King of the road (trip)

An influencer video promoting some of Orkney’s top visitor sights was one of VisitScotland’s top performing collaborations of 2023 – with more than a quarter of a million views.

The national tourism organisation worked with social media influencers ‘Kinging-It’ early last year to experience the islands in winter. It was their first ever trip to Orkney.

The resultant 23-minute video created for their YouTube channel has gained 288,000 views, 15,000 likes and 970 comments – making it VisitScotland’s most engaged piece of influencer YouTube content for 2023.

Kinging-It are young Welsh couple, Craig and Aimee. After Aimee was diagnosed with cancer at 18 and Craig broke his neck shortly after in a freak accident, they decided life really was too short. Kinging-It was created, and the pair have been travelling for over a decade together, finding the most adventurous and unique itineraries the world has to offer.

During their trip to Orkney, which Craig described to viewers as, “one of the rawest and most epic places on planet Earth,” they stayed at The Storehouse in Kirkwall and the Kirkwall Hotel. They also visited the island of Hoy where they spent time at the Beach Gallery and created a pair of love spoons with Carolyn Shepherd, before taking a dip in the sea.

They met Lorna Brown from See Orkney, who gave them a tour of the Stones of Stenness and Skara Brae, visited Yesnaby Cliffs, and ate at Helgi’s on the seafront in Kirkwall and Twenty One, also in Kirkwall.

The couple enjoyed a trike ride around mainland Orkney and visited the iconic Italian Chapel with John, from Orkney Trike Tours.

They took a tour and tasting at Highland Park Distillery and visited St Magnus Cathedral, before heading to Mullhead Nature Reserve at Deerness, where Aimee told viewers, “This part of the world is so untouched, it’s just incredibly beautiful. I feel like there’s just life everywhere. I think Orkney in general is just a gorgeous place.”

They finished their island adventure with lunch at the Kirk Gallery and Café at Tankerness and a visit to Sheila Fleet Jewellery.

Cheryl Chapman, VisitScotland’s Orkney Development Manager, said: “Orkney is a fabulous destination at any time of the year, as there is always something different to see in each season. We are focusing on the responsible growth of our industry, including the regional and seasonal spread of visitors and attracting higher-value visitors who stay longer and spend more.

“I’m so pleased that Craig and Aimee enjoyed their visit so much and that they were given a warm Orcadian welcome from everyone they met. Hopefully their trip gave them a chance to see how the impact of tourism spreads far beyond the industry itself - it benefits our economy, our community and our wellbeing.”

To watch their Orkney trip, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqUdkxTfskI

For more information about Orkney, visit: https://www.visitscotland.com/places-to-go/islands/orkney

ENDS