In reply to The New NickB:
> Addition cost on not just the Scrabster to Stromness ferry, but also on inter island ferries.
I still don't really understand. You'll spend the best part of £100 in fuel just getting to Scrabster, and yet you'll choose not to spend on the ferry? You don't need to take the car to the other islands.
> Cycle touring is a pleasant way to travel in its own right.
Apart from the days when it's windy.
Anyway, it's your trip, and I hope you have a splendid time. If it's 20 years since you were last there, you will notice changes - it's much busier, and sites such as Skara Brae, Maes Howe, and the Stones of Stenness and Brodgar are now firmly on the coach tour itineraries. The recent archaeological excavations at Brodgar are fascinating, and they are unearthing new finds on a very regular basis.