Private Orkney tours, guided by a born-and-raised islander.
Orkney isn’t a place you visit quickly. It’s a place you learn to read through stone, sea, weather, and silence.
Historic Orkney offers private Orkney tours shaped by a lifetime spent living and working across these islands. These are not scripted experiences or rushed itineraries. They are unhurried, private tours of Orkney, guided with depth, clarity, and respect for the land itself, whatever the weather decides to do.
About us
Historic Orkney exists as a deliberate alternative to high-volume Orkney tours. I guide one private tour per day, by choice, so each experience has the space to adapt, slow down, and go deeper than a timetable allows. Every tour is shaped around conditions, curiosity, and judgement in the moment, not scripts or checklists. but genuinely local guiding.
Guests consistently rate Historic Orkney among the best private Orkney tours available, with over one hundred five-star reviews built quietly through results rather than promotion.
From Neolithic stone circles and Norse history to wartime sites and living island culture, each tour reflects long familiarity with Orkney and a commitment to doing this work properly.
Historic Orkney Standards
Quality, safety, and trust are non-negotiable. Historic Orkney is a fully insured, legally compliant provider of private guided tours in Orkney, operating to recognised professional and safeguarding standards.
I do not outsource responsibility. Every tour is designed, delivered, and overseen directly, with care for clients, collaborators, and the places explored. No shortcuts. No diluted accountability.
Historic Orkney is independently verifiable through major travel platforms including Tripadvisor and ToursByLocals, alongside local listings and professional associations. Reviews, credentials, and track record are open and transparent.
What These Tours Are
Historic Orkney offers private, full-day and half-day Orkney tours designed to give a coherent understanding of the islands without rushing or compromise. Most guests choose a single showcase day that weaves together Orkney’s most significant sites with landscape, context, and time to think.
These tours typically include Neolithic Orkney, Norse history, later island life, and the connections between them, shaped around weather, light, and your interests on the day. This is not a checklist or coach-style experience. It is a considered journey, guided at a realistic pace.
If you’re looking for a fast highlights run, this may not be the right fit. If you want private Orkney tours that prioritise understanding over coverage, you’re in the right place.
Your local guide
Calum
I was born in Orkney, as was my father, with family roots here stretching back generations.
I’ve lived and worked across the entire archipelago, in all seasons, and that long familiarity brings calm, judgement, and perspective to every tour. Trained to professional guiding standards and trusted by guests worldwide, I see my role as a custodian rather than a performer. If you’re looking for a highly rated Orkney tour guide, private Orkney tours, Scotland island tours, or a more thoughtful way to experience tours of Scotland, the next step is a conversation.
Booking & Consultations
The best Orkney experiences don’t start with a booking form.
They start with a conversation.
Most tours begin with a short consultation, either by video or by email, depending on what suits you best. This gives us space to talk things through properly before anything is confirmed.
It allows us to:
- Check what’s realistic for your time in Orkney
- Avoid rushed or over-promised itineraries
- Shape the experience around your interests, pace, and priorities
- Provide clear, honest pricing with no surprises
If you’re not sure which tour fits, or you’d like something adjusted, start by exploring the tours and then get in touch. We’ll take it from there.
Recent Reviews
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Contact
I use WhatsApp for phone and text based inquiries.
