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Highlights
Would you like to walk on one of the most adventurous and beautiful island destinations in Europe? If so, Shetland is for you! Often reduced to a little inset image at the top edge of a map of Britain, It is often hard to appreciate just how remote Shetland really is. Unst, its most northerly island, lies 170 miles north of John O'Groats, 270 miles north of Inverness and 350 miles north of Edinburgh. Lerwick, Shetland's attractive little capital, is actually closer to Bergen in Norway than Inverness. Ruled by Norway until the 15th Century, the islands today retain a unique culture - nowhere in Scotland is the influence of Scandanavia so pronounced, from the islander's distinctive accent, their remarkable winter fire festivals (including the famous Up Helly Aa), to the very placenames that make up the fabric of the islands. The walking on Shetland is wild, exhilarating and spectacular. Vast, treeless moors cloak the interior, whilst the rocky coastline is cut by countless fjord like "voes" or inlets. Along the coast are numerous wonderful hikes - and this holiday will give you the opportunity to sample some of the best. As with all our holidays, we will try to visit as many islands as we can during the course of the week. As well as some spectacular hikes on Mainland, Shetland's largest island, we also hope (weather permitting) to include day trips to Yell, Unst, Mousa, Noss and Papa Stour. The wildlife here is some of the most spectacular and accessible in Britain. In summer many seacliffs are home to vast seabird cities - an astonishing spectacle of sight, sound...and smell! Otters are frequently seen around the shore, whilst whales and dolphins can often be sighted on calm days. And in June, July and August you can get unbelievably close to puffins at Hermaness in Unst. |
2019 Dates:
Sat 11th - Sat 18th May Full Sat 13th - Sat 20th July 4 places left Sat 3rd - Sat 10th August 5 places left 2020 Dates: Sat 23rd - Sat 30th May Sat 11th - Sat 18th July Sat 1st - Sat 8th August How long: 7 nights, 6 days walking (note additional walking day for this holiday!) Grade: Moderate (see our Grading Information page for more details on how we grade our tours) Start / Finish: Aberdeen or Lerwick Cost: £1,390. Single Supplement: £120. The above price includes a bed in a 4 berth cabin on the Aberdeen - Lerwick ferry. Supplements: Two bed inner cabins: £45 per person. Two bed outer cabins: £70 per person. Bed in outer 2 berth cabin: £42. Single occupancy of inner cabin: £97. Single occupancy of outer cabin: £153. |
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Itinerary
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Getting Here
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What's Included
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Grade
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Reviews
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Tour Details
(please note that this schedule may be subject to change depending on weather conditions during the trip).
DAY 1 - TRAVEL TO SHETLAND
Your guide will meet you at the front entrance of Aberdeen ferry terminal at 15.30pm. From here we will take the overnight ferry to Lerwick. Alternatively you can fly to Shetland and join us in Lerwick.
DAY 2 - JARLSHOF & SUMBURGH HEAD
We will spend today exploring the excellent coastal scenery around Sumburgh Head, the southern tip of Shetland. Our walk will culminate with a visit to Jarlshof, the islands' most important archaeological monument. Like Skara Brae on Orkney, Jarlshof appeared from sand dunes after a huge storm. As the storm abated 4,000 years of history were revealed. Medieval, Viking, Pictish, Iron Age, Bronze Age and Neolithic structures are all here, often built on top of each other. The site is a fascinating place to explore, with complex underground soutterains and beautifully preserved Atlantic wheelhouses - unique circular Neolithic buildings only found in Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, and perfectly adapted to these islands' harsh windy environments.
DAY 3 - FETHALAND
A wonderful hike to the remote Point of Fethaland, a wild and beautiful peninsula which marks the northern most point of Mainland. Along the way we will be visiting the remains of an old fishing station and admiring the courage of the islanders who went fishing for ling and cod in open rowing boats in the perilous waters of the North Atlantic. Set in the heart of a National Scenic Area, the views throughout this walk are magnificent.
DAY 4 - St. NINIAN'S ISLE & MOUSA BROCH
We will start the day with a short trip to the west coast of Mainland and walk around St. Ninian's isle. This beautiful and unique "island" is actually joined to Mainland by a narrow sand bar. This is the best example of a tombolo in Britain, formed by waves refracting around the island, and makes for one of Shetland's most photogenic locations.
In the afternoon we will take a boat trip to the wonderful island of Mousa for some fine walking and a chance to visit Mousa Broch, a 2,000 year old fort and one of Britain's finest archaeological monuments.
DAY 5 - UNST & HERMANESS
Today we will be travelling north, taking two short ferry crossings as we travel to Britain's most northerly inhabited island. After a brief visit to the wild heather moorlands of Yell we will arrive on the attractive island of Unst. The highlight of the day will be a trip to the magnificent Hermaness National Nature Reserve, one of the finest seabird breeding colonies in Europe. A spectacular sight in summer, the cliffs are home to staggering numbers of kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills and puffins. The inland part of the reserve is a major breeding ground for the spectacular Great & Arctic Skuas.
We will also, of course, call in at Britain's most famous bus shelter...(Google "Unst bus shelter" if you want to know more!).
DAY 6 - PAPA STOUR
This little island, just a mile off the west coast of Mainland, contains some of Shetland's best coastal scenery with a wonderful range of sea stacks, rock arches, caves and rock skerries. Our excellent walk provides a great introduction to island, with stunning coastal rock features and fabulous views guaranteed. This is one of our favourite walks in the whole of Scotland!
DAY 7 - EAST BURRA & DEPART
As our ferry sails in the evening we will visit a bonus walk on our last day! We will visit the little peninsula of East Burra, which offers some great walking and fine coastal views. This will be followed with a trip to the impressive ruins of Scalloway Castle, which overlook the small town that was once Shetland's capital.
In the evening we will catch the overnight ferry from Lerwick, arriving in Aberdeen at 07:00.
(please note that this schedule may be subject to change depending on weather conditions during the trip).
DAY 1 - TRAVEL TO SHETLAND
Your guide will meet you at the front entrance of Aberdeen ferry terminal at 15.30pm. From here we will take the overnight ferry to Lerwick. Alternatively you can fly to Shetland and join us in Lerwick.
DAY 2 - JARLSHOF & SUMBURGH HEAD
We will spend today exploring the excellent coastal scenery around Sumburgh Head, the southern tip of Shetland. Our walk will culminate with a visit to Jarlshof, the islands' most important archaeological monument. Like Skara Brae on Orkney, Jarlshof appeared from sand dunes after a huge storm. As the storm abated 4,000 years of history were revealed. Medieval, Viking, Pictish, Iron Age, Bronze Age and Neolithic structures are all here, often built on top of each other. The site is a fascinating place to explore, with complex underground soutterains and beautifully preserved Atlantic wheelhouses - unique circular Neolithic buildings only found in Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, and perfectly adapted to these islands' harsh windy environments.
DAY 3 - FETHALAND
A wonderful hike to the remote Point of Fethaland, a wild and beautiful peninsula which marks the northern most point of Mainland. Along the way we will be visiting the remains of an old fishing station and admiring the courage of the islanders who went fishing for ling and cod in open rowing boats in the perilous waters of the North Atlantic. Set in the heart of a National Scenic Area, the views throughout this walk are magnificent.
DAY 4 - St. NINIAN'S ISLE & MOUSA BROCH
We will start the day with a short trip to the west coast of Mainland and walk around St. Ninian's isle. This beautiful and unique "island" is actually joined to Mainland by a narrow sand bar. This is the best example of a tombolo in Britain, formed by waves refracting around the island, and makes for one of Shetland's most photogenic locations.
In the afternoon we will take a boat trip to the wonderful island of Mousa for some fine walking and a chance to visit Mousa Broch, a 2,000 year old fort and one of Britain's finest archaeological monuments.
DAY 5 - UNST & HERMANESS
Today we will be travelling north, taking two short ferry crossings as we travel to Britain's most northerly inhabited island. After a brief visit to the wild heather moorlands of Yell we will arrive on the attractive island of Unst. The highlight of the day will be a trip to the magnificent Hermaness National Nature Reserve, one of the finest seabird breeding colonies in Europe. A spectacular sight in summer, the cliffs are home to staggering numbers of kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills and puffins. The inland part of the reserve is a major breeding ground for the spectacular Great & Arctic Skuas.
We will also, of course, call in at Britain's most famous bus shelter...(Google "Unst bus shelter" if you want to know more!).
DAY 6 - PAPA STOUR
This little island, just a mile off the west coast of Mainland, contains some of Shetland's best coastal scenery with a wonderful range of sea stacks, rock arches, caves and rock skerries. Our excellent walk provides a great introduction to island, with stunning coastal rock features and fabulous views guaranteed. This is one of our favourite walks in the whole of Scotland!
DAY 7 - EAST BURRA & DEPART
As our ferry sails in the evening we will visit a bonus walk on our last day! We will visit the little peninsula of East Burra, which offers some great walking and fine coastal views. This will be followed with a trip to the impressive ruins of Scalloway Castle, which overlook the small town that was once Shetland's capital.
In the evening we will catch the overnight ferry from Lerwick, arriving in Aberdeen at 07:00.
Getting to Aberdeen
This holiday starts and ends in Aberdeen. Your guide will meet you at the entrance to Aberdeen ferry terminal at 15:30.
(If you do not wish to do the long ferry trips you are also welcome to join the trip in Lerwick. Loganair offer direct flights to Sumburgh Airport at the southern tip of Shetland from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen.).
Aberdeen is easily accessible by plane, train and bus.
Flights
The following airlines offer direct flights to Aberdeen:
www.flybe.com - Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast, London City, London Heathrow, Newquay, Southampton.
www.easyjet.com - London Gatwick, London Luton, Geneva
www.britishairways.com - London Heathrow.
www.flybmi.com - Bristol, Oslo, Esbjerg
www.easternairways.com - Cardiff, Durham Tees Valley, East Midlands,Humberside, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, Norwich, Southampton, Stavanger
www.flysas.com - Copenhagen
www.aerlingus.com - Dublin.
www.klm.com - Amsterdam
www.lufthansa.com - Frankfurt
www.airfrance.co.uk - Paris CDG
www.icelandair.co.uk - Reykjavik
www.wideroe.no - Bergen
www.wizzair.com - Warsaw
www.airbaltic.com - Riga
If flying to Shetland, the following airline offer flights to Sumburgh:
www.loganair.com - Aberdeen, Dublin, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Norwich
Trains
Aberdeen can be reached by train from Edinburgh, Glasgow and England. Travellers coming from London and the south of England can take advantage of the overnight Caledonian Sleeper service. For more information on train services see the following websites:
www.scotrail.co.uk
www.nationalrail.co.uk
www.thetrainline.com
www.sleeper.scot
Please note that all train tickets should be purchased in advance of travel. We recommend that you do this as soon as you book your holiday as advance tickets are always considerably cheaper than ones bought at the last minute.
Coaches
The following operator offers coach services from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Aberdeen:
www.citylink.co.uk
Please note that all coach tickets must be purchased in advance of travel. We recommend that you do this as soon as you book your holiday as coaches can get booked up. Advance tickets can also be considerably cheaper than ones bought at the last minute.
Cars
Driving to Aberdeen by car is straightforward - it is simply a case of heading for Perth then taking the A90 north. It is motorway and dual carriageway all the way. Approximate journey times (not including stops, road works or delays) are as follows:
Edinburgh: 3 hours
Glasgow: 3 hours
Newcastle: 5 hours
Manchester: 6 hours
Birmingham: 7 hours
Bristol: 9 hours
London: 9.5 hours
This holiday starts and ends in Aberdeen. Your guide will meet you at the entrance to Aberdeen ferry terminal at 15:30.
(If you do not wish to do the long ferry trips you are also welcome to join the trip in Lerwick. Loganair offer direct flights to Sumburgh Airport at the southern tip of Shetland from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen.).
Aberdeen is easily accessible by plane, train and bus.
Flights
The following airlines offer direct flights to Aberdeen:
www.flybe.com - Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast, London City, London Heathrow, Newquay, Southampton.
www.easyjet.com - London Gatwick, London Luton, Geneva
www.britishairways.com - London Heathrow.
www.flybmi.com - Bristol, Oslo, Esbjerg
www.easternairways.com - Cardiff, Durham Tees Valley, East Midlands,Humberside, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, Norwich, Southampton, Stavanger
www.flysas.com - Copenhagen
www.aerlingus.com - Dublin.
www.klm.com - Amsterdam
www.lufthansa.com - Frankfurt
www.airfrance.co.uk - Paris CDG
www.icelandair.co.uk - Reykjavik
www.wideroe.no - Bergen
www.wizzair.com - Warsaw
www.airbaltic.com - Riga
If flying to Shetland, the following airline offer flights to Sumburgh:
www.loganair.com - Aberdeen, Dublin, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Norwich
Trains
Aberdeen can be reached by train from Edinburgh, Glasgow and England. Travellers coming from London and the south of England can take advantage of the overnight Caledonian Sleeper service. For more information on train services see the following websites:
www.scotrail.co.uk
www.nationalrail.co.uk
www.thetrainline.com
www.sleeper.scot
Please note that all train tickets should be purchased in advance of travel. We recommend that you do this as soon as you book your holiday as advance tickets are always considerably cheaper than ones bought at the last minute.
Coaches
The following operator offers coach services from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Aberdeen:
www.citylink.co.uk
Please note that all coach tickets must be purchased in advance of travel. We recommend that you do this as soon as you book your holiday as coaches can get booked up. Advance tickets can also be considerably cheaper than ones bought at the last minute.
Cars
Driving to Aberdeen by car is straightforward - it is simply a case of heading for Perth then taking the A90 north. It is motorway and dual carriageway all the way. Approximate journey times (not including stops, road works or delays) are as follows:
Edinburgh: 3 hours
Glasgow: 3 hours
Newcastle: 5 hours
Manchester: 6 hours
Birmingham: 7 hours
Bristol: 9 hours
London: 9.5 hours
What's Included: 7 nights accommodation* (2 nights in shared cabins on board the Aberdeen - Lerwick ferry; single occupancy cabin upgrades available), 6 days walking. All meals, including full Scottish or continental breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals (excluding dinner and breakfast on the ferry trip back to Aberdeen). Ferry crossings to Shetland, plus day trips to Papa Stour and Unst. Two additional night's B&B accommodation in Lerwick if flying to / from Shetland. The services of an experienced guide for the duration of the trip.
What's Not Included: Transport to / from holiday departure point at Aberdeen. Entrance to archaeological sites where entrance fee is charged. Travel insurance. Visits to cafes / teashops.
*For our May trip we will be staying in the fabulous Burrastow House, an old laird's house overlooking a beautiful sea loch on the west coast of Shetland. These days it is one of Shetland's best B&Bs. For our other trips we will be staying in an excellent and very comfortable guest houses in Lerwick. All rooms will have ensuite or private bathrooms.
For clients who prefer to fly to Shetland we will provide additional B&B accommodation in Lerwick on the initial Saturday and final Friday nights at no extra cost.
What's Not Included: Transport to / from holiday departure point at Aberdeen. Entrance to archaeological sites where entrance fee is charged. Travel insurance. Visits to cafes / teashops.
*For our May trip we will be staying in the fabulous Burrastow House, an old laird's house overlooking a beautiful sea loch on the west coast of Shetland. These days it is one of Shetland's best B&Bs. For our other trips we will be staying in an excellent and very comfortable guest houses in Lerwick. All rooms will have ensuite or private bathrooms.
For clients who prefer to fly to Shetland we will provide additional B&B accommodation in Lerwick on the initial Saturday and final Friday nights at no extra cost.
Moderate.
These holidays go at a gentle pace, with plenty of time to stop, take pictures, soak up the atmosphere and watch the wildlife. However, they are still walking holidays, so you will need to be able to cope with a reasonable amount of hiking each day. As a guide, you should be able to manage some uphill sections, be comfortable walking for 5 hours and 7 - 10 miles or so each day, and be confident walking away from paths - for example over rough, grassy hillsides.
We try to keep to easy ground as much as possible on these walks, but there will be some areas where the going can be a little rough and quite wet underfoot, so good hiking boots are essential. We don't tackle any hills on these walks but there are usually some modest uphill sections each day.
See our Grading Information page for more information about how we grade our holidays.
These holidays go at a gentle pace, with plenty of time to stop, take pictures, soak up the atmosphere and watch the wildlife. However, they are still walking holidays, so you will need to be able to cope with a reasonable amount of hiking each day. As a guide, you should be able to manage some uphill sections, be comfortable walking for 5 hours and 7 - 10 miles or so each day, and be confident walking away from paths - for example over rough, grassy hillsides.
We try to keep to easy ground as much as possible on these walks, but there will be some areas where the going can be a little rough and quite wet underfoot, so good hiking boots are essential. We don't tackle any hills on these walks but there are usually some modest uphill sections each day.
See our Grading Information page for more information about how we grade our holidays.
The following reviews are taken from the Hidden Hebrides page on TripAdvisor: For reviews of our other holidays click here.
J.J. (Staffordshire, UK) August 2018
This was my third walking holiday with Hidden Hebrides and it didn't disappoint. The leader went to great lengths to organise the walks to fit the weather conditions, he has a lot of knowledge of wildlife, and local history and geography so you know you're going to see the most interesting places with a group of interesting people. Thank you Hidden Hebrides, I enjoyed every day of my time in the Shetlands.
R.W. (London, UK) August 2018
I have just returned from another excellent holiday with Hidden Hebrides in the Shetlands. This is my 5th holiday with the company over a period of 3 years. What I have particularly appreciated is the extensive local knowledge of the leaders and the flexible approach to deciding the itinerary during the holidays depending on weather and other local factors. Accommodation and restaurants have also been well chosen.
J.D. (Sussex, UK) June 2017
Breathtaking coastal walks along spectacular cliff tops enjoying a wide variety of wildlife including gannet colonies, bonxies, puffins and even inquisitive seals! The week was also filled with visits to well preserved ancient archaeological sites and extinct Victorian fishing settlements. Our leader Mick Blunt made each day memorable. His personality, enthusiasm and patience were the special ingredients for a superb week. Well done Hidden Hebrides. We will be back!
J.J. (Staffordshire, UK) August 2018
This was my third walking holiday with Hidden Hebrides and it didn't disappoint. The leader went to great lengths to organise the walks to fit the weather conditions, he has a lot of knowledge of wildlife, and local history and geography so you know you're going to see the most interesting places with a group of interesting people. Thank you Hidden Hebrides, I enjoyed every day of my time in the Shetlands.
R.W. (London, UK) August 2018
I have just returned from another excellent holiday with Hidden Hebrides in the Shetlands. This is my 5th holiday with the company over a period of 3 years. What I have particularly appreciated is the extensive local knowledge of the leaders and the flexible approach to deciding the itinerary during the holidays depending on weather and other local factors. Accommodation and restaurants have also been well chosen.
J.D. (Sussex, UK) June 2017
Breathtaking coastal walks along spectacular cliff tops enjoying a wide variety of wildlife including gannet colonies, bonxies, puffins and even inquisitive seals! The week was also filled with visits to well preserved ancient archaeological sites and extinct Victorian fishing settlements. Our leader Mick Blunt made each day memorable. His personality, enthusiasm and patience were the special ingredients for a superb week. Well done Hidden Hebrides. We will be back!