Orkney & Shetland Self-drive

Travel to Orkney by ferry from Caithness, on the north coast of Scotland, with the crossing taking just under an hour. Watch for dolphins which sometimes play in the bow waves. Your hotel is a short drive away from the ferry port, in the island’s capital, Kirkwall.

Your Hotel on Orkney

A genuine feel pervades this small family owned hotel, located on the edge of Kirkwall. Weather permitting, enjoy a welcome drink on the small terrace, which overlooks the distinctive pagoda-roof of the neighbours: the Highland Park distillery. (Do find time to pop in for a tour of the traditional whisky making process.) You’ll be in good company if you choose to take dinner at your hotel, a popular destination for locals as well as visitors. Savour your chance to try lamb with its distinctive flavour due to the seaweed diet of the sheep, or sample local seafood including mouth-watering prawns and delicious stir-fried squid.

What to See and Do on Orkney

You’ll find pre-history at almost every turn across the Orkney islands: from neolithic chambered cairns, stone circles and standing stones through to the fascinating Stone Age village at Skara Brae. It lay covered for centuries, if not millennia, before a sandstorm in the 1920s revealed the amazing ruins. Now it forms part of the World Heritage Site in the centre of the Orkney Mainland, along with the tomb of Maes Howe, the Ring of Brodgar and the mighty Standing Stones of Stenness.

While these are some of the most impressive ancient sites in Europe, you’ll find other beguiling places of interest scattered across the whole island chain. 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! Visit the “Orkneyinga” Viking history interpretation centre to learn more.

Another day you might head for South Ronaldsay – now connected by the famous Churchill Barriers to the Mainland.  Stop off to admire the ornate Italian Chapel, crafted from scraps by prisoners of war, and look out for the many wrecked ships poking their remains out of the water around Scapa Flow.

We’d 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. If, like us, you can’t get enough of the archeological discoveries, head over to Rousay with its Midhowe Broch and Cairn. Here you can see evidence of many different eras dating as far back as Neolithic times.

Travel by overnight ferry to Lerwick, the capital of Shetland, arriving at 0730 and enjoy a leisurely breakfast on board before disembarking.

This morning you will enjoy a real treat – a wildlife boat trip. Thousands of seabirds including gannets, guillemots and kittiwakes nest and feed in the Noss Nature Reserve. As you sail below, the screeching is deafening, and you’ll feel very outnumbered, a stranger invading their territory. Meanwhile seals laze on rocks beneath the cliffs or nose around the boat. It is a wonderful way to get a real feel for both the culture and the wildlife of these islands, with knowledgeable guides on hand to inform.

Once your unforgettable excursion comes to an end, make your way to your next base.

Your Hotel on Shetland

Your hotel is an historic building, complete with nooks and crannies, winding corridors, steep steps, creaky floorboards and – supposedly – a resident ghost. 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. Consequently, bedrooms and bathrooms come in varying shapes and sizes. This is a far cry in both style and location from a chain hotel and all rooms are individually decorated. The restaurant prides itself on local produce, prepared to make the most of the fresh flavours. Do take a walk in the gardens which stretch down to the water. Look out for the gargoyles which a former owner rescued from the Houses of Parliament in London.

What to See and Do on Shetland

Make sure you visit Jarlshof, another incredible prehistoric site exposed in violent storms in the last couple of centuries. Its name, meaning Earl’s House, was bestowed by Sir Walter Scott when he used the ruins of the sixteenth century laird’s house as a fictional setting. But the surrounding dwellings and outbuildings date from thousands of years earlier. You are able to walk in and out and around them, just imagining how people used to survive here.

If you are keen to take more ferry trips, then island hop through Yell to Unst in the far north. From here you can gaze out to the Muckle Flugga lighthouse. You’re also sure to come across plenty of roaming Shetland ponies on your travels.

The capital, Lerwick, is home to Shetland’s main museum and local art centre by the harbour, as well as various locations used in the filming of the Shetland TV series. For some magnificent coastal drama of a different kind, take a trip to Eshaness and watch the waves crashing around the sea stacks and pounding the cliffs.

Time to return home. Depart Lerwick at the end of the afternoon for the overnight journey on the cruise class Northlink Ferries service to Aberdeen. Accommodation on board in a double/twin en-suite outer cabin is included in the price. Arrive in Aberdeen at 0700 and enjoy breakfast on board before disembarking and continuing your onward journey.