Orkney & Shetland Explorer 2026

Duration

8 Days

Departure Dates

12th May 2026, 16th June 2026, 14th July 2026, 8th September 2026

Prices from

£2,285 Per person

Similar tours are available in the following categories:

Experience the peace, tranquillity, and natural beauty of the picturesque islands of Orkney and Shetland. Discover spectacular scenery, amazing wildlife, and fascinating settlements in Orkney, explore the rich history and archaeology of the Shetland Isle, and touch the top of the country at John O'Groats plus enjoy time to explore the beautiful cities of Aberdeen and Inverness.

Overview
Itinerary
Further Information
Departure Dates
Helpful Links

Aberdeen ©iStock

8 days from £2,285

DEPARTS

Tuesday 12 May 2026

Tuesday 16 June 2026

Tuesday 14 July 2026

Tuesday 8 September 2026

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Discover the ‘Granite City’ of Aberdeen on a guided tour
Tour the idyllic Shetland Isle and discover its Viking past at Jarlshof
See the beautiful Shetland Ponies
Visit the fascinating Italian Chapel, Skaill House, and Skara Brae in Orkney
Discover rich archaeology and history
Marvel at the fantastic seascape coastline of the Far North
Touch the top of the country at John O’Groats
Explore the picture-postcard town of Pitlochry
Enjoy free time to explore Inverness

Also included in your Tour Fare:

7 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal
Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

DAY 1

Journey from your home station to Aberdeen and, on arrival, we will make our way to the Malmaison Hotel, our hotel for the next two nights. We enjoy free time to explore our new surroundings before meeting for our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

After a leisurely breakfast, we depart for our orientation of Aberdeen taking in the spectacular scenery at Dunnottar Castle followed by a panoramic tour visiting the highlights of the city including the fishing village of Footdee, Union Terrace Gardens, and Duthie Park. We will discover the historic Old Town, the castellated Citadel at The Castlegate, and the striking University Quarter before returning to the hotel in time for our evening meal.

B, D

DAY 3

Today, we enjoy free time in Aberdeen before travelling by road to meet and board our NorthLink ship for our overnight journey to Lerwick. We enjoy our evening meal on board before retiring to our en-suite cabins.

B, D

DAY 4

After breakfast this morning, we disembark and step into an entrancing mixture of history with amazing flora and fauna on our guided tour of Shetland. More Scandinavian than Scottish in many ways, the Viking heritage is still strong in this world of magnificent wild beauty, steeped with internationally renowned archaeological sites. We visit the remarkable Jarlshof, the historic town of Scalloway, and the capital Lerwick, discovering fantastic seabird colonies, and the famous Shetland ponies. This evening, we enjoy our meal back on-board our ship as we sail to Orkney arriving late evening where we check-in to the Kirkwall Hotel, our hotel for the next two nights.

B, D

DAY 5

Today, we enjoy a guided tour of Orkney including a visit to the mystical ancient settlement of Skara Brae, uncovered by a storm in 1850 and older than Stonehenge. We will visit Skaill House, the finest mansion on the island, the awe-inspiring Ring of Brodgar stone circle, and the Churchill Barriers before heading to the Italian Chapel which was built by Italian prisoners during WWII. After a day of exploring this region of natural beauty, we return to the hotel in time for our evening meal together.

B, D

DAY 6

After breakfast, we board the ferry to Scrabster sailing past the impressive red stone sea-stack of the Old Man of Hoy, at 450ft, one of the UK's tallest sea stacks. We continue our journey by coach to the most northerly point of the mainland, John O'Groats, before travelling along the lovely coastal route through to Pitlochry. On arrival, we check-in to the Fishers Hotel, our hotel for the next two nights, and enjoy our evening meal together.

B, D

DAY 7

Today, we spend the day at leisure to relax at the hotel, explore Pitlochry, or discover Inverness at your own pace with our included return rail ticket. You may wish to explore the iconic castles of Inverness, visit the magnificent cathedral church, or take an excursion to spot the Loch Ness Monster. This evening, we reconvene at the hotel and enjoy our final evening meal together.

B, D

DAY 8

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Pitlochry and make our way to the station for our homeward journeys.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

HOTELS

Malmaison Hotel, Aberdeen

Ideally located in the heart of the Granite City and nestled in an impressive 19th-century granite mansion, the Malmaison Hotel offers contemporary dining in the Malmaison Bar & Grill, a stylish bar, and a luxurious spa. The unique bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom with a power shower and complimentary toiletries, a hairdryer, flat-screen TV, ironing facilities, free Wi-Fi, and tea/coffee making facilities.

NorthLink Ferries

NorthLink’s modern vessels boast relaxing bars, lounges, and restaurants plus well-stocked shops with a range of crafts and produce. The comfortable cabins provide en-suite facilities, a hairdryer, flat-screen TV, and tea/coffee making facilities.

Kirkwall Hotel, Kirkwall

Located on Kirkwall’s picturesque harbour front, the Victorian Kirkwall Hotel offers a recently refurbished and stylish Harbour View Restaurant serving excellent local produce plus the new, relaxing Highland Park Bar. The characterful bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom, flat-screen TV, ironing facilities, free Wi-Fi, and tea/coffee making facilities.

Fishers Hotel, Pitlochry

Situated in the heart of picturesque Pitlochry with the railway station conveniently accessible through the hotel gardens, the Fishers Hotel offers a bright, spacious restaurant, relaxing bars, elegant lounge areas, and an outside seating area in the lovely gardens. The comfortable bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom, flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, and tea/coffee making facilities.

FARES

Fare Region	First*	Standard
London: Kings Cross	£2,615	£2,469
Greater London	£2,639	£2,479
South of England	£2,685	£2,505
East Anglia	£2,679	£2,499
South West	£2,819	£2,589
Heart of England	£2,685	£2,499
Midlands	£2,669	£2,485
Yorkshire	£2,579	£2,449
North East	£2,519	£2,415
North West	£2,609	£2,455
South Wales	£2,745	£2,539
North Wales	£2,659	£2,489
Scotland	£2,425	£2,369
Join & Leave at Hotels	£2,295
Single Traveller Supplement	£750
Deposit	£230

*Please Note: Some local and regional train services are Standard Class seating only and First Class ticket holders will travel in standard class accommodation for these sections of their journey.

£10 tour discount for holders of National Railcards

June Departure Supplement £70

July & September Departure Supplement £100

7 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal

Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class)

Rail & coach travel, with transfers as described

All excursions & admissions as detailed

Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

Important – Please select the number of passengers before proceeding to ‘Book Now’

Number of passengers:

Date	From Price	Book Now	Callback
12th May 2026	£2,285 Per person	Book Now	Callback
16th June 2026	£2,355 Per person	Book Now	Callback
14th July 2026	£2,385 Per person	Book Now	Callback
8th September 2026	£2,385 Per person	Book Now	Callback

Can't see a date that suits you? Please register your interest for additional departures on this tour.

Register interest

Enter your details to receive updates on upcoming departure dates for the Orkney & Shetland Explorer 2026 rail tour.

Malmaison Hotel, Aberdeen

NorthLink Ferries

Kirkwall Hotel, Kirkwall

Fishers Hotel, Pitlochry

NorthLink Ferry ©Shutterstock

Lerwick, Shetland ©Shutterstock

Shetland Isle ©Shutterstock

Shetland Ponies ©Shutterstock

Jarlshof ©AdobeStock

Scalloway Castle ©Shutterstock

Churchill Barriers, Orkney ©Shutterstock

What our customers say

Sounds like the holiday for you?

View Dates and Book

Why Book with Railtrail

Railtrail Tours is a family firm with an ethos of honesty and integrity. Our passion for delivering quality escorted holidays by rail at great value fares along with consistently excellent customer service has stood us in good stead for over 40 years – Big on Quality, Small Enough to Care

Unique Experiences

Our tours are unique to us, created by our team of rail travel experts who each have a lifetime of knowledge and experience in the rail holiday industry

Financial Protection

Railtrail Tours are members of ABTOT and ATOL, meaning you can relax knowing that you are fully protected when booking any holiday with us.

Loyalty Rewards

For every pound spent you will receive Loyalty Points on return from your holiday, which can then be used as a discount on future bookings.

Award Winning Team

We were proudly awarded Silver at the British Travel Awards for ‘Best Small Travel Company for Rail Holidays’ in 2024.

More about us

Destinations

Tour Types

Orkney & Shetland Explorer 2026

Register interest

What our customers say

Sounds like the holiday for you?

Why Book with Railtrail

Unique Experiences

Financial Protection

Loyalty Rewards

Award Winning Team