Days 1-3: Edinburgh, Aberdeen & Shetland Arrival
Day 1: Arrive Edinburgh. Afternoon exploration and welcome dinner. Overnight Edinburgh.
Day 2: Transfer to Aberdeen. Visit Dunnottar Castle, the dramatic cliff-top ruin that inspired Disney’s Brave. Board NorthLink overnight ferry to Lerwick.
Day 3: Arrive Lerwick. Settle into your hotel. Afternoon walking tour: Lodberries, Fort Charlotte, Shetland Museum. Overnight Lerwick.
Days 4-5: Shetland Deep Exploration
Day 4: Jarlshof archaeological site—4,000 years of settlement. Sumburgh Head puffin colony. St Ninian’s Isle tombolo. Overnight Lerwick.
Day 5: Full-day excursion to Unst, Britain’s northernmost island. Hermaness National Nature Reserve, Unst Boat Haven, Keen of Hamar serpentine flora. Overnight Lerwick.
Days 6-10: Orkney Complete
Day 6: Fly Sumburgh to Kirkwall. Afternoon: St Magnus Cathedral, Earl’s Palace, Highland Park Distillery. Overnight Kirkwall.
Day 7: UNESCO Heart of Neolithic Orkney: Skara Brae, Maeshowe, Ring of Brodgar, Stenness, Barnhouse. Overnight Kirkwall.
Day 8: Ness of Brodgar excavation site. Churchill Barriers and Italian Chapel. South Ronaldsay and Tomb of the Eagles. Overnight Kirkwall.
Day 9: Ferry to Hoy: Dwarfie Stane rock-cut tomb, Old Man of Hoy sea stack, Rackwick Bay. Evening return. Overnight Kirkwall.
Day 10: Westray and Papa Westray via the world’s shortest flight. Noup Head seabird cliffs, Knap of Howar Neolithic houses, seal colonies. Farewell dinner in Stromness. Overnight Stromness.
Days 11-12: Stromness & Return
Day 11: Morning exploration of Stromness—flagstone streets, Pier Arts Centre, maritime history. Afternoon to Brough of Birsay tidal island for Norse and Pictish remains. Final night in Kirkwall.
Day 12: Flight Kirkwall to Edinburgh/Glasgow for onward connections.
