A sybaritic walking tour may sound like a contradiction in terms but a combination of hard exercise

A sybaritic walking tour may sound like a contradiction in terms; but a combination of hard exercise and soft living is exactly what you get from the Alternative Travel Group, which long ago realised that an army marches on its stomach. The return fare, pounds 24, includes a coach journey into Kirkwall. With four sailings daily, it’s possible to go across for the day.. No curled-up sandwiches for us. Waiting high in the mountains was a sumptuous and beautifully laid-out picnic lunch.

We feasted off spiced chicken, local ham and cheese, three different salads, then almond cakes and fruit, all washed down by vinho verde. A return ticket for the bus costs pounds 11.30 if you avoid travelling on Fridays and Saturdays. P&O also runs a service between Aberdeen and Stromness at noon on Tuesdays and Saturdays for pounds 78 return; call 01224 572615 for details of this service.Day trippingA third option is to take the John O’Groats Ferry (01955 611353) – foot passengers and cyclists only – to Burwick. The lowest fare from Aberdeen is pounds 90 including tax, or pounds 95 from Inverness. From London, the lowest fare is pounds 211.Sailing inP&O (01856 850655) operates fairly frequent ferries from Scrabster, on the mainland, to Stromness. The return fare for foot passengers is pounds 29; cars cost an extra pounds 75 (pounds 79 if large).

To get to Scrabster take the 8am daily Scottish Citylink (0990 505050) from Inverness, which arrives in time for the noon sailing. Steep little lanes radiate from The Street, to dip down between the houses to the water’s edge or, like the curiously named Khyber Pass, to wind up to the hillside of Brinkie’s Brae.This is a brilliant town to explore for a day, and certainly one of the most picturesque features in a decidedly photogenic set of islands, which has a history all its own.Outward bound to OrkneyFlying thereBritish Regional Airlines operates flights to Kirkwall from Aberdeen and Inverness on behalf of British Airways (0345 222111). Whaling was once another important source of employment, with ships bound for Greenland regularly calling in to take on crews.The main street of Stromness, known simply as The Street, remains paved with flagstones, with a cobbled strip up the centre in parts – a reminder of the days of horses and carriages. The Italians transformed the building, lining it with exquisite trompe-l’oeil paintings.