Spring in Orkney is a magical time when wildflowers carpet the islands and the days lengthen after the long winter.  The month of May has the second highest average hours of sunshine of the year, after August.  Lambs are born and skip around the fields and cattle taste their first fresh grass as they are turned out after a winter in a warm byre.  Seabirds arrive in their thousands to nest on the cliff ledges.  In fact spring is a great time for humans to visit too while there are plenty of beds to be had, before the festivals and summer events lure the bulk of visitors to the islands.  And Orkney’s fantastic ancient monuments and attractions are that bit quieter too.

Beware though in late March when equinoxal gales can hit the islands, bringing a dramatic element to the scene, making a walk down the street an adventure in the wind.  But even the April showers here can have a good side to them, for this is the time for brilliant rainbows, casting their arcs of colour high in the sky which can be seen for miles.  By sunny May you have good chances of enjoying more peaceful times sitting by harbour sides and on garden benches watching the world go by. And even if the day starts unpromisingly, the weather can change to glorious sunshine and often does.

On May 17 Orcadians celebrate ancient Norse connections by marking Norwegian Constitution Day with visiting friends from Norway with a parade, concert and dance.  And at the end of May the air will be alive to the sound of many fiddles as the Orkney Folk Festival gets underway in venues across the county.