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British Isles










    GRAND  TOURS                                                                                                     LerwickHarbour - VisitScotland © StuartBrunton












      Shetland & Orkney - Wildlife & History





      Tuesday 19 May to Tuesday 2 June 2026

      A comprehensive tour of these beautiful islands, alive with wildlife and steeped in history, starting in Glasgow and ending in Edinburgh. Enjoy stays
      in Aberdeen and Inverness and jouneys on the Keith & Dufftown and Strathspey Railways.



      Day 1 - Welcome to Glasgow           Day 5 - Sumburgh & St. Ninians       reconvene mid-afternoon to board the Northlink
      We meet in Glasgow for a welcome dinner and   Head  southwards  today  to  find  seabirds  galore  at  ferry to Orkney. Time to enjoy a 3-course dinner
      1-night stay. Why not arrive a day or two early to   Sumburgh  Head  -  Puffins,  Guillemots,  Razorbills,  onboard (included), before a late evening arrival in
      enjoy the sights of this lively city – we would be   Kittiwakes and Fulmars can all be found here. Tour  Kirkwall for a 4-night stay.
      happy to arrange this for you.       the impressive prehistoric archaeological site of
                                           Jarlshof containing remains dating from 2500 BC up   Day 8 - Skara Brae & Sea Stacks
      Day 2 - North to Aberdeen                                                 Explore Skara Brae - the best-preserved group of
      Enjoy a morning at leisure in Glasgow – Prince’s   to the 17th Century. Time also to enjoy a walk on the   prehistoric  houses  in Western  Europe,  this  village
      Square,  one  of  Scotland’s  most  famous  buildings   famous tombolo at St. Ninians Isle.  was thriving long before Stonehenge or even the
      is within easy walking distance, as is the Gallery of   Day 6 - Northwest Shetland  Pyramids were built. Our visit includes entry to Skaill
      Modern Art. We take an afternoon train to Aberdeen   Driving  northwards  this  morning,  our  first  stop  is  House, a 17th-Century mansion on the same site.
      for a 1-night stay.                  Mavis Grind - this narrow isthmus is said to be the  We also call at the village of Birsay, home to a tidal
                                           only place in the UK where you can throw a stone  island, and later, take a short walk out to the Yesnaby
      Day 3 - Aberdeen at Leisure
      This compact, friendly city is located on the coast   from the Atlantic Ocean into the North Sea! From  Sea Stacks.
      and there is plenty to see, from sand dunes to ships   here, we head out to  Shetland’s volcanic coast to   Day 9 - Heart of Neolithic Orkney
      which dock right up to the city streets. Admire the   discover the spectacular cliff scenery at Eshaness.   Today we focus on the UNESCO Heart of Neolithic
      sparkling  granite  architecture,  walk  to  the  pretty   Our return journey takes us via the harbour village   Orkney World Heritage Site. This encompasses 4
      village  of ‘Fittie’  or  explore  the  cobbled  streets  of   of Aith, home to the most northerly lifeboat station   monuments (including Skara Brae) and around 5,000
      the old town. We check in for our overnight ferry   in Britain.           years of history. Our local guide will take us around
      to Shetland late afternoon. Onboard we have   Day 7 - Lerwick & Ferry     the famous archaeological treasures of the Ring of
      comfortable private cabins and a 3-course dinner   Enjoy most of the day at leisure to explore. The  Brodgar, the Standing Stones of Stenness and the
      and breakfast is included.           Shetland Museum is well worth a visit, as is the Lerwick  Maeshowe chambered tomb. Lunch and a tour of
                                           Brewery  –  advance  booking  is  recommended. We  Orkney Brewery is also included today.
      Day 4 - Shetland Mainland & Mousa
      After breakfast we disembark and board our private
      coach for a day of sightseeing, focusing on the central
      mainland. Our first stop is Hamnavoe, where seals
      are often spotted lazing in the harbour, and we visit
      Meal Beach before arriving at Scalloway – home of
      the  Shetland  Bus,  an  important WW2  operation.
      Weather depending, we take a private charter boat
      to the uninhabited island of Mousa. This is an RSPB
      nature  reserve,  and  home  to  the  best-preserved                     ItalianChapel - VisitScotland © Fionn McArthur
      broch in the world. Return to Lerwick and our hotel                                                            Puffin - VisitScotland © Paul Tomkins
      for the next 3 nights. Dinner is included each evening
      here.

     5     Over 50 Years of Unforgettable Rail Journeys
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