Orkney
Anyone stayed at Kingsdale CL on Orkey? Any feedback?
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Duplicate thread has been Deleted User.
Comments
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That'll be due to the 'improvements' to the site, Brian.
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Hi Wevvy, Kingsdale is one of three CL's on Orkney and is close to Finstown in the centre of Mainland Orkney, so handy for Kirkwall. The Evie CL is on the north shore of Mainland with fantastic views over Rousay and Islands to the North. Pool is the CL on one
of the conected South Isles close to the ferry port of St Margarets Hope. I have visited the Finstown and Evie sites and must declare an interest as I live at the Pool site which is run by my wife, but thought that you should have some response to your original
post by now. In Orkney your choice of site can depend on which way the wind is blowing! In general the Orkney sites are not busy at the height of the season because Orkney is not considered a Family Destination during the school holidays.Rgds.0 -
I'm hooked on Orkney! It was good to get a reply from a CL owner up there. The two main sites do get busy so a CL is a welcome alternative. You can always try a day visit from Caithness if up in the far north. Next time we hope to get to Westray.
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Brue I did a day visit many many years ago and it really didn't tickle the surface! Best thing was we made friends on the boat who let us set up camp at their place seriously in the middle of Nowhere - in the middle of dinner they said did we realise we
were the only human beings within a 15 mile radius - it was magical
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Orkney is definitely on our agenda so it's been useful to read the post from al59 and the tips and info from everyone else. I'm including previous threads and stories in my acknowledgement as they're all stored in the memory bank. Thanks, all.
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Been to Orkney twice, three times if you count the Scrabster == Orkney == Shetland == Orkney == Scrabster round trip as two visits !
Amazed at the difference between the O's and the S's . Two very different experiences and being in the mid eighties very different m/vans as well !! However, having read this & several other posts/articles I reckon it must be a cert for 2 years time as long as the van & I keep going.
I only stayed at Kirkwall & Clickimin so a few C.L.s could keep me learning I think.
Brian
P.S. Something to research this winter perhaps
B
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It certainly is, Brian. I'm rather put off Shetland by the long ferry crossing. 7.5hrs seems to be the shortest and I can't face being ill for that length of time!
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Sat out side at the pointed end both ways, TW. Had a warm coat, flask, a good book & my best binocs == I wasnt wasting the chance of seeing something nautical & natural by sitting inside & probably zizzing ! For a
Landlubber I do well on top of the water, not even the southern, flat bottomed seacow Scillonian III on a dodgy day managed to upset my digestive bits0 -
I'm the opposite, Brian. Roslare to Fishguard near did for me
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Tinny I am one of the worst Sailors - but I so wanted to see the Shetlands! Flat calm for both ways. If it had looked like bad weather I would have stayed on the mainland! I went via Orkney so it wasn't so long as the Aberdeen Marathon crossing for both me and the dogs! You don't get the true picture of the distance on the weather maps!
PS the Scillonian nearly did for me - I will fly to the Isles of Scilly next time!
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I want to go to Shetland as well, Pippah, but I can't face that trip. Crossing from Orkney is certainly the way to do it but even so it's a far longer voyage than I want to make. I can just about cope with the crossing from Gill's
Bay to St Margarets Hope I think.Maybe I should adopt Brian's suggestion.
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Is there a night-time ferry you could use, TW ?? Then a couple of pills and a sleep might make it feasible for you -- If you can I assure you -- you wont regret it !!
Pippah -- Careful with your language young lady
!! In both cases Orkney & Shetland residents take umbrage if you call Scotland the Mainland == In both cases it's the largest of the Islands 
B
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It's a possible solution, Brian, and one I've thought about. We'll see. Thanks for your input - and Pippah.
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Is there a night-time ferry you could use, TW ?? Then a couple of pills and a sleep might make it feasible for you -- If you can I assure you -- you wont regret it !!
Pippah -- Careful with your language young lady
!! In both cases Orkney & Shetland residents take umbrage
if you call Scotland the Mainland == In both cases it's the largest of the IslandsB
Write your comments here...Is there such a thing as night in Shetland? It's so far north that it must be light all night in the summer!
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The fery to Shetland leaves Orkney around midnight and a cabin is the best way to do the journey. On the way back it leaves Shetland late afternoon arriving in Orkney near midnight. There are other ferries to see the smaller islands in Orkney and Shetland. I would imagine if you're really not a good sailor a quick plane flight would be better. The quickest ferry to Orkney is from Gills Bay but some prefer the Scrabster one and there's a view of the Old Man of Hoy on that journey. Check out Pentland Ferries and Northlink for all the details. These are "working" boats" delivering everything and friends advise that livestock is more likely to be moved early autumn to the mainland, another thing to bear in mind.
The campsites on all the islands are very accommodating about arrival times but contact them first and make bookings just in case. We arrived back at midnight from Shetland but we already had a gate code and pitch number at the Pickaquoy site in Kirkwall.
edit There's no municipal site at Lerwick now so you need to use the community run sites dotted around Shetland, they are very good.
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Many apologies - I meant to type mainland Scotland of course!
Tinny there are night time sailings to Shetland - thats what I did and I was a bit naughty as there were no cabins - so I er used my own
. A risk I know but I was worried about the dogs - although there are kennels. On the way back I pitched up at the port on Orkney as what with them loading my outfit in the wrong place arrival was very delayed while they found the drivers of all the vehicles blocking my exit! Not very clever as they knew 2 caravans were getting off the boat at Orkney and there WERE only 2 caravans on the crossing! The Irish crossings are notoriously bad - and I daresay it can be bad to Shetland but as I say I was very lucky. Lying down with a sea pill is key - AND also sailing on a full stomach. A north sea ferry captain once told me brits are daft as they think sailing on an empty stomach will help and it doesn't. I now always have food and nibbles handy - haven't been as bad since. It is very light at night up there - I am glad to say - bedtime is bedtime for me so I don't take any notice!
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We got on the ferry early at Lerwick and had a meal before it left the harbour. We booked recling seats and had a good journey, I managed to get out on the top deck to watch Sumburgh Head fading into the distance, we later sailed past Fair Isle which was a wonderful sight. In bad weather it would be a different story. OH isn't good on large boats so dosed up with his usual Sea legs, you could book a day cabin if you prefer to lie down.
Remember you are nearer to Norway than the UK!
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Thanks all. It's useful info. I've been studying the ferry timetables and looking at sites. The possibility of a trip to Shetland needs a lot more consideration yet.
I'm currently waiting for a map to arrive to get a better idea of distances and locations. The maps of the islands included in road atlases aren't a lot of use.
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An Orkney or Shetland guide book is the best, I've got a large Orkney guide by Chris Tait but the tourist office has various useful ones.
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My favourite guide was "Shetland - Jill Slee Blackadder" a Colin Baxter Island Guides. I can't remember if the map came with it but it was in matching colours! Other guide books are available. Although it sounds really weird the Bus Shelter on Unst is
worth a visit! I was sent by a friend who had read about it somewhere - but very comically she thought it was in the Outer Hebrides and expected me to find it on Uist! The bus shelters there may be practical but they are the ugliest I have seen!0 -
Thanks. It's all duly noted and stored away.
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