Could Do List – Orkney in November 2026

November brings shorter days and longer nights. A perfect time to ‘Coorie Doon’ and enjoy some home comforts. For photographers; the dramatic weather and light can produce some great results during the day.

Running until November 7, 2026 you can enjoy the traditions of these North Atlantic Islands, sitting around the peat fire while Listening to the legends, Folklore and social customs of past Orkney fishing & farming peoples and communities with Island Fireside Afternoons (2:30 PM – 4:30 PM) and Peatfire Tales of Orkney Evenings which will introduce you to traditional Orkney that combines legend, lore and social customs with music, song and dance. (8:00 PM – 10:00 PM). Booking is Essential.

The Pier Arts Centre is worth a visit with two exhibitions worth seeing running until the 7^th of November: ‘Through Their Eyes: The Pier Arts Centre Collection and the unfolding Asprey gift’ and ‘Water and Ground – New work by Teresa Borek’. Open daily from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

If you enjoy getting outside then the Heart of Neolithic Orkney: Guided tours continue through until December the 17th, 2026 – Join Orkney’s Historic Environment Scotland Rangers for tours of the Standing Stones of Stenness at 10am every Wednesday and the Ring of Brodgar at 1pm every Thursday.

The St Magnus Cathedral run special guided upper level tours at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Once a month, all year round, the Cathedral Curator will lead a tour on a specialist subject. On Saturday November 14^th at 10am you can explore The Natural World in the Cathedral.

Christmas Fairs are a the perfect opportunity to start your festive shopping in style with many businesses taking part, showcasing everything from art, jewellery and textiles, to whisky, gin, cheese, and much more.

On Saturday 14th November – 10-4pm and Sunday 15th November 10-3pm at the Kirkwall Grammar School, Orkney Arts and Crafts will hold their Craftastic Christmas Fair with over 100 different stall holders selling high quality, locally made crafts and gifts.

The following weekend, November 21st–22nd Creative Orkney and Taste of Orkney will hold their annual Christmas Fayre, also at Kirkwall Grammar School, showcasing local crafts, design, art, and food and drink.

The Skaill House Christmas Fair will this year be held in aid of RSABI (founded as the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution). Across the weekend of Saturday 28th-Sunday 29th November 2026 10:00am-4pm head long to Skaill House and browse a range of stalls full of pieces from local makers and enjoy some Orkney food and drink.

To welcome the festive season, Kirkwall BID will host A Very Kirkwall Christmas, a three‑day celebration designed to bring warmth, joy, and community spirit to the town centre from the 27–29th of November 2026. There will be an ice rink at William Shearers Car Park on Victoria Street, family activities, extended shop opening hours, themed offers, street‑front engagement, a walk-in snow globe – for incredible photo opportunities at Garden Square and more!

If you’re looking for a great walk to undertake in November then we would recommend driving to remote beaches and cliffs to see if you can spot seals. October and November are the time of year that grey seals come ashore to give birth to white fluffy pups.

The best beaches are ones that have grassy cliffs overlooking them – there are several in South Ronaldsay. There you can rest on the cliff tops and use binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens to get a great photo. We wouldn’t recommend getting too close as this would distress the pups and their mothers. Make sure you wrap up warm and take care on cliff edges.

Lastly, wrap up and head to community bonfire and fireworks displays around the county – usually held on or around the 5th of November. Keep an eye on local community Facebook pages for more information.

We hope you have a marvellous time in Orkney during the month of November!

By Victoria Dixon Orkney and Shetland fanatic, likes to capture life through a lens, loves creating, eclectic taste in music, enjoys being a Mum; would secretly love to be a star of the West End!

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