An unfinished guide to Orkney

All the good stuff I saw, ate, admired and discovered

It’s already a month since I got back from Scotland, and almost every day I find myself enthusing about something we did – or being asked, by someone else who’s planning a trip, where I’d recommend they go.

A swimming spot that will be hard to beat, Mainland, west coast

I’ve always felt reluctant to publish lists of recommendations – as I know many Substackers successfully do – because I’m only an expert in my own taste and experience. Why listen to me, when there are whole guidebooks you can buy?¹

But I’ve come to realise that the appeal of these lists lies in the fact that they are partial and personal. I like guidebooks, but I’m also very interested in hearing about what my friends did, saw, ate and admired while they were on holiday, and I delight in following in their footsteps. I would be so happy if, a few months hence, someone I know posts a picture from one of these places, and I get to enjoy it again through their eyes.

So here are a few things I think you’ll enjoy if you ever visit Orkney.² It’s a very incomplete list, but I may add to it if I visit again, and I very much welcome your corrections, clarifications, and additions.