4 (or 5) Day Shetland and Highlands Private Tour

Day 1 – Departing from Inverness we spend the morning exploring the four thousand-year-old burial cairns and standing stones at Clava, along with a visit to Culloden Battlefield and visitors centre. Our journey east includes the stunning seven hundred year old ruins of Elgin Cathedral and the Pictish standing stones of the area. We arrive at Aberdeen harbour by the late afternoon in time to board overnight sailing to Lerwick in Shetland (departing at either 5pm or 7pm depending on travel dates).

Day 2 – Arriving in Lerwick harbour in the early morning (7.30am), we enjoy breakfast on the ferry before exploring the south mainland of Shetland. Sumburgh Head is our first stop – a haven for seabirds (including puffins from mid-May to July). Next is Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse settlement which spans over four thousand years. The afternoon takes us on a beautiful coastal drive to the breath-taking St Ninian's Isle where you can hike across the sands to the island before we return north to Lerwick for our overnight stay.

Day 3 – Departing from Lerwick we head towards the north Shetland mainland. Arriving at Eshaness we savour the dramatic cliffs and sea stacks of Shetland’s stunning coastal landscape. We then enjoy a scenic drive around Scalloway and Burra before returning to Lerwick. The afternoon includes a visit the Shetland Museum and some free time to meander through Lerwick town and harbour. In the late afternoon we board the ferry from Lerwick for an overnight sailing to Aberdeen (departing at either 5.30pm or 7pm depending on travel dates).

Day 4 – Arriving in Aberdeen harbour in the early morning (7am), we enjoy breakfast on the ferry before heading south to explore the dramatic ruins of Dunnottar Castle. Our journey back to the Highlands takes us through Speyside where we enjoy a tour and tasting at Glenlivet malt whisky distillery (optional) before our arrival back in Inverness by the mid-afternoon.

5 Day Tour Option – During our time in Shetland we include an additional day and overnight stay in Lerwick. The extra day allows for a tour to explore the most northernly inhabited island in Scotland – Unst. Departing from Lerwick we drive north to catch the 20-minute ferry crossing to Yell. After a scenic drive through Yell we take the short 10-minute ferry crossing to Unst. We spend the late morning and early afternoon exploring the island, with visits to Muness Castle, Haroldswick, Burra Firth and Saxa Vord, before our return to Lerwick in the late afternoon.