Visitors to Kirkwall are 'chomping at the bit' to experience the town's newest tourist attraction.

Horse power will help visitors view the sights of Kirkwall from the comfort of a luxury carriage driven by South Ronaldsay farmer, Geoff Linnitt.
 
Geoff - a member of the Orkney Carriage Driving Association - decided to offer the tours as a way of diversifying his farm business.  Funding support from Orkney Enterprise worth £2,000 has helped with the purchase a new carriage and other necessary equipment.

Geoff and a pair of ponies will take visitors from Hatston Pier, around the town with a stop at the St Magnus Cathedral.  The service is predominantly aimed at the large numbers of people visiting Orkney on cruise liners, and it could be a busy summer for Geoff and his four legged friends with over 60 cruises ships expected to dock in Kirkwall in the coming months.

Commenting on his new venture, Geoff said: "My wife and I have been involved in carriage driving for many years and it just seemed like a good idea to turn our hobby into a commercial venture and provide tourists with a slightly different way of seeing Kirkwall.

"We are also offering our services to locals for weddings and other special occasions as well as drives, children's' sessions and lessons on our farm."

Harvey Stevenson, business development manager at Orkney Enterprise said: "We think that Mr Linnitt's horse drawn carriage rides will be very popular with visitors to Kirkwall, providing them with a unique and novel way of seeing the town."