Vacation Scotland

Hiking Adventures

The islands of Scotland, set in the wild seas north and northwest of the country are famous for their isolation and beauty. Accessible by regular mainline ferries from the larger coastal cities as well as local boats from small towns on the mainland, touring for one to the next is easily arranged.

The island archipelagos of Scotland are a world apart from the mainland, with their economies mainly dependent on fishing and hiking adventure trails. The largest town in the Shetlands, Lerwick, has 7,000 residents and is the heart of this island group with its charming buildings and traditional lifestyle. Birders come here for the towering cliffs crowded with North Atlantic bird life.

The Orkney Islands, inhabited for thousands of years and with an interesting Viking heritage, are strong on culture as well as natural beauty. Hiking adventure trails include nature parks and wild beaches with crashing North Atlantic waves. Full details of the Orkneys and the rest of the islands of Scotland are easily downloaded from vacation-scotland.co.uk.

Far to the north and closer to Norway than to mainland Scotland are the Hebrides with their magnificent mountainous landscapes, lush verdant grasslands and stunning vistas, when it's not raining! A number of the most spectacular beaches on the planet are here, becoming famous amongst surfers. The Northern Lights are often seen here.

For details of ferries and trip planning, check out the specialist site at vacation-scotland.co.uk. It's possible to buy a CalMac Island Rover ticket enabling unlimited ferry travel for eight or 15 days, allowing the freedom to travel from island to island in the main chains. For travel between the Orkneys and Shetland, municipal ferries are available.