Arrive in Edinburgh and transfer on your own to your centrally located hotel. Get acquainted with your tour manager and fellow travelers this evening during a three-course meal at the hotel. Overnight Edinburgh.
- Dinner
2023 Tour code: GR-SOSA-23
About the tour
Experience another side of Scotland on a journey to Shetland and the Orkneys, some of the most impressive destinations across the Scottish Isles. This immersive journey explores these remote locales, presenting their wildlife, heritage and customs as we travel from one historic destination to the next. Beginning in Edinburgh, travel by train through the spectacular scenery of the Scottish Highlands to Aberdeen. A walking tour introduces us to the unique architecture and layered history of this thriving port city, and then we join an overnight ferry at the harbor to sail through the North Atlantic to Shetland. Our time in Shetland is filled with adventure ranging from castle ruin-viewing to watching Shetland ponies and puffins romping in their picturesque natural environments. Enjoy a visit to the capital city of Lerwick and excursions to places like Brae and Jalshof, a town that has seen nearly 4,000 years of human life. Another ferry ride takes us to the remote Orkney Isles, where Neolithic history is as bountiful as natural beauty. Marvel at the preserved past as a guide leads us between four incredible sites: the Standing Stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar, Maeshowe and Skara Brae. We return to mainland Scotland by ferry and explore Castle of Mey. Our memorable exploration of Scotland's off-the-beaten path destinations concludes with a rail journey back to Edinburgh.
Highlights
What’s included
Itinerary
Arrive in Edinburgh and transfer on your own to your centrally located hotel. Get acquainted with your tour manager and fellow travelers this evening during a three-course meal at the hotel. Overnight Edinburgh.
Additional information
Global Rail Adventures Brochure
The definitive guide to our 2023 Global Rail Adventures