CANC Neolithic Scotland: The Northern Isles

This Ride has been Cancelled

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

OVERVIEW:  This first-time tour of the Orkney and Shetland islands focuses on their Stone Age heritage. Stromness, on the southern tip of the Orkney main island, is the area featured in the June 2014 National Geographic story “Before Stonehenge: Scotland’s Master Builders.”  This is a UNESCO World History Site, and includes the Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stenness, the village of Scara Brae, and Maes Howe.  The Celts never made it to the Northern Isles, but the Vikings did, in the 8th century, and they left structures and also greatly influenced the local language.  The isles were not annexed to Scotland until the mid-15th century.  Some will no doubt want to visit the Highland Park Distillery in Kirkwall, as well as the 12th century Norse cathedral of St. Magnus, and possibly the Norse Saga Center in Orphir, or take a tour of the water-powered Barony Mills in Bursay.

An 8-hour overnight ferry brings us to the Shetlands, famous for Shetland wool and Shetland ponies. The extensive Neolithic settlement at Sumburgh Head at the southern tip of the main island is adjacent to an RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) reserve with thousands of puffins, who will be nesting here in June.  (By the way, the local name for puffin is tammy norie.)  The lighthouse here, the first built in Shetland, was designed by Robert Louis Stevenson’s grandfather.  Tentative arrangements have been made for a tour of the Jamieson & Smith wool processing factory in Lerwick.  The Shetlands are known for their rugged beauty, and you are on your own to decide how to spend your time:  visit the Broch of Mousa, explore the rich marine life in a glass-bottomed boat, go for a hike along the coastline, cycle through gentle farmland, check out the local arts and crafts, enjoy listening to Shetland fiddling.  There is much more to do and see than can be fit into our few days here. 

WEATHER:  In June, here at 60° longitude, the days are 19 hours long. The average temperature in June is about 50°, with 15 mph winds (and stronger gusts).  We can expect to see some rain on half the days, although the average total for June is under two and a half inches.  Wind is a much greater factor here than rain.  The Northern Isles are windy!  

RIDE RATING:  The tour is rated 1A.  There are only four required riding days, two at 32 miles and two at 14 miles.  The  islands are largely flat, and on most days riders are free to choose their own routes.  The major Stone Age sites on Orkney are all on an easy 20-mile loop.  For riders wanting longer rides, or hilly rides, this is possible.  Routes are on paved roads in good condition, and most have very little traffic.  Cue sheets and GPX files will be available for a variety of routes.  For example, it is a 20-mile round trip from Kirkwall to visit the chapel constructed from Nissen huts by Italian POWs who were brought here during WW2 to build the Churchill barriers to Scapa Flow; this is one of the most popular visitor attractions in Orkney.

NOTES:  BAC tours depend on participants providing much of their own support.  Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles.  All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable ride, for carrying their own luggage at hotels and for helping load and unload the van as necessary.  The van is for luggage and emergency help only.

LOGISTICS:  The tour begins in Aberdeen on Saturday June 9, 2018, and ends in Aberdeen on Saturday June 23.  Iron Donkey has made all hotel, group dinner, and ferry arrangements, and will provide emergency sag service.  Iron Donkey has road bikes and hybrids for rental if you prefer not to bring your own; make arrangements directly at www.irondonkey.com.  If you would like to stay in Aberdeen a day before or after the tour, make hotel arrangements through Iron Donkey in order to get the group rate. The tour starts with a group dinner at our hotel in Aberdeen on Saturday, June 9.

From our Aberdeen hotel a chartered bus takes us to Thurso, where we will assemble our bikes; there’s an optional 20-mile loop ride here.  The next morning we take the 90-minute ferry to Stromness, Orkney, where we will stay three nights. We then cycle to Kirkwall, where an overnight ferry takes us to Lerwick, Shetland (breakfast provided on board) and from there we cycle down to Sumburgh where we spend three nights.  Then we cycle back up to Lerwick for two nights, and take the evening ferry (dinner on board) to Kirkwall.  After two nights in Kirkwall, we cycle down to Stromness to catch the ferry to Thurso, where we spend one last night before our chartered bus takes us to the Aberdeen airport in the morning.

COSTS:  The estimated cost of $3,100 is based on double occupancy and an exchange rate of $1.29 = 1 British pound.  A contingency allowance is included, but currency fluctuation between now and June 2018 may require a slight increase in the price.  The supplement for singles who chose not to share a room is $710.  The tour cost includes 14 nights’ accommodation with breakfasts, 6 dinners, maps and cue sheets and GPX files, luggage transfer, emergency sag service, bike box storage, transfer by charter bus between Aberdeen and Thurso at the beginning and end of the tour, and all ferry rides.  The happy hour meetings will be cash bar because of hotel restrictions on bringing in wine or beer.  Happy hour meetings will include a briefing on the next day's riding.    

SINGLES POLICY:  Singles are encouraged to sign up, and I will assist with matching singles with roommates; however, it will help if you try to find a roommate yourself.  A single who wishes to share a double room has until January 31, 2018, to be paired with a roommate. If no roommate has been found by that time, they have the option to drop off the ride and receive a full refund (minus the $100 BAC fee and payment processing fees) or pay the single supplement ($710) and stay on the ride.  If a roommate is subsequently found, the single supplement will be refunded.    

BAC CANCELLATION POLICY:  The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled.  Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped.  The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations.  If the canceling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time.  If the canceling participant can’t be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed.  If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour.  BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.  

In addition to the BAC Cancellation policy, those who cancel may be subject to Iron Donkey's cancellation policy.  Unless replacement(s) are found, the following penalties will apply if a participant cancels:

• Between 90 days and 30 days before departure: 25% of full payment.
• Between 30 days before departure and departure: 100% of full payment.

BAC STATEMENT OF RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY:  Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support.  Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles.   All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour.  We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from Ride Leader.  While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up.  Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour.  Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

SIGN-UP:  To submit a request to join this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description.  After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC site to digitally accept the Release of Liability (ROL) and to pay the non-refundable BAC fee ($100) and tour deposit of $1600 by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. Final payment of $1500 is due no later than February 28, 2018. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Director by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description.