[Closed] Orkney Islands

Been diving a few times up there took the bike,no real trails,just road work

I lived there for a few months but didn't do much biking. There are walking trails along the cliffs in places like yesnaby which could be fun. Did a ride on Hoy to rackwick bay which was nice. Bike is a nice way to get round the island though.

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the replies.
It seems to be that there isnt much in the way os singletrack, mostly roads. I'm going to take the bike anyway and use it for sightseeing.
Cheers
Davie

You will need it - last time I was there no buses on sundays, but that might have changed !

Sundays are a big thing on the islands. Does cycling count as rest?

I stayed up there for ten years or more. There is a great trail from Yesnaby or even the Bay of Skail to almost Stromness. You can also catch the ferry from Stromness over to Hoy, then ride the trail over to Rackwick and up to the Old Man of Hoy.

There's a pretty decent bike shop in Kirkwall, had a chat with the owner about bike trails, and he mentioned a hill walkers path which sounded half decent.

Seem to remember it was inland, (I've walked most of the cliff ones), from memory think it's on the big hill behind the airport.

mcmoonter arent you supposed to be on the holiday of a lifetime......get drunk or somthin !

Read a book called Cox's Navy, it's about the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow and the salvage by a bloke called Cox, who was a scrap metal merchant from Wolverhampton. It's absolutely fascinating. My wife has dived the last remaining battle cruisers, she says ou go down so many metres and hit bottom then realise it's not the bottom, it's the side os an enormous ship and the bottom is still many metres more below.

The remaining German ships are one of the last sources of quality steel, gunmetal, phosphor bronze etc in the world that's not contaminated by radiation from Chernobyl.

Here: [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coxs-Navy-Salvaging-German-1924-1931/dp/1848845529/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310190172&sr=1-2 ]Cox's Navy[/url]

(Been to Orkney by the way; not much mountain biking but some fantastic road rides; take slicks and be prepared for wind, lots and lots of it......)

Thanks guys. I've only got Sunday to ride so going to head from Kirkwall
to Houton for the ferry to Hoy and on to Scapa Flow. Will try to make
it to the old man of hoy aswell.
Cheers
Davie

Worked up there many times.
Davie, check the ferry times before you go. The Houton ferry seems to follow a strange timetable, the ferries are not very frequent. It is easy to end up stranded!
Watch out for the wind - you think you are a cycling God spinning out top gear and making great progress, then you turn around to head back home....
If you go to Hoy the museum and cemetery are definitely worth a visit.
The cliffs at Yesnaby are also stunning, especially if the sea is a bit rough.
Sacrra Brae worth a visit to.
Oh and take a waterproof...

Italspark, it's 103 degrees in the Ozarks and we are hiding in a diner with wifi.

Sundays are a big thing on the islands. Does cycling count as rest?

Not on orkney, totally different from the western isles. still quiet on sunday but only because everyone is in someone elses bed with a hangover.