Orkney & Shetland - Adventure & Explore
Travel with us as far north as Britain gets, to explore the Orkney and Shetland islands of Scotland on a week of walking and adventure with a small group.
Duration: 8 nights
Accommodation: Hostel/Ferry
Group Size: Maximum 8
Meeting Location: Aberdeen
Level: Leisurely Plus
Age: 18+
Dogs: No dogs, except trained assistance dogs
In a Nutshell:
Explore the remote islands of Orkney and Shetland on a week-long adventure, featuring seven full days out and ferry crossings.
Experience the ancient sites and history that makes Orkney and Shetland unique, from settlements dating back thousands of years to Viking myths and legends.
Look out for wildlife, investigate the local pubs and tea rooms, and try local delicacies.
Leave the planning, navigating, and logistics to your Large Outdoors guide, so you can truly enjoy the experience.
See where else out Adventure & Explore series could take you!
How do we grade our walks?
Explore a wildness not found anywhere else in the UK!
Dramatic coastal walks, mosaics of jaw-dropping landscapes, and ancient sites, this is a getaway like no other. On this 8-night adventure, you’ll experience the best this magnificent part of the country has to offer. Orkney and Shetland are fascinating and unique islands steeped in Neolithic and Viking history, and home to some of the most breathtaking views going.
Joining a small group of fellow explorers and your Large Outdoors host and guide, you’ll enjoy two-and-a-half days exploring Orkney before boarding an overnight ferry to Shetland, where you’ll spend almost four full days, taking the time to really get to know the islands on guided walks and excursions.
Our Adventure & Explore experiences are all about discovering the best each area has to offer. They are designed to be great fun for all, with leisurely to moderate-level walks interspersed with visits to historical and cultural sites, off-the-beaten-track cafés, wildlife-watching, and much more.
Suggested Itinerary
Day 1
You’ll meet your Large Outdoors host and travel companions for this adventure in Aberdeen, with Pickups from 2:30pm. From here, we head to the ferry terminal for a 5pm departure. Once on board the ferry, we can grab a coffee or a glass of wine and your host will talk about the plans for the coming week. We’ll also enjoy dinner on-board (not included) as we set sail for Orkney and get to know each other
We’ll arrive into Kirkwall late this evening, so it’ll be straight to the hostel for some shut-eye, ready for tomorrow’s explorations!.
Days 2 & 3
We’ll spend two full days exploring Orkney with guided walks and opportunities to take in magnificent sights, visit spectacular sites, and head to some of the island’s villages - taking our packed lunches with us to re-fuel en route.
We’ll discuss what we’d like to do each day and take the weather into account, but some of our options are:
The Old Man of Hoy: The island of Hoy is the hilliest of the Orkney isles, and is a rough mosaic of hills, and streams that drop straight off the cliffs into the sea. We’ll walk along the coast, admiring the cliffs and climbing to excellent viewpoints. We’ll also walk past the famous sea stack of the Old Man of Hoy.
Skaill to Birsay: Part of the west coast of the mainland of Orkney, we’ll begin the walk at the site of Skara Brae, an ancient settlement that is the most preserved neolithic village in Britain. From here we head north, past Skaill Bay and then along the coast all the way to Birsay Head.
The Ring of Brodgar: The mainland of Orkney boasts some of the most impressive ancient monuments in Britain, and this short walk will take us to several! Starting at Maes Howe, a complete ancient tomb, we’ll walk past the Stones of Stenness between two lakes to reach the mightly Ring of Brodgar, an incredible stone circle that will simply leave you speechless.
Day 4
Today we’ll be taking the ferry even further north, to Shetland. The ferry leaves in the evening, so we’ll still have the day to explore Orkney before island-hopping - maybe taking the chance to explore Kirkwall and the bay. You will have a bed booked on the ferry and we’ll arrive in Shetland around 7:30am the next day (Day 5).
Days 5, 6 & 7
These are our three full days to explore the islands of Shetland, and there are a huge number of possibilities. Some of the amazing areas we might explore include:
Bay of Deepdale: A brilliant coastal walk, we head west to the cliffs that look right out over the North Atlantic. Following the coast past sandy bays and towering cliffs, we’ll walk to the summit of Sandness Hill overlooking the Bay of Deepdale before wandering back inland, creating a circuit. Make sure you watch for seabirds on the cliffs!
Houss Ness: It’s possible to circumnavigate the peninsula of Houss Ness in one walk, and on it you’ll see dozens of other islands, a natural sea arch and the brilliant cliff scenery of Shetland. There’s also the small hill of Ward of Symbister to climb, and even at only 62 metres above sea level it provides breathtaking views of the surrounding bays.
Broch of Mousa: One of the best-preserved prehistoric buildings in Europe, the spectacular Broch of Mousa is a round tower that is thought to have been constructed around 100 BC. You’ve got to see it to believe it!
Other options: We always have more options up our sleeve, and your host will decide on each day what the best plan of action to get the most out of the day is. We could take the ferry to the surrounding islands and go walking on Yell or Unst, or even cross the sands to St Ninian’s Isle.
Day 8
We have one final day on Shetland before the ferry takes us back to Aberdeen. We’ll use today to explore some more, perhaps visiting some historic sites and coastal walking trails. The ferry will depart at around 7pm, arriving at 7am the next day (Day 9).
Day 9
You’ll wake up this morning on the ferry. But don’t worry, there’s time to enjoy one last breakfast (not included) with the group on board, before checking out of your cabin and heading home. There’ll be plenty of stories to tell family and friends, as you recount your Orkney & Shetland adventure!
Good to Know
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Meeting Time: From 2:30pm - your Large Outdoors host will meet you in Aberdeen - please see Pickup options below.
Pickups (Day 1): when booking you can let us know which of the two Pickup locations below you’d like to be collected from.
Aberdeen International Airport 2:30pm outside the main terminal building in the Drop-off / Short Stay parking area.
Aberdeen City Centre (Near Train Station) 3pm at Trinity Street, Aberdeen, AB11 6NB.
Returning to Aberdeen (Day 9): We aim to be back in Aberdeen between 7-9am and can drop you back in the city centre or at the airport. Please book onward travel accordingly, to allow for flexibility with the return time to the city centre or airport - we (sadly!) can’t control the ferry crossing and delays there, or with local traffic, are possible.
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Hostels (6 nights’ accommodation): We’ll be based in hostels on Orkney and Shetland. These welcoming, comfortable hostels are excellent bases for getting out and exploring the local area, as well as relaxing together over a drink or a cuppa or before hitting the hay.
Room Types:
You can book one of the following options, subject to availability:
Bed in a Shared Female Room
Bed in a Shared Male RoomAll rooms are Shared Rooms, where you’ll be sharing a room - usually with bunk beds - with other participants (room sizes vary and bathrooms are shared).
Ferries (1 daytime crossing & 2 nights’ accommodation): There are three big ferry journeys during this holiday, which are all included in the cost.
Aberdeen to Orkney: This journey takes place during the evening, leaving at 5pm and taking around 6 hours to reach Orkney. We’ll have seats on this trip, as we’ll head straight to our hostel accommodation on Orkney for some shut-eye when we dock.
Two ferry journeys are overnight crossings, so ferry cabins will be the accommodation provided, as below:
Orkney to Shetland: This is an overnight ferry and includes a bed in a shared cabin (cabin sizes vary and bathrooms are shared).
Shetland to Aberdeen: This is an overnight ferry and includes a bed in a shared cabin (cabin sizes vary and bathrooms are shared).
All ferries have a restaurant, bar, and small shop for essentials. Any meals and drinks purchased on the ferries, including breakfasts, are not included in the cost of this trip.
The hostels and ferries will provide bedding but please ensure you bring a towel and your own toiletries.
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Included:
8 nights’ accommodation at hostels and in ferry cabins (all shared rooms).
A Large Outdoors host/guide to welcome you and deal with the logistics for your experience.
Transportation for the duration of the trip - including Pickups from/to Aberdeen and all tickets for the 3 major ferry journeys (including cabin costs for the 2 overnight journeys).
Guided walks and sightseeing on 7 days (Days 2-8).
A DIY breakfast on Days 2-3 & 5-8 (toast, cereals, fruit and yoghurt provided). Breakfast on the 2 overnight ferry crossings are not included.
A packed lunch (sandwich and snacks) on Days 2-8.
Complimentary tea and coffee provided in the hostels, but please ensure you bring sufficient water bottles or carriers to fill up with tap water and take out with you.
Bedding - but please bring a towel and don’t forget your own toiletries.
The chance to make new friends and meet like-minded people - Large Outdoors is all about making outdoor adventures sociable.
Pre-event support from the Large Outdoors team - give us a shout if there’s any advice or information you need and check out our Blog for useful articles too.
Not Included:
Travel to and from the meeting location.
Evening meals - there’ll be a mixture of eating at local restaurants and pubs, or on ferry crossings.
Breakfast on the 2 overnight ferry crossings.
Any extra (i.e. not mentioned above in ‘Included’) excursions or activities that you may partake in which incur a cost.
Bottled water - tap water and is available, so please ensure you bring sufficient water bottles or carriers to fill up and take out with you.
Alcoholic drinks - although we’ll certainly have chance to stock up on souvenirs and visit local shops/pubs/distilleries.
Any food, drinks or goods you choose to purchase at any shops, restaurant, pubs or cafés visited.
Travel/activity insurance - we recommend having insurance to cover, at a minimum: cancellation and curtailment; medical and emergency expenses (including repatriation); personal accident; injury and death.
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Please see our Residential (Walking) Kit List.
The compulsory items are selected for your safety, which is of paramount importance to us at Large Outdoors. Each participant should have the items listed.
Please note: although the walks on our Adventure & Explore experiences are generally classed as more leisurely options, you will need walking boots. There will be short steep sections and rocky/boggy/slippery ground to navigate, so it’s important you have suitable footwear.
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Known as the ‘Northern Isles’, Orkney and Shetland are two groups that in total consist of hundreds of islands, most of which are uninhabited. Lying north-west of Scotland, both island groups have a unique and very different geography.
Orkney is more fertile and sustains communities through agriculture. Ancient settlements are dotted over the islands, with the tomb Maes Howe and the village of Skara Brae being the most famous.
Shetland is far rockier and more dramatic, relying on fishing and containing further sites of interest, particularly from the Iron Age. Many of the islands have excellent opportunities for walking, including small hills and spectacular coastal scenery. With the chance to spot wildlife from seabirds to whales, and with famous local hospitality and food, the Northern Isles are ideal for exploration.
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“I think the balance of walking and visiting various sites was good. Walking distance was about right for me. It was very well organised and was made to feel very safe. The hostels were excellent.” Gale, May 2023
“Itinerary was perfect. Would never have seen the things if I had gone on my own. Great group of people on trip also. John was a fantastic guide. His knowledge of the wildlife, geology etc really added to the experience.” Leigh, June 2023