Orkney & The Shetland Islands

Your vacation begins as you arrive at our hotel in Edinburgh and meet the Tour Manager. After checking in to our hotel, you're at leisure to start exploring Scotland's capital.

The heart of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with the Old Town's historic buildings and the New Town's award-winning Georgian architecture continuing the contrast between traditional and contemporary. The Royal Mile is rich with history and offers an array of sights. Strolling between the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Edinburgh Castle, you can view Gothic St Giles' Cathedral, fascinating museums and atmospheric alleyways. Explore the grounds of the iconic castle or nearby Victoria Street, a curved cobblestone road towered over by colorful stores.

This evening, we gather at our hotel for our first dinner together as a group.

• Dinner

After breakfast this morning, we board a train to Aberdeen. Our journey takes us over the UNESCO-listed Forth Bridge before scenes of sandy beaches, rugged cliffs and rolling farmland pass by our windows.

On arrival in Aberdeen, a motorcoach takes us on a guided tour, beginning in Footdee. This old harborside fishing village - known locally as 'Fittie' - is a charming blend of historic cottages and colorful outbuildings. The tour continues to Old Aberdeen, where cobbled roads lead to the 14th-century St Machar's Cathedral, situated on a site of worship dating back to the sixth century. Next, we head into downtown Aberdeen to view the grand buildings of the Merchant Quarter and King's College, before seeing the striking granite statue of Queen Victoria at Queen's Cross.

Aberdeen is named the 'Granite City' due to the many buildings constructed from the distinctive rock. There is time at leisure to admire the architecture and get lunch before we board the ferry for an overnight crossing. As we set sail, we enjoy a three-course dinner on board this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Shetland is Britain's northernmost outpost and is closer to Bergen in Norway than Edinburgh with landscapes displaying a unique Norse influence. Disembarking in Lerwick after breakfast, we travel by coach to Scalloway and admire this small fishing port huddled on a spit of land between fjord-like inlets before a highlight of the vacation.

The islands are renowned for Shetland ponies, and we meet these charming and diminutive animals close up while learning about their history. There is also the opportunity to lead them through the fields to a picturesque beach. Returning to Scalloway, we discover the islands' history at the town's fascinating museum, including the story of the 'Shetland Bus', a clandestine World War Two operation helping rescue people from occupied Norway. Afterwards, we travel back to Lerwick for a walking tour of the islands' largest town - although there is also the option to spend time at leisure.

This evening, a scenic drive takes us to our hotel in Brae, where there's time to unwind before dinner.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The islands' breathtaking scenery is uncovered after breakfast today. A local guide joins us for a coach trip to Eshaness via the beautiful fjord at Ronas Voe. Here, a short clifftop walk along a flank of an ancient volcano reveals amazing coastal views of waves crashing against the sheer cliffs.

Next, we visit the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary where rescued marine mammals are cared for. With 1,700-miles of rugged coastline, remote Shetland is one of the UK's most important habitats for seals and otters. We spend time admiring these much-loved animals and learning about the dedication that goes into caring for them. After a lunch of fish and chips, we stop at a croft where award-winning Shetland ponies are bred. Following introductions to the delightful herd as well as dogs and sheep, we continue to Lunna.

As the headquarters of the Shetland Bus during World War Two, Lunna played a fascinating part in 20th-century history. Here, we view the base of operations, Lunna House, and the hamlet's historic church. Returning to our Brae hotel, we sit down for dinner this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoying a full day of sightseeing after breakfast, we travel by coach to St Ninian's Isle. This picturesque uninhabited island is connected to the mainland by a long spit of sand, or tombolo. There is time to visit the remains of 8th-century St Ninian's Chapel and discover its Pictish history.

After pausing to view the golden sands of Rerwick Bay, we arrive at ancient Jarlshof. Exploring the site, we see some of Europe's oldest signs of life revealed through a range of neolithic and Norse structures and buildings dating from around 2700 BC to the 17th century. Occupied for 4,000 years, the settlement was lost, with only the remains of the 16th-century Laird's House visible - until a storm in 1897 revealed a cluster of buried buildings.

From here, we travel the short distance to Sumburgh Head, a protected nature reserve where thousands of seabirds nest on the cliffs, including puffins, guillemots, razorbills and fulmars. Returning to Lerwick, we board our ferry for an evening sailing to Orkney with dinner on board, checking in to our hotel in Stromness late tonight.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Our day begins with a leisurely breakfast followed by a talk from archaeologist Professor Nick Card, who oversees excavations at the Ness of Brodgar, one of western Europe's most important neolithic sites.

We then visit the Italian Chapel, an ornate Catholic chapel built by Italian PoWs during World War Two. In Kirkwall, Orkney's main town, we view the soaring St Magnus Cathedral before uncovering the islands' neolithic history in the impressive cluster of UNESCO-listed monuments called the Heart of Neolithic Orkney. Our first stop is the awe-inspiring Ring of Brodgar, a vast stone circle in a wild and mysterious landscape. At the nearby Standing Stones of Stenness, we view monoliths believed to date from 3100 BC. Continuing to the Brough of Birsay and Broch of Gurness we reach the remarkably preserved 5,000-year-old village of Skara Brae, often referred to as the 'Scottish Pompeii'. Our final stop is Maeshowe, a chambered cairn with Viking graffiti and runes etched into the walls.

After our explorations, we arrive at Stromness to enjoy dinner at a restaurant before boarding an overnight ferry to Scrabster.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Arriving in Scrabster early this morning, we transfer to our coach for a journey to the beautiful Castle and Gardens of Mey. Previously a royal residence and the Queen Mother's home in Caithness, this is the northernmost castle on mainland Britain. On a clear day, you can see Orkney in the distance across the Pentland Firth. There's time at leisure to explore the castle, its attractive walled gardens and the grounds.

Heading east, we call at John O'Groats for a photo stop at the famous sign that points the way to Land's End, 874 miles away. Returning to Thurso, we board the train for a scenic rail journey through the Scottish Highlands to Inverness. Enroute, breathtaking mountains, lochs and coastal views pass our windows before sweeping moors and hilltop castles start to appear.

After checking in to our hotel in Inverness, there is time to freshen up or stroll out to explore the Capital of the Highlands before our final dinner together.

• Breakfast

After a week of exploring the historic 'Granite City' of Aberdeen, setting sail into the wild Shetlands, enjoying time with ponies and marine mammals, and discovering the rich history of the Shetlands and Orkney, your vacation draws to a close.

A relaxed breakfast precedes a train journey through the Cairngorms to Edinburgh. Scenes of mountain peaks, winding rivers and cascading waterfalls drift by the train windows, occasionally interrupted by historic towns and villages on our way to the Scottish capital.

Arriving back in Edinburgh, your vacation concludes, and you are free to make your own way home or continue exploring independently.