Orkney & Shetland Isles

Programme

Day 1: Aberdeen to Shetland

Your journey begins in Aberdeen, the third biggest city in Scotland. Aberdeen with its granite houses and white beaches is also known as the “Silver City by the Sea”. Don’t miss architectural highlights like St Machar Cathedral and Marischal College in the centre of Aberdeen. In the afternoon your overnight ferry to Lerwick, the capital of the Shetland Isles, will leave from Aberdeen harbour.  Accommodation: Cabin on the ferry

Day 2: History of Shetland

You will reach the Shetland Isles at 7am. Enjoy a hearty breakfast and head off to discover the southern part of the main island. Immerse yourself in the varied history of Great Britain’s most northerly islands and get an understanding of the Norse background of the islanders. Visit Mousa Broch, Scotland’s best-preserved Iron Age round tower, and the Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement, one of the most remarkable archaeological sites ever excavated in the British Isles. It contains remains dating from 2500 BC up to the 17^th century AD. Learn more about Shetland’s story and history at the Shetland Museum and Archives in Lerwick or step back in time into a traditional 19^th century thatched crofthouse at the Crofthouse Museum. If there is still time, stop by at Valhalla Brewery, the most northerly brewery in Great Britain. Accommodation: Lerwick

Day 3: Shetland’s Wildlife

The remote archipelago of over 100 islands is a land where the summer sun barely dips below the horizon and the scenery and wildlife combine to create an inspiring and unforgettable experience. Shetland’s nature reserves offer a diverse range of creatures, from Shetland ponies grazing on hillsides to otters, bottlenose dolphins, porpoises and seals and even the occasional pod of orcas swimming in the coastal waters. At the southern tip of mainland Shetland, Sumburgh Head is characterised by steep cliffs, a historic lighthouse building and one of Britain’s most accessible seabird colonies. Over the summer months the towering cliffs are home to over a million seabirds, including endearingly cute puffins. Accommodation: Lerwick

Day 4: The Slow Pace of Life

Learn more about Shetland Wool and visit the islands only spinning mill. From the centre of Lerwick take a short stroll to The Horse of Knab, a sharp headland jutting out into the sea half a mile south east of town, and enjoy the fantastic views over the Bressay Sound to the Isle of Bressay. Visit Tommy and Mary’s Burland Croft Trail for a hands-on experience of crofting life in the 21^st century. Then it is time to say Goodbye the Shetland – in the late afternoon you will board the ferry to the Orkney Isles and will arrive in Kirkwall just before midnight. Accommodation: Kirkwall

Day 5: Neolithic Orkney and Whisky

Take a drive around the island past Scapa Flow, a body of sheltered water which played an important role in World War One. You will discover Skara Brae, a more than 4000 years old stone-built settlement, Europe’s most complete Neolithic village.  Together with the Ring of Brodgar, a neolithic henge and stone circle, as well as Maes Howe, a unique chambered cairn and passage grave, they are part of the “Heart of Neolithic Orkney” an UNESCO World Heritage Site. For whisky fans a visit to Highland Park, the most northerly whisky distillery in the world, is a must before ending the day in one of the islands many seafood restaurants. Accommodation: Kirkwall

Day 6: The Old Man of Hoy

Discover Stromness, Orkney’s second largest town is an architectural gem, an inspiration for artists and writers and a firm favourite with visitors. The famous seaport has remained unchanged in centuries and is retaining its original maritime charm with narrow winding streets and steep passageways all leading to its iconic waterfront and harbour. Take the local ferry to the Isle of Hoy, the most mountainous in the Orkney archipelago, where a fantastic walk leads you the spectacular Old Man of Hoy. The sea stack formed from red sandstone is with 137m (449 ft) one of the tallest stacks in the United Kingdom and popular with climbers from all over the world. Hoy is also an Important Bird Area (IBA) with the northern part of the island an RSPB Reserve due to its significance for birdlife, particularly great skuas and red-throated divers. Accommodation: Kirkwall

Day 7: The Northern Highlands of Scotland

In the morning visit the Italian Chapel, a beautiful small chapel built by Italian prisoners of war captured in North Africa and transported to the island. Across the island of South Ronaldsay you continue to St. Margaret’s Hope, here the ferry leaves for Thurso on the Scottish mainland. Follow the route along the East coast to Inverness and from here back to Aberdeen, where your journey ends.

Services

Tour includes

• 5 overnight stays in 3-4* B&B or hotel accommodation (en-suite)
• 1 overnight on Aberdeen-Lerwick ferry (2 pax cabin or reclining seat)
• Lerwick-Kirkwall ferry (includes allocated seat)
• Orkney-Mainland ferry
• 5 x Scottish breakfast
• hire car for 7 days from/to airport including insurance and Sat Nav
• Scotland road map
• comprehensive info pack including leisure and restaurant recommendations
• 24/7 emergency hotline

Not included

• flights
• lunch and dinner
• breakfast on the ferry
• fuel
• admissions
• additional driver

Optional add-ons

• £69 pp additional night in Edinburgh/Glasgow B&B, based on 2 people sharing (£41 single supplement)
• £89 pp additional night in Edinburgh/Glasgow hotel, based on 2 people sharing (£61 single supplement)
• from £50 per day car hire extension
• from £40 pp Royal Military Tattoo tickets (subject to availability)

Additional Information

Duration: 7 days
Participants: from 2 pax
Start: Aberdeen Airport (Glasgow/Edinburgh transfers possible)
Finish: Aberdeen Airport

When deciding on your travel dates, please bear in mind that we require at least 6 weeks to prepare. Every trip is meticulously planned and organised, and the information pack is compiled with great care and attention. We also have to allow time for the information pack to be delivered (postal delivery can take on average 4 weeks in Europe). If you do want to travel at short notice, please contact us by email. Thank you for your cooperation!

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