Wildlife Tours

Don't let our company name fool you into thinking we only provide archaeology tours! Of course, being the only tour company in Orkney owned and run by professional archaeologists we do specialise in archaeology. However we are also qualified and accredited Green Badge Orkney Tourist Guides - this means in effect that our other speciality is Orkney and everything that goes to make up the Orkney experience - archaeology, wildlife, people, culture, history - whatever interests you, our guest.

Our short breaks and day tours are completely private - that means you choose what you want to see and do - and we are happy to include as much wildlife watching as you want.

On our one-week small group holidays we always include some wildlife watching too. The Brough of Birsay has an amazing Pictish/Norse monastic site, but its cliffs are home to breeding seabirds - last year we had diving gannets below us, with puffins scooting in and out of cliff crevices.

Our holidays also include ferry trips to Hoy and Rousay, with wildlife spotting opportunities from the boat. Last season on every trip to Hoy we had diving gannets all around, and we had porpoises escorting us too on several memorable occasions. We also do our bit to help by supporting the work of the Seawatch Foundation by sponsoring a dolphin 

We visit the Broch of Gurness for its archaeology - but there's a colony of Eider ducks there and usually seals too. We once got a brief glimpse of a whale in Eynhallow Sound - too brief to identify the species but possibly a minke whale or pilot whale. You have to be very lucky to see a whale, although eighteen species of whale have been recorded in Orkney waters.

The sea cliffs at Marwick Head are home to a huge colony of breeding seabirds - guillemots in their thousands, as well as the Kitchener Memorial.Puffins can be seen in small numbers in the Mainland during their breeding season (the best months are May - July) and there are some large colonies in Westray. The hen harrier is our commonest raptor and can frequently be seen hovering close to the road whilst driving through moorland areas. Short eared owls are also fairly common and can be spotted just about anywhere out in the countryside. We make no claims to be expert birdwatchers - if you want to know what that 'little brown job' you've just spotted is called we probably wouldn't know either - but we do have a good working knowledge of all Orkney's wildlife - and we know where to find it.

Seals are always a favourite with our guests - Orkney waters are host to around 4300 or about 15% of the British population of the Common (or harbour) seal Phoca vitulina, and around 25000 – 40000 or about 25% of the estimated British population of the Grey seal Halichoerus grypus. Grey seals come ashore to breed in late September and October, and give birth to a single white-coated pup which stays on the breeding beach for around four weeks before it is ready to go to sea. Common seals breed in June and July, with the pups being born in their adult coat ready to go to sea immediately.

It would be hard to come to Orkney and not see seals - they frequently come into Stromness and Kirkwall harbours and are very curious - they like people watching.

In line with our ecotourism policy we take care never to disturb wildlife, especially during the breeding season.