Graham's Orkney Tours - Kirkwall

Adam M.

An Unforgettable Private Tour of Hoy with the Best Orkney Guide!

We booked a private tour of Hoy with Graham during our honeymoon, and it was easily one of the highlights of our trip. A multigenerational Orcadian, Graham’s deep roots in Orkney shine through in every part of the experience — from his incredible local knowledge to his warm humour and storytelling.

We explored the full length of Hoy — from dramatic sea cliffs and remote beaches to hidden wartime history — all brought vividly to life by Graham’s passion for his homeland. His tours are personal, insightful, and full of the kind of detail only a true local can offer.

If you’re looking for a private tour guide in Orkney, Graham is the one to book. Professional, friendly, and deeply connected to the islands — we couldn’t recommend him more highly. A must for anyone visiting Orkney!

Pauline F.

For our 3 day stay on Burray, we were lucky enough to be able to get the full day Quitessential tour with Graham. He is a real Orcadian, with a wealth of background knowledge, who only very recently swapped his job as a history teacher for that of tour guide. We had an amazing day with Graham who showed us the many neolithic sites as well as the impressive beauty of Orkney’s ‘mainland’ nature and wildlife while providing us with his inside knowledge of the Orkney’s. Graham is a very friendly, polite and knowledgable man and a safe driver with a modern van. We would highly recommend this tour and Graham as your tour guide! We had an amazing day!

Paul H.

We took Graham's Quintessential Tour and it was the best day ever. Saw loads of Orkney in Graham's comfy ride. Graham was super knowledgeable and engaging with a great sense of humour. The day was delivered at a relaxing pace and fit well in our schedule. We would highly recommend Graham's Orkney Tours

william A.

Graham was friendly, insightful, knowledgeable. He's a local Orcadian and his passion for the dialect, the history, and the uniqueness of Orkney are clear and present in every location we visited. We asked for a custom tour in his comfortable van and it was everything we hoped it would be. Graham picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel. Over lunch, we had a great conversation. Since we discovered we are both World War 2 history buffs, Graham tacked on a small visit to a local memorial off the beaten path that I would never have known about. As a hobbyist stoneworker himself, Graham also threw in reviews of the quality of various handcrafted stone walls we encountered haha, so we'd definitely recommend Graham's Orkney Tours and stone wall reviews to anyone visiting.

Kaz L.

Our day trip to Orkney was truly unforgettable! Graham greeted us warmly as soon as the ferry docked at St Margaret’s Hope. From the very beginning, his deep passion for Orcadian heritage was evident, making our tour exceptional.
My personal highlights were the visit to the Italian Chapel, which was deeply moving, and the charming village walk through Kirkwall, with its vibrant atmosphere and delightful independent shops and boutiques and the St Magnus Cathedral. These stops were my favourites.
My husband enjoyed other aspects of the tour, which meant there was something for everyone. Graham’s approach of accompanying us to each site, walking with us, and providing detailed explanations throughout, was especially appreciated.
We highly recommend booking a tour with Graham. A passionate Orcadian, teacher, and guide, he made our trip incredibly enjoyable and memorable. Thank you, Graham!

Jaimi L.

We took the Highlights tour with Graham and it was fantastic! Having a guide who grew up and lives in Orkney provided an authentic local experience. Graham's knowledge of the area's history was incredible, and he made every story engaging and informative.

Each stop on the tour was picturesque, and I found myself constantly reaching for my camera. I loved all the places and stories that went along with them, but I don't want to share too much, as it's much better to hear it from Graham!

Fully recommend! Definitely one of my favourite days on our 5 week Scottish holiday!

Abigail J.

Graham was excellent as a tour guide for our group of 6. He is very kind, helpful, and intelligent. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay on Orkney due to Graham’s insightful tour. We learned so much about this area of Scotland and the islands precursor of Viking settlements and influences. Graham offered us a historic education of which we couldn’t get enough. He is a gifted educator, and proud of his heritage originating from Orkney. Graham has a strong sense of place for these beautiful islands stirring the excitement of the tour. Also, he has a wonderful sense of humor and he is extremely personable. The time flew by leaving us wishing for more, and we had already spent the entire day with him! You truly need to invest in a tour with Graham. It will leave you wanting to return, again and again.

Thank you Graham!

We ran into one of his former students the next day, and he too, only had lovely things to say about him.

Porkchop E.

We had the best tour through 5000 years of Orkney history with Graham! Graham is a native Orkadian and he answered all our crazy questions about Orkney and its neolithic structures with the patience only a former history teacher could possess. There are so many sites to see on Orkney, and Graham took care of all the logistics, taking us from one site to the next smoothly, even watching out for the tide tables so that we could get to a viking site that was only accessible at super low tides. We can’t recommend Graham enough for those who want a stress-free, high-yield day to explore all Orkney has to offer.