After many years we've came back to Thurso. And liked it as much as the last time. It's a town that…read moreoffers a lot more than it seems at first glance. One is this wonderful beach and the short Promenade. We stayed at a holiday rental for a few days directly at the beach. So we enjoyed these views day and night. Even though summer, there never were that many folks on the beach. It's a bit more quiet up here in the North. Many though were strolling along the short but pretty Promenade to take the wonderful oceanviews in. On the east side you'll also find the harbour, the pier and a fishmonger. From the beach you'll also see Scrabster, where many commercial fishmongers are located, loading their catch to the trucks. But you also can roll up as a private person to get fresh fish directly from the source for good prices! On some days you will also spot some cruise ships. Some cruisers exploring Thurso (they're easy to spot) while others go on tours for some other sights around. The beach and the Promenade get a bit more quiet in the evenings and nights. But even then some still stay out late on the beach - seems like a safe and popular spot even then. We also enjoyed boardwalks later at night around 10/11pm. It's nice then...

This beach gives you an amazing view of the sea, lots of rich sand, an area to camp and a trail to…read morefollow for a walk. When on the beach itself, you are relatively sheltered by the sand dunes and the beach being quite a big stretch of the bay, you can have some quiet time to yourself even if there is other people around. There are public toilet facilities here, which makes it popular for campers in the slightly warmer times of the year. It is also next to a main road which the local bus service passes by, if you want to catch it just stand at the side of the road and stick your hand out.

For Scapa (or, now, Shetland) ... just book it! Cabins are…read morebig enough - although you'll need to pack light (and use collapsible bags for kit that you unload) - although there is not much cupboard storage. The bunks are comfortable but quite narrow... and ... bring earplugs as a defence against your diver colleagues :) There is a very nice forward double cabin for couples - if you are a couple, make sure you beat your buddies to that one (although you might end up on pre-breakfast tea & toast duty as it's right below the galley). A little downside it that the toilet and shower facilities (x2) are up on the main dive deck. This means a rather treachorous middle-of-the night accent up a ladder if you need to pay a visit in the early hours. Finally, for this accommodation review, the breakfast that Fiona puts together (for after the first dive) is fantastic! :) Diving - spot on. Ian runs a tight ship and will answer any questions directly and accurately. Drop-offs and pick-ups were always spot on, as were gas mixes and support for tech diving needs. This isn't really the place for in-depth (sorry for the pun) diving review - but as I said at the start, just book it.

While there is not too much competition for a full dive shop in Stromness, Scapa Scuba does excel…read moreanyway. There are a couple of other shops that sell the basics (spools, weights, belts, and other knickknacks) so if they don't have it, somebody will. But... where scapa scuba excel is in the suit manufacture and repair department. They'll turn a suite repair around on the same night (and deliver to your boat in the early hours) so you are ready for the next day's diving. For that reason, alone, they get 5 stars as they can save your holiday (and I have seen them do this on three separate occasions now - none of them me, I hasten to add :) ) They also have a good selection of spares and actually useful items - not some of the trinkets that can be found in other shops.

Can't sing the praises of Scapa Scuba enough. The delivered what I needed when and how I needed…read moreit. Scapa Flow is technical diving so quality is essential. Ben is extremely knowledgeable and well known in the Scope dive community. Katie provided service that far exceeded expectations. At home I am a business traveler and my standards for service are extremely high. Katie and Scapa exceeded the standards I have for my business hospitality providers. This was my first trip to Scapa and I was quite nervous because I wasn't sure what to expect. This is not a position I'm comfortable with since I like to have maximum information. Katie and Scapa Scuba filled in the blanks and brought me significant peace of mind. They provided far more than just tanks, regulators and soda sorb. The helped make this an epic trip. Thank you!!!

Had a fantastic couple of days learning to use a drysuit and seeing some of the Scapa Flow wrecks.read more

The Orkney Club is a private members club situated in Kirkwall, near the harbour. It is a lovely…read moreold building, with quite dated decor. There's a room downstairs which is like being in someone's house - a bit of a strange venue if you're out for a drink. The main bar is much better - comfortable seating, and a relaxed atmosphere. The staff presence can be a bit hit and miss, depending on who is working, but generally the service is fast and the staff cheery. Best of all - the drink is very cheap. Through the back of the bar is the fuction room/games room with a pool table and dart board. The toilets are quite basic - but functional. Upstairs are 2 full sized snooker tables, and regular competitions are held.

This place is shocking! The tanks are way too small for the creatures in them and every tank we saw…read morehad the same kind of fish. In the tank with the eel - there was no room for the creature to turn around comfortably, not to mention they'd stuck a plastic piece of tubing in the tank for him to 'play in'......there wasn't much room for the octapus either - these creatures need space to 'fly' around - they travel great distances in the wild - this was just cruelty. There was a poor eel-type fish - can't remember what it was - stuck in a bio-orb tank which was way too small for it and it nothing for company. The tank with the brown crab had a notice saying 'no spider crab and the brown crab had eaten it!' - why was a small creature put in with a predator in the first place? Then there was the rock pools - where the lobster had it's pincers taped shut - supposedly to stop it escaping - if it had been in a suitable container - or better still where it belonged (the sea) this wouldn't have been necessary! The cost in August 2010 was £6 for adults, £5 for concession and it was not worth the money - the staff were neither helpful or friendly and the fish were in poor condition tanks. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE TO ANYONE!!

This is a brilliant place to take the kids, especially on a wet day. There's lots to see and the…read morestaff are generally really good at taking the time to explain things to children and let them touch various sea creatures, etc. The aquarium is actually very creative - it's the back of an articulated lorry for transporting live shellfish, etc - it's been really cleverly done. There's a walkway around it - and lots of information up on the walls. There's also the wheelhouse of a ship - complete with captain's hat - for the children to have some fun in. In another room there's various tanks with beautiful flower-like anemones, and fish, and a blue lobster. And there's a shop, full of the type of 'junk' that kids like to spend their holiday money on.