About Us
Our story
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Our aim is simple – to unpack Orkney’s crazy amazingness for you.
Amazingness?
By that we mean Orkney’s people, landscapes and cultural heritage. Orkney’s mad weather, its natural beauty, its archaeology, its modern history and its sense of future. And, its extraordinary food and drink. We promise if we ever say “Made in Orkney” we mean it. Orkney is an amazing archipelago. Let us show you just how amazing.
We have started with the Orkney classics and are now heading out to innovate out offer and to collaborate with others to achieve more. There is lots more to come.
A Promise:
Whether you join us on a day tour, a shore boat trip, a full holiday or if you even entrust an entire group to us we will commit to giving you exactly what we have promised and to listen to you if you believe we have not delivered on our promise.
Oh, and, “Collaboration”? It’s how we make things happen here in true island style. It’s ‘what we do’ – so, don’t wonder – get in touch we can work with you.
The Founders
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Nic
Shapinsay, Orkney
Nic. has lived on the Orkney Island of Shapinsay for the last 15 years but his connection with Orkney is much deeper and much longer than just that. As well as being an Orkney Tourist guide since 2008 Nic. has undertaken wider postgraduate Island Studies and firmly believes that islands in general, and Orkney, in particular, have many excellent examples for 21st century living ready to share with the wider world. Orkney has been innovating for 5000 years.
As you might expect from this Nic. works from a very wide perspective and is just as comfortable speculating about the uses the Neolthic Stone Circles might have been put to as he is explaining the progress of the latest developments in hydrogen powered ferries.
Vita
Tankerness, Orkney
Vita has been working in tourism since she was 18. Working within the Heart of Neolithic Orkney at Maeshowe, Visit Scotland and then for a Shore Excursion Company. Vita then met Nic and with similar ideas about how experiences should be provided for guests Orkney Island Tours was born. Vita has recently completed her Orkney Tourist guide Green Badge qualification and is looking forward to showing guests around the beautiful Orkney Islands.
Vita is passionate about providing unique experiences off the beaten track for guests to explore while also allowing them to soak up the fantastic nature, culture and uniqueness of Orkney. Priding herself on the view that anything is possible no adventure is too big for her.
Environmental Statement
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We know we currently burn far too much carbon-based fuel providing out tours and our holidays.
We undertake to reduce that year on until we are carbon neutral and then to continue that reduction until we, as an entire business, are carbon negative. We are planning how to achieve this more swiftly than any national target which may be set.
We do not subscribe to any offset solution because we believe that is no longer sufficient response and also it is a ‘cop out’ response which we might hide behind.
We promise to hurry forward – no-one has long to achieve change.