Anyone Cycled in Shetland and Orkney?

[Alex H]

Planning to go next year and wondering if it's worthwhile taking the tandem?

 

[T4tomo]

got to be worth it for views like this....

joking aside, its supposed to be stunning scenery if the weather is OK, and plenty of quiet roads. Its just getting there, although you're closer than a lot.

 

[rualexander]

Both great cycling destinations.

 

[oldwheels]

Been to both but preferred Shetland.
Well worth taking bikes tho’ one guide book says incorrectly that there are no serious hills.
Not many but the worst enemy is wind which can be really bad.
I will see if there are any photos handy and post something later.
If going book the boat early as I am told by a resident that currently getting a vehicle booking and a cabin together is difficult as they are also suffering from too many tourists. The reclining seats which you now have to pay for are not comfortable overnight.

 

[oldwheels]

Planning to go next year and wondering if it's worthwhile taking the tandem? The roads are generally pretty quiet.

 

[annedonnelly]

Shetland is stunningly beautiful on nice days. Roads are pretty quiet. Away from the main roads they're often single track with passing places.

@oldwheels mentioned problems with ferry bookings but accommodation is also short at the minute judging by the messages I see on social media.

 

[Profpointy]

I can only comment on Orkney, though I was there diving rather than cycling. Not very hilly, but conversely could be very windy. In my experience little or no issue with bitey flies, even in summer, unlike the mainland highlands. For our purposes the Gills Bay car ferry was best, but looking at the map you could do a round trip leaving a vehicle in Thurso, or even train to Thurso.

Sights to see: excellent military museum on Hoy, and a rather poignant military cemetery various wartime ruins eg nearby Wee fi. Lots of birdwatching or seal watching sights. Prehistory particularly Scurra Braigh. Of the towns Stromness is quite nice, having been based there for diving many times

Anyhow, based on merely visiting rather than cycling I think it would be quite a good destination, apart from getting there from the south. When returning south (to Bristol) Inverness sermd psychologically, "half way". It isn't quite but felt like it. Glasgow seemed "nearly home". Obviously this is less of an epic if you're base is Newcastle or Scotland

 

[oldwheels]

Orkney was rather boring I thought and I have had several visits camping and also camper van based at Stromness and Kirkwall. Very flat but there are interting sites such as Ring of Brodgar.
Midges can be bad on calm evenings we found in Shetland but there are strangely exotic species of butterfly for example which in one case came direct from France in large numbers.
If travelling by car you can go from Aberdeen to Kirkwall on some sailings and the same in reverse. There are good rail links south from Aberdeen but not sure how a tandem would fare by train.
We did camp at Lerwick but that site is now closed tho’ mostly we stayed in a cottage owned by my brother.

 

[Fab Foodie]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poQEG2DSANE

 

[pubrunner]

Well worth taking bikes tho’ one guide book says incorrectly that there are no serious hills.
Not many but the worst enemy is wind which can be really bad.
If going book the boat early as I am told by a resident that currently getting a vehicle booking and a cabin together is difficult as they are also suffering from too many tourists. The reclining seats which you now have to pay for are not comfortable overnight.

The above is all accurate, though I'd add that there are also 'Sleeping Pods' on the ferries.

As @oldwheels has mentioned, book early ! I go up every year to visit family and I always book as soon as the bookings open.

I've cycled quite a few times in Shetland; the roads are generally very quiet and it's worth mentioning, that you'd find that the road surfaces are in far better condition than just about anywhere else in the UK.

Look out for 'Cake Fridges', from which you can buy cakes, bakes, eggs, drinks etc - they exist in the most unlikely places. Last year, I was up in North Roe, which is almost as far north as you can go in Mainland Shetland; we did a very long walk and I was mightily pleased to find a fridge selling drinks (as well as cakes). Every fridge has an 'Honesty Box' for payments and the system does not seem to be abused, despite there often being numerous £10 & £20 notes.

Depending on your interest in Wildlife, it might be worth joining the 'Shetland Orca Sightings' group on Facebook. They make postings of Orca sightings and it's usually possibly to predict where they will be - either on the West or East of the Shetland mainland and heading North or South - the group members usually state the direction in which the Orcas are headed. They tend to stick very close to the shore, as they like to pick off unwary seals and they can be seen in the most unlikely places, including Lerwick harbour.

Shetland is ace ! Go there and you'll be sure to have a great time !

 

[oldwheels]

The above is all accurate, though I'd add that there are also 'Sleeping Pods' on the ferries.

As @oldwheels has mentioned, book early ! I go up every year to visit family and I always book as soon as the bookings open.

I've cycled quite a few times in Shetland; the roads are generally very quiet and it's worth mentioning, that you'd find that the road surfaces are in far better condition than just about anywhere else in the UK.

Look out for 'Cake Fridges', from which you can buy cakes, bakes, eggs, drinks etc - they exist in the most unlikely places. Last year, I was up in North Roe, which is almost as far north as you can go in Mainland Shetland; we did a very long walk and I was mightily pleased to find a fridge selling drinks (as well as cakes). Every fridge has an 'Honesty Box' for payments and the system does not seem to be abused, despite there often being numerous £10 & £20 notes.

Depending on your interest in Wildlife, it might be worth joining the 'Shetland Orca Sightings' group on Facebook. They make postings of Orca sightings and it's usually possibly to predict where they will be - either on the West or East of the Shetland mainland and heading North or South - the group members usually state the direction in which the Orcas are headed. They tend to stick very close to the shore, as they like to pick off unwary seals and they can be seen in the most unlikely places, including Lerwick harbour.

Shetland is ace ! Go there and you'll be sure to have a great time !

All good. I was advised by my brother that the sleeping pods are just reclining seats with a cover and no more comfortable than a reclining seat. A lot seemed to use sleeping bags and kipped in all sorts of places but the cinema after it stopped showing seemed a favourite.
I have "slept"in a reclining seat but not too comfortable and we took a cabin on future trips.
When Calmac lost the contract the seats were divided so that you could not stretch out on them.

 

[bikingdad90]

I’’m a bit scared to go to Shetland… too many murders for my liking and now Perez has retired and it’s up interim DS Tosh to solve the case, I don’t fancy my chances. 😂

 

[Alex H]

Thanks for all the info.

I was thinking of visiting both in the same trip, so perhaps Scrabster - Stromness, then Kirwall - Lerwick and return?

The tandem splits in 2, so will be in the car.

 

[Alex H]

I’’m a bit scared to go to Shetland… too many murders for my liking and now Perez has retired and it’s up interim DS Tosh to solve the case, I don’t fancy my chances. 😂

I know what you mean

Ann Cleeves lives not too far away and I'm reading 'Cold Earth' at the moment.

 

[Alex H]

All good. I was advised by my brother that the sleeping pods are just reclining seats with a cover and no more comfortable than a reclining seat. A lot seemed to use sleeping bags and kipped in all sorts of places but the cinema after it stopped showing seemed a favourite.
I have "slept"in a reclining seat but not too comfortable and we took a cabin on future trips.
When Calmac lost the contract the seats were divided so that you could not stretch out on them.

Reclining seats are an absolute no. Been there done that, never again.