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Spiritual Orkney
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Helen & Mark Woodsford-Dean
Craigielea, Harray, Orkney, Scotland, KW17 2JU
Helen & Mark Woodsford-Dean
Craigielea, Harray, Orkney, Scotland, KW17 2JU
+44(0)7749 934617 (mob) / +44(0)1856 761133
Please email or text prior to telephoning, thanks
About your guides
About Your Guides & Our Guiding Style
Spiritual Orkney were delighted to be nominated in Destination Orkney's 2022 Tourism Awards in the 'Tour Guide of the Year' category. This is one of the categories voted on by the public and the awards were announced in 2023.
Thank you to everyone who voted for us; we were absolutely thrilled to have been nominated and to have been in the 'final 3'. For a full list of categories and nominations, follow this link.
At Spiritual Orkney, we prefer to give people the time and the space to sense, feel and connect with the sites and the land. We think this is more, well, spiritual.
However, our tours can squeeze in the sites, if that's what you really want ... it's YOUR choice after all, but our philosophy is: you're on holiday, island life is relaxed, why not relax into our pace too? You'll enjoy it more ... and you can always come back to Orkney again in future!
We may be relaxed and entertaining (and enjoy fun and laughter), but we are still professional, courteous and informative.
Helen and Mark are both accredited Scottish Tourist Guides Association Green Badge Guides, authorised and insured to perform tours around Orkney.
Mark has a MLitt in Archaeological Studies (with Distinction) through the University of the Highlands and Islands, plus two degrees from the Open University: one in history (with an archaeological bias) and one in health and social care, as well as a Cert. HE in archaeology (University of Southampton). His specialist areas of interest are prehistoric and Viking / Norse archaeology.
However, our tours can squeeze in the sites, if that's what you really want ... it's YOUR choice after all, but our philosophy is: you're on holiday, island life is relaxed, why not relax into our pace too? You'll enjoy it more ... and you can always come back to Orkney again in future!
We may be relaxed and entertaining (and enjoy fun and laughter), but we are still professional, courteous and informative.
Helen and Mark are both accredited Scottish Tourist Guides Association Green Badge Guides, authorised and insured to perform tours around Orkney.
Mark has a MLitt in Archaeological Studies (with Distinction) through the University of the Highlands and Islands, plus two degrees from the Open University: one in history (with an archaeological bias) and one in health and social care, as well as a Cert. HE in archaeology (University of Southampton). His specialist areas of interest are prehistoric and Viking / Norse archaeology.
Helen has degrees from top British universities in archaeology (University of Winchester BSc (Hons) First Class, University of Southampton MSc with Distinction) and her specialist areas of interest are religion and ritual in the prehistoric British Isles and folklore. Helen has over 10 years experience of teaching archaeology (University of Portsmouth Post-Graduate Certificate of Education).
Mark and Helen have both travelled extensively in the British Isles. Helen is Service Assured trained which provides reassurance about her and Mark's commitment to delivering an excellent level of service at all times (this training is recommended by Visit Scotland). All of this means that Helen and Mark know their stuff AND can communicate it in an accessible manner at the right level for YOU.
In addition, since moving to Orkney, Helen has taught evening classes in archaeology, has worked as a steward providing tours at Maeshowe, as an Assistant Ranger at the World Heritage Sites, as an Assistant Custodian / Customer Services Assistant at Orkney Museum and St Magnus Cathedral, and as a relief Custodian at Corrigall and Kirbister Farm Museums. She also helped to facilitate the annual 'Digging up the Past' young person's project at the Ness of Brodgar excavations. Helen has previously been the editor of the Orkney Archaeology Society's newsletter and is one of the leaders of Orkney's Young Archaeologists Club.
Mark and Helen are both fully insured through the Scottish Tourist Guides Association and available to plan your bespoke tours for you and guide you around the sites of your choice. We can't guarantee that you'll have a site to yourself, but we can advise when the quieter times will be and we are flexible enough to be able to guide you at those times. Plus we can take you to the quieter, secret, sacred sites which are off the main tourist trails.
Mark and Helen have both travelled extensively in the British Isles. Helen is Service Assured trained which provides reassurance about her and Mark's commitment to delivering an excellent level of service at all times (this training is recommended by Visit Scotland). All of this means that Helen and Mark know their stuff AND can communicate it in an accessible manner at the right level for YOU.
In addition, since moving to Orkney, Helen has taught evening classes in archaeology, has worked as a steward providing tours at Maeshowe, as an Assistant Ranger at the World Heritage Sites, as an Assistant Custodian / Customer Services Assistant at Orkney Museum and St Magnus Cathedral, and as a relief Custodian at Corrigall and Kirbister Farm Museums. She also helped to facilitate the annual 'Digging up the Past' young person's project at the Ness of Brodgar excavations. Helen has previously been the editor of the Orkney Archaeology Society's newsletter and is one of the leaders of Orkney's Young Archaeologists Club.
Mark and Helen are both fully insured through the Scottish Tourist Guides Association and available to plan your bespoke tours for you and guide you around the sites of your choice. We can't guarantee that you'll have a site to yourself, but we can advise when the quieter times will be and we are flexible enough to be able to guide you at those times. Plus we can take you to the quieter, secret, sacred sites which are off the main tourist trails.
Member of the Scottish Tourist Guides Association which is a Member of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) and Member of the European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (FEG).
Whilst you are in Orkney, perhaps we can introduce to you some of our friends ...
Helen & Mark Woodsford-Dean
Craigielea, Harray, Orkney, Scotland, KW17 2JU
+44 (0)7749 934617 (mobile)
Craigielea, Harray, Orkney, Scotland, KW17 2JU
+44 (0)7749 934617 (mobile)
+44 (0)1856 761133
info@spiritualorkney.co.uk
info@spiritualorkney.co.uk
Please email or text prior to telephoning, thanks
When using this web-site, please refer to our disclaimers, copyrights, and limitation of liabilities as detailed in our Contract and Terms and Conditions and Data Protection, Privacy Notice, and Retention Policy.
Spiritual Orkney is a partnership of whom Helen & Mark Woodsford-Dean
are the partners.