Orkney Islands

A relaxing morning before we depart at 10:00 am for Inverness Airport where we embark on our flight to Orkney!  Over the following 4 days we will explore Orkney from our base in the lovely little city of Kirkwall.  We will hear about the unique sheep of North Ronaldsay, meet the ancient breed of Boreray Sheep and talk with woollen textile makers on the Isle of Westray. Amidst these woolly delights we will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Skara Brae, have a professional guide explain the mysteries of The Standing Stones of Stennes and The Ring of Brodgar, and a textile tour St Magnus Cathedral.  We will visit one of the best distilleries in the world (in our humble opinion) and learn about the key role that Orkney played in World War II. And last but not least, we will hear all about the legends of Orkney at an evening storytelling session by the peat fire.

THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS

Alas, we bid Orkney farewell and fly back to Inverness to start our North Highlands circuit.  Over the next two days you will encounter some of the most stunning scenery of the trip as we journey north from Inverness, along lochs and glens to the lovely village of Lochinver.  Our main activity will be a visit out to the remote and extremely picturesque area of Clachtoll Bay to visit our own Helen Lockhart’s off the grid dye studio.  Her husband Stevan will be on hand to guide us around the area on walks to a few local ruins with occupations dating from the Iron Age up through the early 19th century.  We’ll also take a walk down to the beautiful white sand Clachtoll Beach.      

THE NORTH HIGHLANDS

Our journey up the West Coast will continue through more dramatic scenery until we reach the North Coast of Scotland at Durness.  Here we will pause our journey to take an optional descent down to Smoo Cave or decide to skip the stairs and head for some light shopping and a scrumptious cup of steaming hot chocolate.  (Those who venture down the 107 stairs and back up again are guaranteed a crack at the chocolate too!)  Then it’s on to the village of Tongue where we will spend the next two nights.  Our second day there will be spent at a very charming and cozy community center with Laurence and Clive of Gong Crafts.  They will take us on a foraging walk and teach us natural dyeing techniques with the local flora. 

CAITHNESS 

There’s a lot of ground to cover on the first of these days, but lots of interesting sights along the way as well!  First stop will be The Castle and Gardens of Mey - former residence of The Queen Mother (as in Queen Elizabeth’s mother) and the homelier castle of the two we are visiting.  (Homely in the UK means just as it should - it is a place which feels like a home!)  From there we will make our way south to visit a bleak place which epitomizes the dark side of Highland history - The Clearances.  Badbea is a location at the edge of nowhere where tenant crofters were forced to relocate to when our favorite woolly animals were deemed to be more productive on the estates than they were.  The next day will be much more sedate as we travel a short distance to see the opulent castle of their landlords which looks like it comes straight out of a fairytale!  Time on our last day to pack and explore the town before our farewell dinner and whisky tasting! 

A FOND FAREWELL

At 9:00 am we will depart for Inverness with drop offs at Inverness Station and Airport.  We bid you farewell and wish you safe travels as you make your way home!

Heather Radl loves designing and leading knitting and fiber tours. She’s fascinated with local traditions, unique yarns, and the modern twist added to both by current designers. Her ever-widening exposure to both has led to a long queue of patterns and a dramatic accumulation of stash!  She’s also been trying her hand at new wooly endeavors like felting and spinning. When not knitting, traveling or planning your next trip, Heather tends her small flock of chickens and ducks, volunteers in her local thrift shop, and spends time with her two dogs, her husband’s cat, her family, and friends in Dunbarton, NH.

Helen Lockhart has knitted for as long as she can remember, and relatively  recently has taken to weaving on a rigid heddle loom. She has been  dyeing yarn since 2008 from her home and workshop in Clachtoll, Scottish  Highlands. Using acid dyes, the surrounding landscape offers her  endless colour inspiration. She leans towards saturated shades, either  in semi solid or deeply variegated colourways. You can see her yarns on  her website (www.ripplescrafts.com),  where she offers a range of yarn weights and bases, but if you’re ever  passing by Clachtoll her workshop is also open to visitors. Originally  from Southern Africa, Helen and her husband, Stevan, have made the  Highlands their home,
living entirely off grid and sourcing their energy needs from wind and  solar power. The sense of peace and calm she finds in the landscape  makes it impossible for her to imagine living anywhere else.