Shetland Mini-Cruise, Aberdeen and Royal Deeside

From your local joining points we travel to our convenient overnight hotel in the north of England.

Our journey north continues through the Scottish borders. We break our journey in the handsome city of Dundee, famous for its comic book publishing but now home to the superb V&A. In Aberdeen we check in for two nights at the Park Inn.

Day at leisure in Aberdeen. The 'Granite City' is a delight, with attractive civic buildings and beaches at the nearby coast.

We leave the Park Inn, exploring charming Speyside, famed over the world for its whisky production. We visit Speyside Cooperage to learn about the craft and manufacture of hand-made whisky barrels, followed by a tour of one of Speyside's distilleries. Our tour concludes, of course, with a 'wee dram' of one of the region's crisp malts. Back in Aberdeen we board MV Hrossey or MV Hjaltland. Sit back, relax, taste locally-sourced food at dinner, then enjoy the ship's facilities, which include a cinema, shops, bars and lounges.

After breakfast we disembark on Shetland, picking up a local guide for a day's touring the mystical isle. More Scandinavian than Scottish in many ways, the Viking heritage is still strong in this world of wild beauty and renowned archaeological sites. We visit remarkable Jarlshof, along with the historic town of Scalloway, plus the capital Lerwick. Keep an eye out for seabird colonies and Shetland ponies as we tour this remote and unspoilt outpost of these islands. We rejoin the ship in Lerwick. Settle into your cabins as we set sail back overnight towards Aberdeen.

Disembarking in Aberdeen after breakfast we venture towards the Highlands, exploring pretty Royal Deeside. We visit Braemar, home of the famous Highland Games, and Balmoral*, Scottish home of the Royal Family. We spend a night in Aberdeen at the Park Inn. *If the Royal Family is in residence and Balmoral doesn't open to the public we will make an alternative visit.

We drive from Aberdeen southwards along the stunning coastline, calling at Edinburgh for some free time. Our final night is spent at a hotel in the north of England.

Return home.