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Why Orkney's Mainland Rewards a Bicycle

Orkney's Mainland is a long green ribbon of farmland, lochs and low hills, stitched together by roads that were never built for volume. Outside Kirkwall and Stromness, most of what you'll ride is single-track with passing places, and a busy moment is meeting two cars and a tractor in the same mile. That quietness is exactly what makes the island such a good place to cycle. The gradients are kind — the steepest thing you'll meet is usually a short pull out of a bay — and the distances are modest. You can ride from Stromness in the west to Kirkwall in the east in about an hour and a half at a relaxed pace, and reach Neolithic sites, cliff tops and sandy beaches without ever really exerting yourself.

The catch is the wind. Orkney has very little shelter and a great deal of moving air, and a steady twenty-mile-an-hour south-westerly will feel like a mountain pass in the wrong direction. Treat wind direction as your route planner and everything else falls into place.

Planning Around the Weather and the Ferries

Check the forecast the night before, and check it again at breakfast — Orkney weather shifts quickly, and a wet morning often clears into a bright afternoon. Look at wind speed and direction, then build the day so your longest leg runs downwind. Save the exposed stretches along Scapa Flow and the west coast for calmer days, and keep a shorter loop in your pocket for when the forecast turns.

If you're arriving or leaving by ferry, plan the day loosely. Foot passengers with bikes generally board early, but sailings can be delayed by weather, and a cancelled afternoon crossing reshuffles everything. Aim to be at the terminal well ahead of check-in, and don't schedule a tight connection at the far end. It's also worth telling your guest house which ferry you're on — many will hold a room, offer a late check-in, or let you leave bags while you ride the last few miles to the port.

A West Mainland Loop: Stenness, Skara Brae and Birsay

Start in Stromness and head east on the B9056 towards Stenness — a gentle six miles or so past the loch, with the hills of Hoy rising across the water behind you. The heart of the West Mainland is dense with archaeology: the Stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar and Maeshowe are all within a couple of miles of each other, and the roads between them are quiet enough to stop and stare whenever you like.

From Stenness, carry on northwest to the Bay of Skaill and Skara Brae, where a Neolithic village sits half-excavated beside the dunes. It's roughly eight miles further, with a couple of short climbs. If you have energy left, add a spur north to Birsay — the causeway to the Brough of Birsay is a fine place to eat a sandwich — or detour to Yesnaby for sea cliffs and crashing Atlantic swell, though be warned the climb back up from the car park is the sharpest on the route. A full circuit back to Stromness via Dounby and the A965 comes in around thirty-five miles.

East Mainland, Scapa Flow and the Churchill Barriers

Base yourself in Kirkwall for the eastern side. Head south on the A961 through St Mary's, then follow the Churchill Barriers — the great causeways built across Scapa Flow during the Second World War, now carrying a flat, fast road between islands. The wrecked blockships still lie in the channels, and the Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm is worth twenty minutes off the bike.

Carry on through Burray to South Ronaldsay and St Margaret's Hope, roughly fifteen miles from Kirkwall, where the harbour and a couple of cafes make a natural turning point. The barriers themselves are wonderfully flat, but they're also completely exposed, so pick your day. For something quieter, turn east instead towards Deerness and Mull Head, where the road narrows and the traffic all but disappears.

Fuel Stops, Cafes and Welcoming Guest Houses

Don't assume you can buy food wherever you happen to be hungry. Kirkwall and Stromness have plenty of shops, bakeries and cafes, but the villages thin out fast, and opening hours shrink in winter. Dounby, Birsay, St Margaret's Hope and Houton each have something — a shop, a cafe, a hotel bar — but often with limited hours and the occasional closed day. Carry more water and snacks than you think you need.

Most Orkney guest houses are genuinely welcoming to cyclists. Ask before you book about a secure bike store, a drying room, and whether they'll do a packed lunch or an early breakfast. Many will fill water bottles without hesitation and happily advise on the day's wind. After a long, salty ride, a hot shower and somewhere warm to hang wet kit matters more than almost anything else.

Practical Notes for Riding the Mainland

• Single-track etiquette: pull into passing places on your left, and wave thanks to whoever waits. Locals are patient, but don't hold up a queue.
• Tyres: anything from 28mm to 35mm works well. Surfaces are generally good, but expect gravel edges and the odd pothole after winter.
• Lights and layers: summer daylight is enormous, but grey, drizzly days can feel dim. A waterproof shell and a bright layer are essentials, not options.
• Spares: carry a spare tube, pump and multi-tool. The nearest proper bike shop is in Kirkwall, which can be a long walk from Yesnaby.
• Wildlife and livestock: give livestock plenty of room, close gates behind you, and keep an eye out for seals and seabirds rather than the road.
• Locking up: bring a decent lock even though theft is rare — it keeps guest house owners relaxed about overnight storage.

Ride within your comfort, watch the sky, and let the island set the pace. Orkney rewards the cyclist who lingers.