Kirkwall - Bus vs. hire taxi vs. rent car?

[indyfranks]

I'm still trying to figure out what to do while my family of 4 is in port in June since it seems that most of the private tours are already booked, and so are the excursions through the ship.

 

The major sites we're interested in (I think) are Skara Brae, at least one of the stone circles, and possibly the Italian Chapel and/or Scapa Flow.

 

The stagecoach bus is an option, but I've seen a few people mention either hiring a car for the day or even renting a car and driving yourself, which leads me to a few questions.

• How easy is it to hire a car/driver for the day to visit the major sites? Approximate cost?
  
• How easy is it to rent a car for the day and visit the major sites yourself? Approximate cost?
  

[Globaliser]

How easy is it to rent a car for the day and visit the major sites yourself?

Dead easy. The roads are quiet but well signposted.

[MNmariner]

I just rented a car from Orkney Car Hire for £53 for next September. They are located in downtown Kirkwall.

[indyfranks]

Dead easy. The roads are quiet but well signposted.

 

Thanks! You've convinced me to rent a car. I'm assuming I should reserve one ahead of time. I see a few places that appear to be close to the pier - Orkney Car Hire and John G Shearer and Sons. Has anyone used either one before?

[buchhalm]

I second the mentioned car rental company.

Lovely to drive around. Be careful of some VERY narrow roads and cows or sheep on the road.

And prepare your wallet for breathtakingly expensive petrol to fill up at the end of the day. We paid more in petrol than the days rental cost!

[sj-cruiser]

We were there just last week and we were lucky to find a cab to drive us around and get a tour. Be sure to make arrangements before you get there if you want to be sure to get around. I would highly recommend using a taxi rather than driving yourself because a good guide/driver will know when to visit various places to avoid the throngs taking the buses. We had Mary who runs tours and had a fantastic time. It was 40 pounds an hour and our tour was five hours but it was well worth it. We did all of the major neolithic sites and finished up at the Highland Park Distillery and felt it was one of the best days of our cruise.