Highlights of Orkney & Shetland

This special island tour explores the beauty of the Shetland and Orkney Isles. From the dramatic rugged coastlines and fascinating wildlife to the ancient history and unique blend of Scottish and Scandinavian culture, our wonderful guided tours will make this a truly unforgettable Scottish island experience!Wednesday: We depart the Travel Centre this morning and make our way north, making comfort stops en route before arriving at our overnight hotel, the Salutation Hotel in Perth, Scotland, where we will be welcomed with tea/coffee and biscuits.

Thursday: After a hearty Scottish breakfast, we begin our drive through the stunning and scenic
Cairngorm National Park, Britain’s largest mountain range. We pause in Inverness en route, where we spend lunchtime at leisure. From here, we make our way to our hotel for the next two nights, on the north coast, the Norseman Hotel, Wick.

Friday: Today we visit the former royal residence of the Queen Mother, the Castle & Gardens
of Mey, where we get an insight into Her Majesty’s life in Caithness and spend time enjoying the peaceful gardens and grounds. After, we head to the most northerly point of the mainland, John o’ Groats, a famous start or finish point for cyclists and walkers making the great journey to or from Land’s End. We can explore the village and admire the beautiful scenery, surrounding coast and wildlife before returning to our hotel.

Saturday: After a leisurely breakfast, we journey to Scrabster and board the lunchtime ferry to Stromness on Orkney. On arrival, we meet our local guide who will be with us throughout our step-on tour of the island. No trip to Orkney would be complete without a visit to the mystical ancient settlement of Skara Brae, uncovered by a storm in 1850. This ancient settlement is older than Stonehenge and the amazingly preserved rooms provide us with a unique insight into prehistoric human living. We then head to the mystical Ring of Brodgar to view the standing stones, reminiscent of those at Stonehenge and Avebury and constructed around 2500 - 2000 BC. After, we travel past the Churchill Barriers, the construction of which was ordered by Winston Churchill after the tragic torpedoing of the battleship Royal Oak in Scapa Flow during 1939, then visit the Italian Chapel, ‘the miracle of camp 60’, which was built by Italian prisoners during WWII. We finish in Kirkwall, where we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant, before boarding our overnight ferry to the Shetland Islands.

Sunday: After breakfast on board, we arrive in Lerwick and meet our step-on guide for the day.
We visit a local jewellery workshop and then see some Shetland Ponies before heading back to Lerwick to visit the Shetland Museum & Archives. After spending lunchtime at leisure, we head to the fertile limestone community of Fladdabister, and the world’s best preserved 2,000-year-old Iron Age Broch, on the Island of Mousa. Finally, we travel through 5,000 years of Shetland history at Jarlshof, one of Europe’s biggest and most complex archaeological sites, ranging from the Neolithic Age up to the 1600s. Later this afternoon, we board our overnight ferry where dinner is served on board.

Monday: On arrival in Aberdeen, breakfast is served before we disembark and continue our
journey to our overnight hotel, Gretna Hall Hotel, making a stop in Edinburgh for some free time.

Tuesday: We bid a fond farewell to Scotland this morning as we make our way back to Leicestershire, arriving back at the Travel Centre late afternoon.The Salutation Hotel
Situated in the heart of historic Perth, this hotel is reputed to be one of the oldest hotels in Scotland. Its city centre location is perfect for accessing the shops, cafes and the river, which are all just outside of the hotel.
All 84 bedrooms are en suite with tea/coffee making facilities, a television and telephone. All rooms are traditional in style, there is a cosy, but spacious pub style bar and the restaurant is light and airy with a view onto the main street. Dinner is carvery style.

Hotels
• The Salutation Hotel (Perth) - View Information