Shetland, one of the most northerly British Isles, unique and unlike any other region of Great Britain.
Shetland has 900 miles of coastline with dramatic cliffs and beautiful scenery, in addition to the famous indigenous Shetland Ponies, reputed for their strength and hardiness.
It has retained its Scandinavian customs and traditions, following the settlement of the Vikings in the 8th and 9th centuries.
The delights of any tour to this island are further enhanced by the journey north and the wonderful sightseeing opportunities en route.
DAY 1: Today we travel to Glasgow, our first stop of this tour.
DAY 2: We board the Northlink overnight ferry for our onward journey.
DAY 3: We arrive in Shetland. Entrance to Old Haa, lunch at Baltasound Public Hall and entrance to Unst Boat Haven and Unst Heritage Centre.
Your qualified Shetland guide will meet the group at Northlink ferry terminal for a departure at 8.15am. Depart for your tour to the most northerly part of the UK. There will be a photo stop at the vast Sullom Voe Oil Terminal before proceeding to catch the short ferry crossing to Yell, taking the east coast road to Cullivoe with entry to the Old Haa Museum - full of unusual artefacts from the lives of islanders.
Continue across Yell and the short ferry to Unst, with many beautiful beaches and home for decades to the RAF. There will be a soup & sandwich lunch at Baltasound Public Hall. After lunch, visit both the Unst Heritage Centre and then on to Unst Boat Haven.
As we return to the ferry, stop briefly to view Skidblander (a replica Viking Long Ship) and Viking Longhouse. Return to Lerwick at 5.30pm approximately and check in to your hotel.
DAY 4: Entrance to Crofthouse Museum, refreshments at Sumburgh Hotel, Jarlshof, Scalloway Museum and Carol’s Ponies. Depart your hotel and head towards the southern part of Shetland, taking in some nice photo stops along the way. Arrive at the Crofthouse Museum so that you can experience what life would have been like for Shetlanders in the 1800’s.
We head further south still and arrive at the Sumburgh Hotel for morning coffee. After our coffee, we will visit Jarlshof, one of Europe’s most important archaeological sites. Your guide will walk you through 5,000 years of Shetland’s history.
Return to Lerwick, where you will have some free time in the town centre for lunch and shopping.
After lunch, head to Scalloway, Shetland’s former capital, where you will visit the Scalloway Museum. There are various exhibits about local history and the Shetland Bus, an undercover operation that took place in World War 2. You can also see the Scalloway Castle, built in 1600 by the tyrant Earl Patrick Stewart. Make the short drive to Tingwall, to visit Carol, who is a Shetland Pony enthusiast, breeding very good quality ponies and who will be delighted to share her knowledge with visitors.
Return to your hotel to relax for the evening.
DAY 5: Entrance to Tangwick Haa, lunch at Hillswick Hall and Shetland Jewellery. The next morning, your guide will join you again, this time heading to the Northwest corner of Shetland. See the fascinating sea stacks known as “The Drongs” on your way north. We will make our way to the Eshaness Lighthouse and cliffs, where you will get to view and photograph some of Shetland’s most dramatic scenery and iconic coastline.
Afterwards, we will head to the Braewick Café, where you will have your morning coffee. We also visit the Tangwick Haa (Hall – a former Laird’s house) and view their exhibits on local history, some of the first examples of Shetland knitwear and geology.
We will have lunch in a local community hall before heading south, taking the scenic route to show you one of Shetland’s few tree plantations. We then arrive at Shetland Jewellery. Here the shop manager welcomes visitors to a tour of the jewellery workshop, where silver and gold jewellery are produced using Nordic, traditional and wildlife designs.
Afterwards, en route back to Lerwick, take the opportunity to photograph one of the spectacular vistas of many of the islands that make up the Shetland archipelago. Time to start our journey home as we board the overnight ferry.
DAY 6: A final night stay in Dryfesdale.
DAY 7: Final journey home.
For us to see all the sights we will be staying at three hotels as well as staying overnight on a ferry outbound and inbound. We will be staying at Courtyard Marriott Glasgow Air (1 night), Northlink overnight ferries (1 night), Shetland Hotel (2 nights), Northlink overnight ferries (1 night) and Dryfesdale Hotel (1 night).
All hotel rooms are en-suite with all modern amenities. Northlink ferry cabins are all also en-suite.
For a full itinerary and for more information about all our tours please view our brochure.
Price: £1544 pp