Orkney offers a rich variety of activities on land, loch and sea. With almost 600 miles of coast and some great unspoilt areas, the islands are superb for wildlife watching and for rich and varied angling. Divers love it too, particularly around Scapa Flow where the German fleet was scuttled at the end of the First World War.

Orkney is also the amateur archaeologist's ideal destination. Part of mainland Orkney has been declared a World Heritage Site because of the richness of its prehistoric sites. For example, at Maeshowe, visitors wonder at the skills of stone masons who built this large tomb some 5000 years ago. Nearby stand the eerie stone circles at Stenness and Brodgar while further west you can marvel at the sunken Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae, overlooking the Bay of Skaill. In fact, almost every one of the islands can boast some prehistoric relic or find.

By contrast, modern day Orkney is a hive of creative industry, with several internationally renowned jewellery manufacturers and many professional craftspeople at work in the islands. Studios and workshops are often open to the public, and there are Craft and Artists' Trails to follow.

Find out more information at http://www.visitorkney.com