Orkney Islands, Scotland

The prisoners who were made to build the causeways also unwittingly created their own modern-day tourist attraction, the Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm. The prisoners were Catholic and they managed to convince their camp commander to build a chapel as long as they built it outside their normal working hours. Two Nissen huts were joined together to form the chapel and one of the prisoners, an artist named Domenico Chiocchetti, painted an image of the Madonna and Child above the altar. Prisoners used scrap metal and beef tins to create candelabras and other decorative furnishings and the result was something incredible. Today, people travel from all over the world to visit the chapel and it became a symbol of peace and hope in the time of war. It takes around twenty minutes to travel from Kirkwall to the chapel.

The interior and Chiocchetti’s famous painting

If you love wildlife, there is a lot of interesting flora and fauna to see around Orkney. It is something of a flower-lover’s paradise – thanks to the winning combination of pollution-free air and diverse natural habitats there are around 500 native plants on the islands. Over the years, orcas, walruses and sea eagles have been spotted around Orkney but many people come to see the lovable puffin. Puffins are called ‘tammie norries‘ in Orkney and they spend most of their lives at sea, returning to their breeding colonies around April or May. One of the best places to see puffins is Castle o’ Burrian, a bulky sea stack off the Westray coast. Puffins flock here in the summer months and the surrounding cliffs provide the perfect vantage points to see them in action.

Puffins nestle into the cliffs near the Castle o’ Burrian

There is much to be explored in Orkney, whether it’s the Neolithic wonders, the wildlife, the dramatic scenery or the medieval monuments, and it is a great way to spend a few days. Our guide to Neolithic Orkney goes deeper into the prehistoric sites.

Orkney is one of the stops on our 20-day Scottish Islands and Shetland small group tour. The group arrives by ferry from Scrabster and spends three days on the islands: the Stromness Museum, Skara Brae and the Broch of Gurness on the first; the Earl’s Bu at Orphir, the Barnhouse Neolithic Village and, time permitting, Rennibister Earth House, then the Churchill Barriers and the Italian Chapel on the second; and the Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces in Kirkwall on the third, before the overnight ferry to Shetland. The Ring of Brodgar, Maeshowe and St Magnus Cathedral are not tour stops but are close by for anyone with extra time. Groups are up to 16 travellers and solo travellers are welcome. Our page on touring Orkney sets out the Orkney days in full, our guide to island hopping around Scotland follows the whole route, and our Prehistoric Britain tour also visits Orkney’s Neolithic World Heritage sites.

Articles about the Scottish Isles published by Odyssey Traveller.

The following list of articles published by odyssey Traveller for mature travellers to maximise their knowledge and enjoyment of Scotland when visiting:

• The Best of the Scottish Islands
• Shetland Islands Discovered
• Questions about the Outer Hebrides
• How the Atlantic Ocean shaped early life in Europe
• Skara Brae

For all the articles Odyssey Traveller has published for mature travellers, click through on this link.

External articles to assist you on your visit to the Scotland Isles

• A Long Love Affair With the Scottish Isles, in Pictures
• The hidden history of Scotland’s Small Isles
• 10 things you (probably) didn’t know about Scottish history

The rest of our Scotland-related articles can be found here.

Updated July 2021.