Wildlife Adventure View Trip Dates The Shetland Isles Book Now Trip Grade: Green 2 The Shetland Isles Join us on an unforgettable journey to the Shetland Isles, a little-visited archipelago of more than 100 exposed islands lying far north of the Scottish mainland, as close to Norway as they are to Scotland. People have worked the land and sea around Shetland for 5000 years, leaving a mysterious legacy of ruined forts, ancient houses and standing stones. The islands are also rich in wildlife. Huge colonies of seabirds cling to plunging cliffs. Sea life such as cetaceans and seals play in the rolling waves. On land rare flora twitch in the sea breeze while underwater vast kelp forests roll in the tide. In the company of your expert guide, you will gain privileged insight into the unique history and natural world of Shetland, exploring the varied land and seascapes on day hikes to their wildest and most dramatic places. Highlights • Discover the wild landscapes and beautiful wildlife of Scotland’s most northerly islands • Be amazed by the prolific birdlife at Sumburgh and Viking heritage at Jarlshof. • Hike the dramatic coastline of Hermaness National Nature Reserve and view the most northerly place in Scotland Book with confidence • We guarantee this trip will run as soon as 2 people have booked • Maximum of 8 places available per departure PLEASE NOTE – The itinerary may be subject to change at the discretion of the Wilderness Scotland Guide with regard to weather conditions and other factors. Planned Itinerary Kirkwall Shetland Day 1 | Muckle Roe Day 2 | Jarlshof and Bird Watching Day 3 | Coastal Walk on Shetland Lerwick Day 4 | Yell and Unst Day 5 | Wildlife Cruise to Noss and Bressay Day 6 | Ronas Hill - Shetland’s High Point Day 7 | St Ninian’s Isle Arrival Info • Your Guide will meet you at Holmsgarth Ferry Terminal in Lerwick • 08.30am on Day 1 of your trip Departure Info • You will be returned to Holmsgarth Ferry Terminal • 2:30pm on the final day of your trip PLEASE NOTE – The itinerary may be subject to change at the discretion of the Wilderness Scotland Guide with regard to weather conditions and other factors. Day 1 | Muckle Roe This morning you will meet your guide at the ferry terminal in Lerwick. The trip starts shortly after the arrival of the overnight ferry from Aberdeen, or you may choose to fly to Shetland and stay in Lerwick the night before. We drive north to the little island of Muckle Roe where we enjoy a stunning coastal walk to North and South Ham. Afterward we settle in to our accommodation. Tonight before dinner your guide will then formally welcome everyone to Shetland and deliver a full trip briefing. (L,D) Day 2 | Jarlshof and Bird Watching We visit Jarlshof pre-historic site and walk to Sumburgh Head RSPB Reserve for some birdwatching. We enjoy a wonderful coastal walk with excellent views of sea bird colonies including gannets, auks and bonxies. Whales can also be spotted offshore sometimes. If time permits, we will explore the Ness of Burgi Stone Age Fort. (B,L,D) Day 3 | Coastal Walk on Shetland One of the best coastal walks in Shetland is found just a short drive north of our hotel at the superb headland of Eshaness. Here we will explore the fascinating coastal scenery around the Villains of Ure, the Grind of the Navir and the Holes of Scraada. (B,L,D) Day 4 | Yell and Unst Today we travel by ferry to the islands of Yell and Unst in north east Shetland. On Unst we will walk to Herma Ness, which is one of the largest breeding colonies of Bonxie in the world. This is a superb and wild spot to gaze out across the sea to the sensationally placed lighthouse on the island of Muckle Flugga, and the tiny rock of Out Stack, the most northerly point of land in the United Kingdom. (B,L,D) Day 5 | Wildlife Cruise to Noss and Bressay The cliffs of Noss and Bressay are a haven for seabirds. In one of the world’s prime locations for bird-watching, the Noss National Nature Reserve is home to 20,000 Gannets, 25,000 Guillemots, 3,000 Kittiwakes, 1,200 Puffins and hundreds of Razorbills, Black Guillemots, Shags and Skuas. We’ll enjoy a cruise round the spectacular cliffs in what is sure to be a highlight of this trip. (B,L,D) Day 6 | Ronas Hill Today we head north from our hotel and cross the narrow isthmus of Mavis Grind to Northmavine - a northern peninsula of Shetland. Here we walk through an Arctic landscape to the summit of Ronas Hill, Shetland's highest peak at 450 metres. (B,L,D) Day 7 | St Ninian’s Isle This morning we drive to southern Shetland and walk across a beautiful sandy tombolo that connects to St. Ninian's Isle for great views out to the island of Foula. Afterwards we head back into Lerwick for a short walk around The Knab before the trip ends again at the ferry terminal. (B,L) Trip Grading | Green 2 | Green graded wildlife holidays are suitable for for active travellers who are reasonably fit and enjoy moderate hikes. We walk at a comfortable pace and you can expect to be out for 5-6 hours a day. The terrain will be mostly good paths and hill trails but these can still be muddy and rough in places. Some hikes may involve an ascent up to a max of approx 1,500 feet / 450m. Distances will be typically 8-10km but there may be the odd slightly longer day. Daily hike details are available in the itinerary The weather in Scotland can be unpredictable and at times can make activities more challenging. Please do bear this in mind when thinking about what trip to join. If our guides feel that you are not able to complete a scheduled hike they may ask you not to join in that day. If you have any questions about the grading, then please do give our Adventure Consultants a call to chat through your experience and suitability for this trip. It is your responsibility to ensure you are appropriately fit and capable of doing the described hikes in the expected times. Please refer to the grading section on our website for more details. If you are unsure we encourage you to speak to us first. Accommodation and Meals On this trip we will be based at a beautiful hotel overlooking the shore of Busta Voe on mainland Shetland. The house was built during the 16th, 17th & 18th century and is steeped in history – it is even said to have a resident ghost! Food plays a major role in your experience - especially Shetland produce. Shetland hill lamb, free range pork from Unst, fresh seafood from all around the islands – Muckle Roe mussels, halibut from Bressay, Yell Sound scallops, organic salmon from Unst. On this trip we generally eat dinner as a group however if you would like to make alternative arrangements you are free to do so. Your guide will have an evening off during this trip where they do not eat with the group. They will recommend options for dinner that evening and will help you make any necessary reservations. Single Rooms For solo travellers: Accommodation is based on sharing a twin room with another solo traveller of the same gender. A limited number of rooms for single occupancy are available on a first come first served basis, subject to a single supplement. Please enquire for availability. Single supplements vary across our itineraries so please refer to the ‘What’s Included - Accommodation’ tab on the trip page on our website for this trip or contact our sales team. Inclusions This trip includes the following: • 6 nights accommodation in a country house hotel • Most meals, from Lunch on Day 1 to Lunch on Day 7 (Meals included indicated as B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner) • A boat trip to the Noss National Nature Reserve to view the prolific birdlife • Entrance fees to the Jarlshof centre • The services of an experienced and knowledgeable guide / driver throughout • All transport throughout the trip, starting from the ferry terminal on Day 1 and finishing there on the last day. • All ferry transfers while on Shetland Your Guide During this trip you will be accompanied and led by one of our professional guides. Our guides are among the most highly experienced and qualified in the country. Defined by their passion for Scotland’s wild places, they have an intimate knowledge of the natural and social history of this land which they will be delighted to share with you. For more info and to meet the team please see our Guide Pages. Sustainable Travel Wilderness Scotland is committed to the principles of ecotourism. We work very hard to ensure our engagements with local communities, wild lands and wildlife are positive. We are a proud partner of the Leave No Trace Centre for Outdoor Ethics, which enhances our commitment to responsible activity in Scotland’s wild lands, as enshrined in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC). We are also proud to be a John Muir Trust Peak Partner. Thanks in part to the generosity of our clients though our Conservation Contribution scheme the John Muir Trust can rely on our investment to go towards conservation projects that have a deep connection to Wilderness Scotland and the areas we adventure in. You can learn more about the work we’re doing with the John Muir Trust and the other ways we care for the wild places we love here.