Orkney Uncovered

We had such a great day with Orkney Uncovered on the Ancient Explorer tour. Ive been on a lot of private tours but I must say none of them have been as good as our Orkney tour with Kinlay. First and foremost, Orkney is just an amazing place to visit with beautiful scenery, fascinating history, friendly folks, delicious food, and comfortable places to stay. Ive dreamt of visiting Orkney since I was a kid and read about Skara Brea. I cant recommend Kinlay enough for having as a guide in Orkney. His excitement for showing people around and his passion about his home is contagious. We learned so much from him. Not only did we see many of the fascinating sites on the mainland; we saw birds, animals, and gorgeous scenery. We enjoyed peppering Kinlay with questions and had many a good belly laugh during our day with him. He and his wife, Kirsty, also gave us great suggestions that improved the rest of our visit including other places to visit, the best place to get pies, beaches to walk, and movies to see about Scotland. Finally, after our day with Kinlay, each of us felt like we made a good new friend and isnt that the best attribute you can have with a guide? Book with Kinlay, it will be the highlight of your Orkney visit.
Apr 11th, 2023

Of a week and a half long vacation, the time with Kinlay was, without a doubt, the best part of the trip. Due to the Queens passing, we were worried things would not go well, but he reached out before we got a chance to and a good work around was figured out. The history and information he shared with us was expertly delivered, and all of our questions were answered throughly. The locations we visited were adjusted during trip to fit our personal interests, an unexpected delight. The energy he used to show us the sights was a joy to experience, not only at the locations but on the drive as well.
Sep 21st, 2022

We came to Orkney to meet a certain Kinlay Francis tour guide. He arrived outside the hotel in Kirkwall at 8:45 in the morning in his very comfortable VW transporter. It was obvious from the start that he was very knowledgeable especially in Orkney history surrounding the first and second world War. He has an encyclopediac knowledge of Orkney and it's history. A very entertaining and helpful man, he is an absolute credit to the tourist industry. The four of us thoroughly enjoyed our visit and would not hesitate to recommend Kinlay STGA guide as your personal guide to all aspects of Orkney.
Sep 1st, 2022

Kinlay of Orkney Uncovered is an amazing guide. He is incredibly knowledgeable about Orkney from geology to whiskey and anything in between. We were interested in the ancient sites but came away with knowing so much more. Kinlay was totally engaged with us the whole time. We never felt like we were just another client. If you can, book him! He is a rarity.
Jun 15th, 2022

Ah, Kinlay. The first word you said was Wild. With a big grin you clarified It takes a special sort of traveler to brave the wild wild weather of Orkney, but if you are interested in Orcadian life, this is the time to visit. We smiled cynically, feeling that we had seen wild before, and this was not it but Orkney soon wiped that off our faces. It is wild in a totally unique way, and we loved it. Kinlay is six feet eight, with a sprawling red beard, an infectious laugh and a million crazy stories. And we learned to trust him all the way as he took us beyond the obvious and into the edges and corners that tourists rarely find. He shared his love of near history and a special Orcadian pride in what remains after all the fighting is over, be it world wars or Pictish tribal conflicts from thousands of years ago. We strongly recommend Kinlay, Kirsty and Orkney Uncovered for all travelers!
Dec 22nd, 2022