Every corner of Orkney holds a story. I'm still finding them after all this time.

I’m all energy and all weather. Rain, Snow, Sunshine, sometimes all before lunch. What you see is what you get, with a dash of humour and a whole lot of heart. This isn’t just what I do, it’s my life’s work and I bring it, whatever the forecast.

About us

At Historic Orkney, guiding is more than a profession it’s a passion fuelled by curiosity, pride and a deep love for storytelling. Every tour is an invitation to step into the living past where ancient stone circles, windswept coastlines, and centuries old legends come to life before your eyes.

We believe travel should do more than just show you places - it should move you. That’s why our tours are designed to be immersive, personal, and unforgettable. We don’t deliver pre-written scripts. We deliver moments of connection between people, landscapes, and stories that echo through time.

Our team is built from the ground up. Each with rich personal insights, professional expertise, together we’re on a mission to take island tourism to the next level. We never outsource. We invest in each other. Through constant learning and collaboration, we grow stronger together, ensuring that every client experiences something fresh, informed, and full of heart.

And while Orkney is our soul, our vision is wide reaching. By 2026, we’ll be offering multi-day adventures across all of Scotland - from the haunting beauty of the Highlands to the wild freedom of the NC500 and the Western Isles. No matter where your journey leads, we’ll be your guide to the stories beneath the surface.

Historic Orkney Standards

At Historic Orkney, details matter. Every private Orkney tour is built on quality, trust, and care.
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We’re members of the Scottish Independent Tour Operators Association (SITOA) and Orkney.com, ensuring verified credentials and a strict code of conduct. Our network of local guides, artisans, and businesses adds depth and authenticity to every journey.
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Fully insured, and compliant with Scottish and UK law, we cut no corners. Our fleet is professionally maintained and inspected every four months, so your travel is safe, seamless, and comfortable. While not a taxi service, we provide private transfers across Orkney and Scotland as part of our tours.
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Our standards are more than a checklist - they’re the foundation of everything we do. Because when you’re exploring a land as rich and historic as Orkney, nothing less than excellence will do.

Your local tour guides

Calum

Proprietor of Historic Orkney

Full time guide and local history buff, Usually
found in the back of beyond.

Reanne

Freelance Guide

Independant Partner

Viv

Freelance Guide

Independant Partner

Recent Reviews

Wonderful guide!

Callum was a terrific guide. He was super knowledgeable, and passionate about all things Orcadian. We learned many local and historical facts which were presented in an easy going, approachable manner. He was very friendly and we really enjoyed spending the day with him seeing Orkney through his eyes.

Joanne L1 June 2025

Calum, the mountain goat :-)

Don´t miss the opportunity to book this crazy guide! Not dusty like lots of others, but funny, full of historic knowledge about Orkney and constantly talking. But no worries: If necessary, you can switch him off! We didn´t use this opportunity. Would be a shame! So we had one oft he best days of our journey with lots of historic sites, beautiful landscapes and also some Puffins while liying on my stomach, my head hanging over a cliff. Calum, stay as you are! We´ll be back to find out more about the secrets on your bucket list!

backseller31 May 2025

Great experience with Calum!

What a great experience exploring magical Orkney Islands! We feel so lucky to have found Calum as our tour guide. He is very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Learning the history of Orkney from a born n raised Orkadian was priceless! We felt very comfortable with him and he answered any questions we had. If you want the best experience possible for a shore day, book with Calum! You will be so happy you did!

Lennysgirl30 May 2025

Visit to Hoy Island

We (two people) did a tour with Calum on Hoy today. We will never forget this great tour again. The tour lasted from 7:00 to 14:00. We have seen a lot of Hoy and received a lot of interesting and exciting information about the history, flora and fauna. The most interesting were the stories about the Viking era and the self-sinking of the Imperial High Seas Fleet. Calum took a lot of time to show us the beauty of Hoy. He has succeeded. Calum is a super friendly tour guide. We would and will book a tour at Historic Orkney Private Tours again on our next visit. Calum is a very experienced tour guide. We immediately felt comfortable and were captivated by his stories. You can tell he was born and raised here.
Conclusion: Great tour and so on.
It was a great day 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Guide4533087571221 May 2025

Awesome walking tour

It was an excellent walking tour.
Calum the guide is so passionate about the history and facts. He has certainly put a lot of time into research and therefore can tell some very interesting stories/tales and truths about Kirkwall with conviction and confidence.
There is walking but mainly around the streets near St Magnus Cathedral and not at a fast pass. It is just over an hour.
Highly recommend this tour!
Very fun and interesting tour.

Craig C.21 May 2025

Unforgettable Orkney experience

Fabulous way to spend a spring evening in Orkney. We had wanted to see some of the craggy cliffs and get into nature and this tour delivered. It was especially fun to see the "cave that's not a cave" with a guide who could tell stories about visiting it during his youth.

Lisa B.14 May 2025

Great overview of Orkney

My husband and I spent a wonderful day with Calum exploring Orkney. Our tour included learning some of the history of Orkney, experiencing nature, feasting at a scenic restaurant and even learning a “peedie” bit of the Orkney language. Calum was very willing to tailor our day so we could visit sites that were of interest to us. He is a very knowledgeable and personable guide-I recommend his tours highly!

Lisa B.12 May 2025

Private tour of Historic Orkney

We visited Kirkwall in May 2025 with a Cruise for one day. Very glad we found this excursion. In consultation it is made to our liking and it is very affordable. Our wonderful guide Viv took us where we wanted and how long we wanted to stay there we could also decide ourselves. Really had a great day on beautiful Orkney. 🐰

Safari3051343146812 May 2025

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