IF the bright blue waters and white sands of the Maldives are a little out of reach, then apparently you should head to Scotland instead.
The archipelago of Orkney happens to be one of Lorraine Kelly’s favourite holiday destinations, and even compared it to far-flung hotspots.
Talking to The Times, Lorraine Kelly revealed: “One of my favourite places is Orkney, where I’ve been going annually since 1985 and I still haven’t seen everything.
“It’s fascinating if you’re interested in prehistory, with Skara Brae — a stone neolithic settlement — Maeshowe tombs and wonderful ancient sites.”
She added: “I hosted the opening ceremony of the Orkney International Island Games last year and the sun shone like it was the Maldives.
“You need to pack your bikini and a balaclava. It can be sunshine in the morning and snow in the afternoon but it’s beautiful and I would live there in a heartbeat.”
Orkney is an archipelago of around 70 islands and scattered across them are some incredible Maldives-like beaches.
Some of the top ones are Rackwick Bay on the north west of the island of Hoy.
The beach is surrounded by cliffs and heathery hills – and on the beach is fine sand and boulders.
The island of Sanday is known for extensive white sand with popular beaches including Backaskaill Bay and Whitemill Bay.
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Another of the islands, Stronsay, is known for its quiet, untouched coastline with one of the standout beaches being the Sands of Rothiesholm.
Aside from beaches, there are small towns dotted around the island that can be explored too, starting with Kirkwall.
Kirkwall is the capital and of the Orkney Islands and a few years ago was declared the friendliest place in the country.
It was so friendly that locals even left their doors unlocked.
In 2023, it was voted the number one most welcoming destination by Booking.com, Kirkwall climbed from its previous second position.
When it comes to where to stay, Lorraine’s hotel of choice is the Foveran – just a few miles outside of Kirkwall.
Visitors can stay at the hotel with a bed & full Orcadian breakfast stay from £135 per night (single), or £175 (double).
A full Orcadian breakfast typically includes sausages, bacon, fried eggs, and black pudding, along with Orcadian bere bannocks (a rustic barley bread), smoked fish, and Orkney cheddar.
Each room has a TV, tea and coffee making station, free Wi-Fi and luxury Scottish Fine Soaps products in the bathrooms.
When it comes to other spots to explore, visitors often head to The Old Man of Hoy – on the island of Hoy.
The Old Man of Hoy is a 449ft sea stack made of Old Red Sandstone – it’s the UK’s tallest sea stack and a popular spot for rock climbers.
Visitors can get to Lamb Holm from one of the causeways in the Orkney islands.
Orkney is also a popular place for wildlife. And while you might not spot all the marine life that you get in the Maldives – there are some, like dolphins.
There have been over 12 species seen in Orkney over the years, like the bottlenose, white-beaked and Risso dolphins.
If you want to see them – peak viewing season is May to September.
Orkney is a prime destination for whale watching, with 90 per cent of orca sightings occurring there.
You’re likely to see lots of birds there too like puffins, guillemots, and razorbills.
The island of North Ronaldsay is home to its own breed of sheep with the same name.
They live on the rocky shores and exist on a diet that is made up of seaweed – which is incredibly rare.
When it comes to getting to Orkney, you can fly directly to Orkney with Loganair – the airline has direct routes to Kirkwall from Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.
There are three main ferry routes to and from Orkney – NorthLink Ferries sail between Aberdeen and Kirkwall.
Here are more of the UK’s best islands that have been named, and they look more like the Caribbean and Maldives.
And here are five islands off the coast of the UK you can visit without needing your passport.