Welcome to Orkney Orkney is a group of islands situated a few miles off the north-east tip of mainland Scotland and one of the 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, which forms a traditional county and Lieutenancy area. Its green fields and hills, stone pinnacles rising out of the sea, rugged cliffs and sandy beaches are a sight to for all travellers. Geography Orkney consists of about 200 small islands 16 km north of Caithness in northern Scotland with administrative capital is Kirkwall on The Mainland. Population is about 7,000. The Pentland Firth separates Orkney from the mainland of Scotland. The largest island in Orkney is known as The Mainland. The islands north of The Mainland are known collectively as The North Isles, those to the south as The South Isles. Nearly all of the islands possess lochs (lakes) and the rivers are merely streams draining the high land. The average temperature for the year is 8°C (46°F), for winter 4°C (39°F) and for summer 12°C (54°F). The winter months are January, February and March, the last being the coldest. Spring never begins before April, and it is the middle of June before the heat grows genial. September is frequently the finest month, and at the end of October or the beginning of November occurs the peedie (or little) summer or milder weather. Transport British Airways and British Airways Express fly to Kirkwall from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness, Wick, Sumburgh (Shetland). Connections can be made with flights to and from London Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester and Belfast. A privately-run ferry operates daily during the summer from John O'Groats to Burwick on the southern tip of Orkney. There's also the Orkney Bus from Inverness to Kirkwall. The Puffin Express minibus service operates from Inverness to John O'Groats with stops at the Carn Liath broch, Brora, Camster Cairns, Wick, and Duncansby Stacks. The Citylink coach services from Inverness to Scrabster for all-year-round and the Northlink ferry service to Stromness. There are also bus connections from Wick railway station to Scrabster. Main Attractions, Festivals and Events Skaill House - Situated close to the prehistoric village of Skara Brae, this 17th-century house has been refurbished and is now open to the public. Click Mill - A horizontal water mill used for grinding grain in the 19th century. The name comes from the wooden bit which releases the grain between the stones: it clicks each time it goes around and lets some grain through the hopper The Tomb of the Eagle - Situated on the island of South Ronaldsay., it is a family-run museum, introducing ideas about life in Orkney during the Stone Age and Bronze Age. Marwick Head - A 200-foot drop straight down into the foaming sea from the top. It features The Kitchener Memorial which was erected in memory of the 600 men who lost their lives when HMS Hampshire struck a German mine and sank. The Stromness Museum - founded in 1837 with the creation of the Orkney Natural History Society, it is an independent museum and is run for the community by a group of trustees. Kirbister and Corrigal Farm Museum - displays of old farm houses and equipment. Orkney Folk Festival - Celebration of the musical and cultural life of Orkney since 1982, the festival manages to continually delight packed audiences all over Orkney in schools, community centres, theatres, concert halls and pub sessions. Visitors come from all around the world, homing in on Stromness, where the Festival is based. Orphir - Scotland's only circular medieval church can be found here. Now in ruins, it dates from the 12th century. Nearby are the remains of a Viking drinking hall called the Earl's Bu'. Covenanters' Memorial - was erected following the loss of two hundred souls in 1679 that were found guilty of religious dissent by Charles II. The Old Man of Hoy - A sandstone sea stack 137 metres high standing on a basalt base. It is the landmark most associated with Orkney, and is popular with climbers. The St. Magnus Festival - Orkney's prestigious midsummer celebration of the arts features celebrities, premieres, community performances and isles excursions, while offering a packed programme of music, theatre, literature and the visual arts. Mine Howe - a structure that is unique in terms of its design and scale, surrounded by a massive earthen ditch, which may have been considered sacred since the Neolithic period. Skara Brae - 30km west of Kirkwall is a large very well preserved stone-built village, over 5000 years old. Highland Park, Kirkwall - The world's most northerly Scotch whisky distillery. 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