits
- En suite guesthouse and B&B rooms
- Free cancellation
$654
Check availability→ Common questions
Orkney West Mainland tour: questions, answered
Can you see the Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae in one day?
Yes. Four day tours here visit both, plus the Stones of Stenness: the group day from Kirkwall at $157, the ferry day from Stromness at $157, the private full day and the private five hours.
How long do you spend at Skara Brae?
85 minutes with a guide on the group day, then time for Skaill House or the visitor centre. The ferry day and the private full day give 1.5 hours; the private five hours, one hour.
Are Skara Brae tickets included in the tour?
Only the ferry day from Stromness says so: Skara Brae and Skaill House, entry fee included. The other listings do not say, so check before you book.
Which tours visit Maeshowe?
No day tour lists it. Maeshowe is on three multi-day tours: our top pick from Inverness at $654 and the two 5-day tours from Edinburgh. None says whether the ticket is in the price.
Can I take the West Mainland day from a cruise ship?
The group day starts at the Kirkwall Travel Centre and can drop you at the cruise port at the end if required. The private cruise day includes pick-up and drop-off. The ferry day is not set up for cruise passengers.
Can I cancel if my plans change?
Yes. Every tour on this page offers free cancellation. Some multi-day tours have a longer cancellation window than the day tours, so read the terms on the listing.
Go deeper
More guides to Orkney
Skara Brae
Skara Brae
The stone village by the bay, and which tours give you time inside.
Day toursDay tours
The one-day tours on the islands, compared by start, hours and stops.
From a cruise shipFrom a cruise ship
Tours that mention ships calling at Kirkwall, and what fits a port day.
Private toursPrivate tours
Private tours with island guides: hours, sites and price for your group.
