In a nutshell

We discover the largest island in the Shetland archipelago with its thousands of years of history attested by major archaeological sites and its breathtaking rural panoramas in the north.

Main stops

Lerwick
Victorian Town hall
Clickimin Broch
Scalloway
Carol's Ponies breeding farm
Wormadale Hill
Whiteness Voe
Stormfirth

The programme

We begin our excursion in the town of Lerwick, the administrative centre of the Shetland Islands and the town with the highest population, for a brief tour. Established in the 17th century, it grew and developed as a result of the fishing industry and its role as a port. The Lodberries, houses and warehouses built by merchants, and the closses, narrow streets starting at the port that lead to the newer part of the town, bear witness to the town's origins. Another interesting feature is the fact that it was built from stone to protect it from the fierce winter storms.
The monuments we will encounter on our brief tour through Lerwick include the Victorian Town hall on Hillhead Street. Built in perfect Scottish baronial style, it offers a captivating vision of the development of the islands with its stained glass windows providing a pictorial account of the main events in Shetland's history.
The second stage of our excursion takes us to Clickimin featuring the famous broch* and the surrounding iron age buildings. We stop here to take photographs.
We then arrive in Scalloway, which is the second largest settlement on Mainland although much older than Lerwick.
We have some free time to walk along the streets of the village and see the historic Scalloway Castle. The fortress was built in around 1600 by the Earl Patrick Stewart, a cruel, yet powerful nobleman who pressed the local population into forced labour. He was later executed in Edinburgh in 1615.
The next stage is dedicated to the symbol of Shetland: the pony. We stop at Carol's Ponies, a breeding farm where we can photograph these magnificent animals and learn more about them.
We continue our discovery of Shetland's Mainland, heading north past the charmingly Loch of Tingwall with Norse Heritage.
We then arrive at Wormadale Hill. We'll drive up the hill to admire the spectacular views over Whiteness Voe, one of the many inlets along the coast of Shetland, and Stormfirth, a small, rural village.
We return to the ship in Lerwick at the end of the excursion.

Good to know

Places on this excursion are limited. We recommend booking early.
We recommend wearing comfortable shoes.
Scalloway Castle is currently closed and covered in scaffolding.