Rescheduled Tour From 2020!
This tour replaces our advertised departure to The Shetland & Orkney Isles (Page 16 of our brochure) which regrettably can no longer take place due to the ferry operator (Northlink) not allowing any group tours access for the whole of 2021.
The itinerary for this new tour is as follows:
So, what awaits you in Orkney? For starters, the island has a distinctive culture, natural wonders and several fascinating geological sites. Lying off Scotland's north coast, surrounded by crystal-clear waters, this archipelago is a rather special place indeed.
Travelling north into Scotland on our outward journey, to our first overnight hotel in Pitlochry. Our second day takes us via Inverness and into the North of Scotland to Thurso for a two-night stay.
The following morning, we make our way to Gills Bay for our morning ferry to St Margaret’s Hope on Orkney. On arrival, we meet our local guide who will be with us throughout our step-on tour of the island. We visit the Italian Chapel, ‘the miracle of camp 60’, which was built by Italian prisoners during WWII. We then 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. From there we visit Kirkwall to spend some free time for lunch. In the afternoon, we continue to the mystical Ring of Brodgar to view the standing stones, reminiscent of those at Stonehenge and Avebury, constructed around 2500 – 2000 BC. We visit 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. Finally, we visit Skaill House, one of Orkney’s top tourist attractions, and the finest mansion on the island, before making our way back to our afternoon ferry crossing to the mainland. On day four of our Scottish tour we explore the famous North Coast 500 a 516-mile scenic route around the north coast of Scotland, starting and ending at Inverness Castle. The route is also known as the NC500 and was launched in 2015, linking many features in the north Highlands of Scotland in one touring route, today we journey across the most northerly route of this tour, heading for Ullapool and an overnight stay. The next morning, we set off south again through the Cairngorms to our overnight hotel near Peebles for our final overnight hotel before continuing homeward after our mammoth Scottish Highland and Island tour.
Hotels - Fishers Hotel Pitlochry – One Night Stay, Muthru Royal Hotel Thurso – Two Night Stay, Royal Hotel Ullapool – One Night-Stay, Barony Castle Hotel Peebles – One Night Stay