36 Best Sights in Orkney and Shetland Islands, Scotland

This waterfront fortress was built in 1600 by Patrick Stewart, Earl of Orkney and Shetland. "Black Patie," as he was known locally, was hanged in 1615 for his cruelty and misdeeds, and the castle was never used again. To enter, retrieve the key from the Scalloway Museum during opening hours; you can then explore these handsome ruins to your heart's content.

This modern museum tells some fascinating stories about Scalloway and its well-traveled locals. There is a section dedicated to the exploits of the Shetland Bus, the WWII resistance movement that operated between Norway and Shetland, and cabinet upon cabinet of maritime artifacts and proil (sailors' booty) donated by locals.

Military history buffs will appreciate the Scapa Flow Museum, which charts the role of Orkney in the First and Second World Wars. There are fascinating displays of military vehicles and guns from both wars, as well as equipment salvaged from the German boats scuttled off the coast. In the plain but poignant graveyard here, British and German personnel both rest in peace. If you want to take your car over to Hoy, book well in advance with Orkney Ferries, as this is a popular route. The museum is a five-minute walk from the Lyness ferry terminal on Hoy.

Founded by the Norse earl Jarl Rognvald in 1137 and named for his uncle, this grand red-and-yellow-sandstone cathedral was mostly finished by 1200, although more work was carried out during the following 300 years. The cathedral is still in use and contains some fine examples of Norman architecture, although traces of later styles are found here and there. The ornamentation on some of the tombstones in the church is particularly striking. At the far end to the left is the tomb of the tragically discredited Dr. John Rae, the Victorian-era Orcadian adventurer and unsung hero who discovered the final section of the Northwest Passage in Canada but was decried for his reporting that the British men of the Franklin expedition, overwhelmed by starvation, had resorted to cannibalism: an assertion that has since been proved true.

The unique and colorful history of the people of Unst is told in this fascinating assemblage of artifacts, tools, photographs, and reconstructions, including a classroom and a ben or "good" end (sitting room) of a croft house. It will leave you with an enduring visual memory of the ways in which the locals learned, crofted, knitted, fished, and worshipped through the last two centuries.

This intriguing burial chamber lies within a 5,000-year-old grassy mound. Excavations here uncovered a collection of similarly designed pottery bowls, subsequently found in other Orcadian Neolithic tombs. Access to the tomb by trolley can be awkward for those with mobility problems. Unstan Chambered Cairn is located 2½ miles northeast of Stromness center; it's walkable in about an hour, or you can take the X1 bus.