Shetland or Orkney?

[Teddy B]

Hello. I am sure some of you well travelled people have visited Shetland or Orkney.
Just wondering are there plenty of places to stay off sites?
Or would we need to prebook campsites. Not travelling there till next year possibly June time. But thinking ahead.
Would love some hints or tips of where to stay or visit.
A recent tv programme has made me consider a trip there.
Not the Shetland one with all the crime but a Wildlife programme narrated by Ewan McGregor! Cheers.

 

[WillH]

Both lovely, you'll need sites every few days to dump though there are places to park.

 

[68c]

The small island of Papa Stour is interesting, you will not be able to get your van there though. Quite a lot of old viking remains and early monastery cells. Look on Google Earth, you can see only one half of the island is green. Partly due to glacial morain dumping but also as years ago the folk took what ever soil and peat there was from the west and planted it in the east, adding seaweed. The are is kniwn as behind or back of the wall. The wall kept the roaming sheep away from the farmland. I spent a week there in my twenties, everyone was very hospitable although it soon became clear very few had been born on the island. Mostly Scottish incomers seeking a new crofters way of life and the odd hippy. I believe there was a 'falling out' about twenty years ago so the population probably less than twenty now.

 

[Otter Spotter]

I can’t tell you anything about camping on Orkney, I have visited twice but stopped in cottages, however Shetland, there are places to Wild camp, but you will find a number of Village Halls offer shower, toilet and dump facities, then there are a number of marinas offer the same all are cheap no more than £15 per night and some cheaper.
www.shetland.org caravan and camping
pm me if you want to discuss as I have spent a month on Shetland in our PVC together with visiting Shetland in total 7 times over the last 7/8 years.