Combining Orkney and Shetland into one private tour from Inverness
Orkney and Shetland are two of Scotland's most remarkable island groups, one shaped by five thousand years of Neolithic settlement, the other by the sea and centuries of Norse tradition. Combining both into a single continuous 7 day private tour is entirely possible, and for guests with the time, it is one of the most rewarding trips I guide. It does, however, come with one significant travel catch worth knowing about in advance: the late-night boarding time for the overnight crossing between Orkney and Shetland.
Rather than a standalone product, this is an extended combination built from two of my existing private tours – 4 Day Orkney and Highlands Private Tour and 5 Day Shetland and Highlands Private Tour – merged together into a 7 Day Orkney, Shetland and Highlands Tour from Inverness.
Following the standard Orkney tour for the first three days, we then transit north to Shetland for a further three days of discovery before returning via an overnight ferry to Aberdeen and on to Inverness on the seventh day.
How the two overnight ferries work
This tour uses two overnight sailings, one in each direction, and they feel quite different. There is no daytime ferry heading north from Orkney to Shetland, so the only crossing is the overnight sailing from Kirkwall to Lerwick. The return to the mainland is the overnight sailing from Lerwick to Aberdeen.
The return is the easy one. We normally depart Lerwick at either 5.30pm or 7pm, so you board at a sociable hour after a full day in Shetland, settle into your cabin and enjoy an evening at sea. The northbound crossing is where the late-night boarding comes in, which I explain below.
What is the catch?
There is one significant travel factor to consider with this tour. It is not the crossing itself that is the challenge, as private en-suite cabins can make for a comfortable night (weather permitting). Rather, it is the late-night boarding. On Day 3 in Orkney, we tour as normal through the day and you enjoy an evening meal in Kirkwall, before we take a final scenic drive to reach the ferry queue by around 10pm. The ship docks around 11pm and we are generally boarded by 11.45pm and settled into our cabins by midnight, ready for the 7.30am arrival into Lerwick the following morning.
In addition, while ferry cancellations are uncommon during the touring season, island weather and sea conditions can occasionally lead to operational delays, and this may push the overnight boarding time even later than the usual 11.45pm slot.
Is this still an unhurried tour?
Apart from the late-night boarding on Day 3, this combination keeps the same pace as all of my tours: plenty of time at each site, no rushing between stops, and days built around your comfort rather than a rigid schedule. After the late night, our first day in Shetland always finishes by mid-afternoon so you can settle in and relax in Lerwick.
7 Day Orkney, Shetland and Highlands Private Tour
This is a special extended journey combining Orkney’s extraordinary archaeology and heritage with Shetland’s distinctive Norse history and dramatic northern landscapes. It is not one of my six standard tours, but a bespoke itinerary I can arrange for guests with the time and flexibility to explore both island groups – and who are comfortable with one important practical consideration: the late-night boarding for the overnight ferry from Orkney to Shetland.
What's Included
- Private tour for your group only (1, 2 or 3 persons)
- An experienced driver-guide and historian (John Alasdair Macdonald)
- A comfortable tour vehicle with good visibility and generous legroom
- All ferry tickets (I take care of all ferry bookings)
- All taxes and fees
What's Excluded
The tour price does not include your accommodation costs, overnight ferry cabin costs, entrance fees, meals and refreshments.
Tour Itinerary
- Day 1: Inverness to Orkney — Drive north via Dornoch and the scenic Caithness coast to Scrabster, then cross the Pentland Firth to Stromness. Visit Skara Brae, the remarkable 5,000-year-old Neolithic village, before continuing to Kirkwall for the night.
- Day 2: Orkney — Explore Maeshowe, the Stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar and Broch of Gurness, followed by the Italian Chapel and Churchill Barriers.
- Day 3: Orkney — Discover Orkney's dramatic coastline, Birsay and the Gloup, with time in Kirkwall or an optional distillery visit. Alternatively, explore Scapa Flow and Hoy's Scapa Flow Museum and Rackwick Bay. After dinner, board the 11.45pm overnight ferry to Shetland.
- Day 4: Shetland (South Mainland) — Arrive in Lerwick and explore Sumburgh Head's seabird cliffs, the archaeological treasures of Jarlshof and the striking sand tombolo at St Ninian's Isle.
- Day 5: Shetland (Isle of Unst) — Travel via Yell to Unst, Scotland's most northerly inhabited island. Discover Muness Castle, Burra Firth and views towards Muckle Flugga lighthouse from Saxa Vord before returning to Lerwick.
- Day 6: Shetland (North Mainland) — Visit the dramatic cliffs and sea stacks of Eshaness, historic Scalloway, the connected islands of Burra and the Shetland Museum in Lerwick, before boarding the overnight ferry to the mainland.
- Day 7: Aberdeen to Inverness — Arrive in Aberdeen around 7am, then travel via Elgin Cathedral and local Pictish stones. Back in Inverness, explore the ancient cairns and standing stones of Clava Cairns and finish with a guided visit to Culloden Battlefield.
How do I book the tour?
The first step is simply to email me directly – info@thehebrideanexplorer.com – with your preferred travel dates. I will then reply with availability and a detailed tour quotation (with absolutely no obligation to proceed at this stage).