Orkney Islands walking vacation

Planet

We are committed to offering low impact vacations which benefits the countries and communities we visit, as well as our travelers. As most of the time on our tours is spent exploring on foot, it is important that our staff, local partners and customers are aware of the delicate balance which exists in the places we visit.

On our tour it is safe to drink water directly from the tap however, for customers keen to avoid buying single use plastic bottles, we offer customers the chance to purchase a discounted filter Water-To-Go bottle which combines three different technologies to remove over 99.9% of all microbiological contaminants in water.

We operate a ‘leave no trace’ policy in the national parks, archaeological sites, monuments and other sensitive areas; these should be treated with the ultimate respect to maintain them for future generations. Our guides are trained to promote this message to our customers in the UK.

As the focus of this trip is primarily walking, there is plenty of time to hit the trails and we aim to make a minimal impact on the areas as possible. This includes sticking to the trails and not deviating which upsets the flora and fauna. Not feeding wildlife as they become reliant on tourists, plus maintaining a safe and respectful distance from wildlife. We give information as per the ranger guides, on how to behave should you come face to face with local wildlife.

People

On this tour we stay in a hotel owned by an Orkney Islands resident. For this we have chosen a hotel that recycles waste as much as possible.

On a regular basis we donate funds to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and when available, the birding ranger comes and speaks to the group. Orkney has more RSPB reserves than anywhere else in Britain and a wide variety of habitat and birds, which we are proud to support.

We cap passengers at a maximum of 22 customers so as not to impact on Orkney Island’s fragile environment, as we explore primarily on foot. This tour uses activity providers owned by residents on Orkney Islands. This all brings economic benefit across the island.

We work with local operators and local guides who share our commitment to responsible travel where possible. They take pride in employing and training only locals, to ensure money ends up in the hands of the local community.