Overnight Orkney. Clicking on the link below will redirect you to the Wilderness England website. Next, we make for Maeshowe, a magnificent chambered tomb that dates from around 2,500 BC. The nature reserve is the perfect place to spot seabirds such as puffins, guillemots and kittiwakes. Youll be in good company if you choose to take dinner at your hotel, a popular destination for locals as well as visitors. We sail with Serco Northlink Ferries and their modern, purpose-built vessels, the Hrossey and the Hjaltland, from Aberdeen overnight to Lerwick. Take in the breathtaking Old Man of Hoy a 450 foot sea stack and perhaps Orkneys most famous landmark. This trip is operated by our England team. Twin room - this is a room for two people sleeping in two separate beds. Language: EnglishCurrency: Pound SterlingTime Zone: GMTTipping: 10 to 12% is usual for hotels with 10 to 15% being usual for restaurants. The Vikings left their mark, such as the beautifully proportioned round church at Orphir as well as their grafitti which we now admire as works of art! Here you can see evidence of many different eras dating as far back as Neolithic times. 10 Day Shetland and Orkney Tour (self drive) For those people coming to the UK from the EU, you are allowed to bring an unlimited amount of most goods for your own use without paying tax or duty.However, if you are travelling to the UK from outside of the EU, you are given an allowance of how much alcohol, tobacco, perfume, souvenirs and other goods. We would also suggest checking your home policy or credit card contract as many suppliers include travel insurance as part of their offering. Discover some of the most important Neolithic sites in Europe and uncover the mysteries of a 5,000 year old civilisation at a UNESCO world heritage site. Shetland and the Tall Ships. 8.4/5 (52 reviews) Great place! Your leader will be in reception at 18:30 to give you a quick introduction to the holiday before dinner. A key event in the global calendar, the annual Up Helly Aa Winter Fire . The drive north covers wonderful coastal scenery and normally takes around 3-4 hours including photo stops and a brief visit to the historic town of Dornoch. Comprehensive travel insurance is advised for all other nationals planning on visiting Scotland.If you need to contact the emergency services whilst in Scotland simply dial 999 or 112 to ask for an ambulance. Day 9. The Ayre Hotel. Selecting the right sleeping arrangements can be a little bit confusing, so here is a description of what you can expect from the hotel accommodation offered as part of your tour: Single room - this is a room for one person sleeping in a single bed. The restaurant prides itself on local produce, prepared to make the most of the fresh flavours. Photo: juvlai, CC BY-SA 2.0. Well also visit the impressive archaeological site of Jarlshof. Take the opportunity to visit one of Orkneys smaller isles. While these are some of the most impressive ancient sites in Europe, youll find other beguiling places of interest scattered across the whole island chain. How does the Care Funding Advice Service work? Dinner will be served on board and we will arrive in Kirkwall around 23:00 hrs. Sailing Type - Mostly Coastal Day Sailing but the passage to Fair Isle is an open-water sea passage and there is a chance of an overnight passage on this voyage where you would be part of the watch system. The South Mainland awaits today home to some of Shetlands most jaw-drapping scenery and best archeological sites, including the Isle of Mousa where you will encounter the best preserved Broch anywhere in the world. Sailing Fair Isle | Orkney to Shetland | Shetland To Orkney Trade Login Contact 08444 937 531 Destinations UK & Channel Islands. After breakfast, we travel to the very south of the mainland to visit Jarlshof, where waves of settlers lived for more than 4,000 years. To help us reduce spam, please tick the reCAPTCHA field. We will communicate with you from time to time about our products and services, similar to those currently featured on our website. Your hotel is a short drive away from the ferry port, in the islands capital, Kirkwall. Easy to download as a PDF, our trip notes provide detailed information for every holiday. Meet Shetland ponies in their natural habitat. Wed also suggest a day of further island hopping by ferry, perhaps across to nearby Shapinsay for a good stretch of the legs or a visit to more mountainous Hoy for an alternative perspective on the Old Man sea stack. The far-flung Orkney and Shetland Isles offer the active traveller an invigorating and rewarding holiday experience, with jaw-dropping natural scenery and wildlife spectacles. Enchanting Orkney is a smorgasbord of must-see sites and cultural attractions scattered across70 islands. Also includes hotels in Alderney, Sark and Herm, plus the Isle of Wight, Isles of Scilly, Isle of Man and Shetland & Orkney Islands. Spend two days exploring some of the many island treasures, including Scalloway Castle and Jarlshof, an outstanding example of a prehistoric and Norse settlement. View our Full Privacy Notice, Read independent reviews from ourcustomers. Faroe Islands Cruise Tour: Shetland & Orkney Islands | National We strongly recommend that you have travel insurance in place for your trip to Scotland, especially if you are visiting from overseas. Here we will have some free time to explore this charming town with its stone-paved alleys, granite houses and independent shops. Sign up for our newsletter and be the first to hear about trip news, blogs and offers. Package holidays to Shetland | Shetland.org The only medieval chronicle to have Orkney as the central place of action, it tells of an era when the islands were still part of the Viking world, beginning with their conquest by the . Highlights of Orkney & Shetland - DC Thomson Travel Travel to Orkney by ferry from Caithness, on the north coast of Scotland, with the crossing taking just under an hour. The event is taking place on Saturday 6 May, with the additional bank holiday on 8 May. Last month I was in Orkney for the first time. Orkney boasts inspirational landscapes where verdant fields stretch down to pristine beaches and dramatic seas crash against towering cliffs. Today you'll be heading south to experience remarkable heritage sites. The wild landscapes featureintricate coastlines marked by towering cliffs, deep caves and giant rock stacks which make for an inspiring backdrop for various activities such as walking and sea kayaking. On Mainland, is the capital Kirkwall whose sights include St Magnus Cathedral, the Bishops and Earls palaces and the Orkney Museum. It also comprises larger 4* Hotels selected for their high standard of accommodation, exceptional service, and great location. Just a short flight from mainland UK and accessible from a wide range of regional airports. The UK has a famously unpredictable climate so it's best to be prepared for weather thats sunny one minute and raining the next. Check-in: TBA hrs Explore archaeological wonders such as Skara Brae, Jarlshof, the Ring of Brodgar, and the Standing Stones of Stenness. It makes everything so easy, especially when youre chauffeur driven from your own front door. We'll always treat your personal details with the utmost care. The services were taken over by NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries in 2002. In certain locations youll may be joined by a local guide who will provide local insight and show you the highlights. Its just six miles from Skara Brae and has an award-winning restaurant overlooking the loch, serving outstanding Scottish seafood and Aberdeen Angus beef. Nowhere else in Britain, and hardly anywhere else in Europe, can you get so close, so easily, to so many seabirds. Look out for the lighthouse, opened in 1929 its powerful light can be seen from 46 km away. It lay covered for centuries, if not millennia, before a sandstorm in the 1920s revealed the amazing ruins. Ayre Road, Kirkwall, Scotland, KW15 1QX. Youll find our Escorted Tours to be memorable - for all the right reasons! and a self-drive holiday of Shetland and Orkney guarantees memories to last a . At Aberdeen Harbour, we join the Northlink ferry for the overnight crossing to Shetland. Orkney.com | This is Orkney Based on 1 salaries posted anonymously by Saga Group Mi Analyst employees in Seaham, England. Highlights of Orkney and Shetland - 6 day tour - Scottish Tours Step back into the Stone Age in the Orkney and Shetland Islands, and come face-to-face with the legacy of the Vikings amid the turf-roofed cottages and ancient sites of the Faroes. The diversity of these islands is astounding, a distinctive mixture of Scandinavian history scattered across a rugged Scottish landscape, and a self-drive holiday of Shetland and Orkney guarantees memories to last a lifetime. the west of Scotland and Ireland in 795. Tastefully decorated and furnished, these properties are generally owned and operated by locals who have a genuine passion for their region which they are keen to share with you. Shetland, Orkney and the Hebrides coach holidays 2023 - Door2Tour Both Shetland and Orkney offer a good chance of spotting the Northern Lights, particularly in autumn and winter. Dine on fresh seafood in cosmopolitan Kirkwall and Lerwick, and enjoy an extensive local craft culture. From here you can gaze out to the Muckle Flugga lighthouse. 3.91. Ferry: Sail from Shetland to Orkney on the evening sailing on a Monday, Wednesday & Friday, depart Lerwick at 1730 and arrive in Kirkwall at 2300. If you only require a specific response to this enquiry and have no interest in receiving occasional information, news or offers from McKinlay Kidd in future, please email unsubscribe at mckinlaykidd dot com. Accommodation on board in a double/twin en-suite outer cabin is included in the price. Visit Orkney & Shetland | Orkney & Shetland Holidays - McKinlay Kidd This iconic sea stack is only a few hundred years old. Book a package holiday. Tour Returns: TBA hrs. Come explor. Iona AbbeyOne of Scotland's most sacred and historic sites, the Abbey was founded in 563AD and it still retains its spiritual atmosphere today. We will hold your data securely within our organisation, McKinlay Kidd Limited. The holiday described is based on taking your own car, but ask us if you would like a fly-drive proposal, flying to and between the islands andhiring a car on each island. All included in the price. A collection of quality 4* Guest Houses and 3* Hotels often located in beautiful locations which provide an excellent standard of accommodation. Later return to Kirkwall where dinner is served in our hotel. Non-member fee: 30 per person. Day 5. If so, please follow the booking process for a twin room and we will do our best to find you another group member of the same gender to share with. These stones have continued to mystify and amaze visitors with questions such as 'who built them?' Jersey; Guernsey; Herm, Sark & Alderney; Isles of Scilly; Isle of Wight ; Isle of Man ; Shetland & Orkney Islands ; North America. Each one is all inclusive, and youll have your own private balcony to enjoy every destination in style. With a maximum of 15 passengers per group, you can be sure of . Pop into the Shetland Crofthouse Museum in Dunrossness, a restored 19th century Shetland croft which was inhabited until the 1960s. Shetland & Orkney Island Holidays . All our holiday prices include a service charge of 9 per person per night towards the costs we incur in researching, planning and designing your holiday. Keep an eye on everyone in your party and do not go off with people you do not know. Shetland Islands, also called Zetland or Shetland, group of about 100 islands, fewer than 20 of them inhabited, in Scotland, 130 miles (210 km) north of the Scottish mainland, at the northern extremity of the United Kingdom. Indulge in a delicious fish and chip lunch overlooking the sea in Brae. Almost but not quite a separate island, Northmavine is joined to the rest of the Shetland Mainland at Mavis Grind where the relentless Atlantic Ocean has nearly cut through to the North Sea. A wonderful car tour of the stunning Shetland and Orkney Isles off the far north coast of Scotland, plus some of Scotland's finest castles and gardens on the way. Wherever you cruise on Spirit of Adventure and Spirit of Discovery, youll always step aboard here in the UK. Days 5-8 Orkney. These are wonderfully charming and intimate and run with great flair by their owners. Discover the Castle of Mey and its magnificent gardens. NB these cruise details have been updated - Please see the new trip page - Orkney, Shetland, Faroe Islands and St Kilda cruise.. Please see Terms and Conditions for further details. If you are keen to take more ferry trips, then island hop through Yell to Unst in the far north. Tour Returns: TBA hrs, Outside Reception at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Edinburgh111 Glasgow Road Edinburgh EH12 8NF, Check-in: TBA hrs Enjoy a fascinating talk from historian Nick Card on the Orkney Islands' Neolithic past. An experienced tour manager will lead the tour and your coach will be expertly driven by a professional driver. The Orkney Mainland is just Getting to Orkney can be easier and quicker than you may think. . Borealis. . Wilderness England creates incredible journeys to the wild and magical outdoor spaces across Yorkshire, the Lake District, Northumberland, the Cotswolds and the Peak District. This mysterious place of long days and colourful night skies is home to a wealth of sea life and sea birds, not . At 1,475 feet (450m) this is Shetlands highest peak. Does equity release affect inheritance tax. Shetland's council workers will not get the extra bank holiday on the Monday after King Charles's coronation. Orkney & Shetland Islands - Responsible Travel Usually the coach will arrive at the overnight stop between 16:30 and 17:00 hrs each day. High levels of cover from an award winning provider, 3-year fixed price with no tie-ins - T&Cs apply. This is a customizable tour and can be tailor-made to your preference. At the Isle of Hoy you can visit Scapa Flow Visitor Centre and learn the fascinating story of this naval anchorage in the two world wars. Guide Lorraine gives an insight into this ancient archipelago. Sail away to lands steeped in history, wildlife and stunning scenery, far from the jostling crowds, to the haunting beauty of the Orkney and Shetland Isles. North Hanover Street Bus Stance, Glasgow, G1 2BP. 5 Nights No Fly Cruise from 799pp Liverpool, Cruising past Duart Castle, Cruising Sound of Mull, Cruising Loch Hourn, Cruising by The Small Isles, Portree, Isle of Skye, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Cruising by Dutchman's Cap (Bac Mr), Cruising Fingal's Cave, Cruise by Iona, Liverpool. Inspiring options. Search. Further south on Mainland is Sumburgh Head, an ideal spot for twitchers with unobstructed views of the seabird colonies; Old Scatness, a recently excavated Iron Age village; and the Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse settlements, with archaeological treasures from over 4,000 years. With their northerly location, the best time to visit is between March and November, with the long days of summer a particularly appealing time. On many tours youll have the chance to personalise your touring experience by participating in some carefully planned optional excursions. 9 miles (14km) with 760 feet (230m) of ascent. In Shetland, inter-island ferry travel is operated by the council , while Orkney Ferries connect the archipelago's 13 island destinations. We arrive in Lerwick around 07:30 hrs. Known as the Churchill Barriers, we will use these causeways to reach the little island of Lamb Holm. Enjoy 4 days (3 nights) in Shetland. For anyone easily seduced by big skies, sea views, and wide-open spaces, Orkney is always a good idea. Although parts date back to the 1500s, most of the building was completed in the eighteenth century by a wealthy landowning family as their own home. With a strong norse influence, these island groups provide a surprisingly contrasting cultural experience when compared to the Hebrides. The Ski Solutions team are all skiing experts, and their wealth of knowledge and passion for the mountains will ensure you experience a truly memorable ski holiday. If you are happy with the details you have provided above then click Submit Form to send us your enquiry. You will also find no end of delicious local produce to tempt you and a busy programme of annual festivals. Finally, a laird's house was constructed on the site in the 1600s. The strong historical and cultural influence of Norway upon these islands is clear in their timber-framed and brightly coloured architecture. Sign up for latest offers and top sellers. If you are planning to bring alcohol, tobacco or souvenirs into the country, you need to be familiar with the UK's custom laws. Only a 20 minute drive from Lerwick, you can discover the ruins of Scalloway Castle, visit Scalloway Museum, or enjoy a stroll through the picturesque harbour. Studio Tour London - Harry Potter, Peaky Blinders Filming Location Tours 2023. A BSpoke Tour is all about being as restful or as adventurous as you desire. We know that after a busy day of sightseeing an exceptional place to stay makes all the difference. I have never been that far north before. Outside these hours you can email one of our team atreservations@hfholidays.co.uk, or make a booking online. The islands geographic location makes it a crossroad for wildlife. We use cookies to provide you with the best online experience. Our packages include car rental and comprehensive insurance for the duration of your holiday. You will not be able to use this site without JavaScript. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. In no time youll be sailing away to one unforgettable destination after another. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take an alternative route, or vary the running order for weather and/or operational reasons. Uncover hidden gems and holiday inspiration from our team of travel specialists. This amazingly well-preserved village was built 5,000 years ago. Balmoral Cruise Deals - Planet Cruise Historic and Cultural Tours. Please note that a family room is normally a standard double or twin room with either a sofa bed or a rollaway bed. 10 Day Shetland & Orkney Car Tour. All sorts of nature abound here, from seals and otters to ponies and hundreds of birds, making it a wildlife lover's paradise. We also offer a fly-drive holiday as an alternative way to visit Orkney & Shetland. These tours are inclusive of superior tourist class accommodation, transportation, selected admission fees and many meals. Outstanding scenery, exceptional wildlife, ancient history, traditional crafts and world-class diving. Stay at this 3-star hotel in Kirkwall. Group transfer to Sumburgh airport for your return flight. The thousands of prehistoric Neolithic sites which have survived to tell their tale at the Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO world heritage site are both spectacular and mysterious. You will start your journey in the cosmopolitan city of Aberdeen where you will board the well-equipped Northlink Ferry and sail overnight in your modern and comfortable twin-berth cabin. Explore the islands' Norse heritage on a coach holiday, where the sound of fiddles can still be heard drifting through the fresh air. The Shetland Islands are the most northerly part of the United Kingdom, a group of islands 100 miles / 160 km north of mainland Scotland. Meanwhile, the rich ancient history and numerous archaeological sites offer a fascinating glimpse into the past, with many details of life preserved. This will ensure that we can improve the experience for all our future guests. Visitors can climb up the tower of the Castle and visit the Scalloway Museum which is located next door. The landscape is wild and remote and, outside of the . menu. Once your unforgettable excursion comes to an end, make your way to your next base. HF Holidays LimitedUnit 1, First FloorImperial PlaceMaxwell RoadBorehamwoodHertfordshire WD6 1JNUnited Kingdom, Monday to Friday: 9.00am - 5.30pmSaturday: 9.00am - 1.00pmSunday: ClosedBank Holidays: 9.00am - 1.00pm. Duration 6 Days. From 799pp. Your Holiday in Shetland and Orkney | NorthLink Ferries Shes the beautiful sister to Spirit of Discovery, but has a whole host of surprises of her own, including exciting new restaurants. Take in the breathtaking Old Man of Hoy a 450 foot sea stack and perhaps Orkneys most famous landmark. Registered office: Gilbridge House, Keel Square, Sunderland SR1 3HA. Tour Departs: TBA hrs We will make it easy for you to opt-out of receiving communications, to check what data we hold on you or to request us to delete your data altogether. Once checked-in onboard head to your comfortable twin-berth cabin with en-suite bathroom or enjoy time exploring the ship's many facilities. More details & Book Bank Holiday Escape to Scenic Scotland . Jarlshof - explore this historic site, where people lived for more than 4,000 years, to see outstanding examples of Bronze Age and Viking houses, Scalloway - tour through this attractive fishing port that was once the island capital to visit the imposing ruins of 17th Century Scalloway Castle, Maeshowe - investigate this impressive chambered tomb and see the Viking graffiti left 1,000 years ago, Skara Brae - discover how early man lived at this amazingly well-preserved Stone Age settlement of dwelling houses complete with beds and chairs, Kirkwall - enjoy a three-night stay in this bustling port dominated by 12th Century St Magnus Cathedral, Movie locations Moondogs, The Long Hope and The Spy in Black. The unspoilt landscape of Shetland has a rugged beauty shaped by the sea at the end of the last Ice Age. More likely we will be sailing for part of a night or a very early/late start and a long day. It was raided by Norsemen in the 12th Century. Overnight Shetland. Overnight Ferry. A genuine feel pervades this small family owned hotel, located on the edge of Kirkwall. When people think of Scotland's islands, it's usually the Hebrides they have in mind. Copyright 2018 Premier Holidays Ltd | Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone companys access charge. The far-flung Orkney and Shetland Isles offer the active traveller an invigorating and rewarding holiday experience, with jaw-dropping natural scenery and wildlife spectacles.