Orkney, Shetland & the Highlands...
Call Robert Broad Travel to book now on 01543 258631

Tour highlights
- Glasgow
- Edinburgh, includes a guided walk
- Inverness
- Guided tours of Orkney & Shetland
- 2 night mini-cruise on a Northlink passenger ship
- Aberdeen
- Keith & Dufftown Railway
- Glenfiddich & Strathisla Distilleries

Day 1 - Meet in Glasgow
Your Tour Manager will welcome you in Glasgow at either the 4-star Holiday Inn Glasgow Theatreland, or the 3-star Jury's Inn. After checking in, you are free to explore Glasgow's handsome city centre. You could take the opportunity to admire some of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's famous architecture, or discover one of the many museums and art galleries in the city. (D)

Day 2 - Edinburgh
We take a train for the short journey to Edinburgh today. On arrival in the Scottish capital, we enjoy a guided tour of the Royal Mile, the cobbled main street of the city. Following the tour, your afternoon is free to continue exploring at your own pace. Holyrood House, the official Scottish residence of the Queen, is on the Royal Mile, as is Edinburgh Castle, which offers a wonderful insight into Scotland's turbulent history. Alternatively if you're feeling energetic, perhaps climb Arthur's Seat, an old volcano which offers stunning views over the city. (B,D)

Day 3 - Through the Cairngorms to Inverness
After breakfast we leave Glasgow, and join the ScotRail service to Inverness. We travel firstly towards Stirling, and from here we head north though the mighty Cairngorms, passing Pitlochry and Aviemore, before we reach Inverness. Here we stay for two nights at the 3-star Royal Highland Hotel. (B,D)

Day 4 - At leisure in Inverness
Capital of the Highlands, Inverness is a thriving city and today you are free to enjoy its attractions. You could make an excursion to Loch Ness, or perhaps visit Culloden and its Battlefield Centre, on the site of the last Scottish battle against the English. (B)

Day 5 - The Far North Line and Orkney
After breakfast we leave Inverness and travel by train on the scenic Far North Line. We pass Moray Firth and Dornoch Firth, the dramatic coast of Sutherland and beautiful Caithness, as we make our way to Thurso, the UK's northernmost railway station. Here we transfer by coach to Scrabster, where we board the MV Havnahoe. On the short cruise to the Isle of Orkney, the ship passes the stunning Old Man of Hoy, a vertical column of sandstone. Its unusual shape makes it so difficult to climb that the summit was not conquered until 1966. On reaching Orkney, we disembark and enjoy a guided coach tour. We take in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage site. This features Skara Brae, which was inhabited from about 3180BC, but is remarkably well-preserved. It also includes the Standing Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar, which are stone structures from the same period. We then visit the Churchill Barriers, built in the 1940s to protect the harbour from invasion, and now used as access roads. We move on to the Italian Church, constructed by the Italian POWs in the same period, and Scapa Flow, the area's natural harbour. This evening we enjoy dinner in a local restaurant, before boarding either the MV Hjaltland or the MV Hrossey for the first of two nights. (B,D)

Day 6 - Shetland
This morning we arrive in Lerwick on Shetland and enjoy a guided coach tour of some of the island's key sights, such as Jarlshof, an archaeological site, with evidence of life from 2500BC, and the brooding Scalloway Castle, built in the late 16th century. Following the tour, the afternoon is free for you to explore Lerwick, Shetland's capital. You could perhaps take the time to visit Fort Charlotte. Tonight we rejoin our ship and make our way to Aberdeen. (B,D)

Day 7 - Speyside Whisky Trail by heritage train
Arriving in Aberdee in the morning, we transfer by coach to Keith in Strathspey. Here we board a heritage train for a journey on the Keith & Dufftown Railway. Known locally as 'The Whisky Line', the railway operates preserved 1950s diesel units in the heart of the Speyside Whisky Region. We pass through the beautiful Isla Valley, skirting along the edge of Loch Park and through forest land on our trip to Dufftown. On arrival, we take a tour of the Glenfiddich Distillery, which has seen remarkably little change since it was built by William Grant and his nine children in 1886. On completion of the tour we enjoy a whisky tasting, before we return to Keith by train and visit the famous Strathisla Distillery. Dating back to the 1780s, Strathisla Distillery is one of the oldest in the Highlands, and we have a tour of its old cobbled courtyard and distinctive double pagodas, which make it one if the most picturesque distilleries in Scotland. We also sample some of its whisky with another tasting, before we take the mainline ScotRail service from Keith back to Aberdeen. Our base here for the night is the 3-star Park Inn. (B,D)

Day 8 - By rail to Glasgow
This morning we travel south-west from Aberdeen, passing the pretty Stonehaven harbour, before continuing along wonderfully scenic stretches of the Tayside coastline to Glasgow. Here your Tour will finish (B)

What's Included
- Standard Class rail travel as described
- 5 nights' hotel accommodation with breakfast each day
- 2 nights' accommodation on MV Hrossey or MV Hjaltland in two lower-berth cabins with breakfast included each day
-  6 dinner
- Guided tour of Edinburgh's Royal Mile
- Guided coach tour of Orkney
- Guided coach tour of Shetland's main highlights
- Journey on the Keith & Dufftown Railway 
- Visit to the Glenfiddich Distillery, including a whisky tasting
- Trip to the Strathisla Distillery, with a tasting
- All transfers
- Services of your Tour Manager from Glasgow
- Single room prices include the supplement for single occupancy throughout: £250

How to book...

Call Robert Broad Travel on 0845 003 2218 or 01543 258631