Scotland
Scotland certainly has many treasures crammed into its compact territory. There’s something for all tastes. For the history buff, few cities compare with Edinburgh and Glasgow; for the hungry, try haggis if you must but don’t miss the Aberdeen Angus beef or smoked salmon from Dumfries & Galloway or, for the thirsty, the peerless malt whiskies of the Isle of Islay or Oban await. There is wild mountain scenery of the Highlands & Northern Islands and cold, sparkling seas washing against the Outer Hebrides. Wildlife watchers will find otters, eagles, whales and dolphins, while hill walkers have almost 300 Munros to bag.
From castles to zoos, museums to art galleries, Scotland boasts a large number of quality visitor attractions. Whether you are touring the country, taking in a sight or two on a short break, or enjoying a day out with the family, Scotland has the perfect place for you to visit.
Scotland is widely acknowledged as the ‘Home of Golf’ and boasts some of the best, most challenging and most beautiful courses in the world.
Enjoy a Single Malt whiskey tasting. Experience for yourself the varying aromas and whether you like fruity, sweet or smoky flavors.
North Rovers offers tailor made journeys to Scotland as a single destination or in connection with the neighboring islands.
Faroe Islands
The forgotten Faeroes are just a short flight from the UK, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, yet they’re way off the standard traveler radar. Adrift in the frothing swells of the north Atlantic, this mysterious 18-piece jigsaw puzzle of islands is at once ancient and very modern. Multicolored cottages and grass-roofed wooden churches add focus to the grandly stark, treeless moorlands. Timeless networks of cairn-marked footpaths crisscross craggy layer-cake mountains. But even the tiniest once-inaccessible hamlets are now linked by a remarkable series of road-tunnels. And even as you bob around the dramatic fjords on a 70-year-old wooden sloop, your mobile phone is never likely to lose its signal.
The Faroe Islands have close traditional ties with Iceland, Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides. According to Irish missionary Brendan, Celtic monks were already living in eremitic seclusion on the Faeroes by the 6th century. Their isolation was ended from around AD800 when the first Norse farmers arrived. The farmers’ independence dwindled with the often forceful imposition of Christianity, and the isles became part of the Kingdom of Norway in 1035.
The Faroe Islands were politically associated with Denmark in 1380, when Norway entered the Kalmar Union with Denmark, which gradually evolved into Danish control of the islands, but this association ceased in 1814. The Faroe Islands have been an autonomous province of Denmark since 1948. Over the years, the Faroese have been granted control of most matters.
North Rovers offers tailor made journeys to The Faroe Islands as a single destination or in connection with Iceland or other neighboring islands.
Shetland
The rugged and remote Shetland Islands – a collection of mighty, wind-ravaged clumps of brown and green earth rising from the frigid waters of the North Sea – are Scotland’s northerly outpost and feel miles away from anywhere. Mainland is the biggest island with over 100 windswept and virtually treeless islands making up the archipelago. Far more desolate and cut off than Orkney, the light here is even more changeable than on mainland Scotland. Different parts of the island are variously illuminated at any given hour – the window for that perfect photo can be short. The setting is still uniquely Scottish, though, with deep, naked glens flanked by steep hills, twinkling and sky-blue lochs and, of course, sheep with no comprehension of the ‘right of way’ on roads.
The islands’ far-flung location is belied by the activity and charisma of the capital, Lerwick, causing you to forget the 60-plus oceanic miles between you and the mainland. But once you’re outside the humming capital, the isolation sweeps you off your feet – frequent thundering gales thrash across the raw landscape and Mother Nature whips up the wild Atlantic into whitecap frenzies that smash into imposing coastal cliffs.
Officially part of the United Kingdom, the Shetland Islands are certainly Scottish but are not part of the 'tartan culture' of Scotland, and instead have their own special identity. Gaelic is not spoken anywhere in Shetland but instead there are strong remnants of a unique Shetland dialect which is closely related to both 'Auld Scots' and the ancient 'Norn' language that pervaded the North Sea countries of Norway, Denmark, Shetland, Faroe and Iceland in Viking times. Indeed Shetland only became part of Scotland in 1469 when King Christian of Denmark pledged the islands as a dowry for his daughter on her marriage to King James III of Scotland.
A quarter of a million puffins that come back every year can't be wrong! So much to see and do - however long or short your stay you will always want to come back for more of Shetland's spectacular scenery, environment and heritage.
North Rovers offers tailor made journeys to Shetland as a single destination or in connection with other Scottish islands.
Orkney
The Orkney Islands are located off the northern tip of Scotland where the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet. Orkney is an archipelago of 70 or so islands and currently 21 of them are inhabited.
The population of the islands is around 20,000 people, with approx 7,600 in capital of Kirkwall and 2,100 in the second largest town of Stromness.
Orkney covers an area of 974 square kilometres, with more than half being taken up by the Mainland of Orkney. The islands are about 85km (53 miles) from north to south and 37km (23 miles) from east to west.
The quiet sandy beaches, stunning scenery, abundance of wildlife, fresh quality cuisine and warm welcoming hospitality make these islands an ideal place for relaxing or an action-packed holiday.
Not forgetting Orkney’s fascinating history, with 5,000 years of culture, there is history around every corner. Wherever you are, you can literally touch the past as you run your hand across rock hewn thousands of years ago.
Orkney also has a vibrant contemporary culture. Throughout the year there are festivals and events ranging from the magical midsummer St Magnus Festival to the annual agricultural shows and sporting events, including Orkney’s very own Ba’ and, of course, the islands’ varied craft industry continues through all seasons.
North Rovers offers tailor made journeys to Orkney as a single destination or in connection with other Scottish islands.
Ireland
Ireland is a nation of fascinating stories, beautifully lush and rugged landscapes, and a charming and deliciously funny national character. The northern position of the country means that the inhabitants are frequently plunged into persistent darkness or long-lasting sunny days. In fact, the nation’s history has been similarly extreme; though the Irish people lived through decades of violence and poverty at the hands of the British Empire, Ireland has now emerged as a prosperous and flourishing country. In particular, the rich cultural heritage of Ireland, from James Joyce to George Bernard Shaw to U2, cannot be disregarded.
The capital city, Dublin, is both cosmopolitan and inviting, with endless opportunities for sightseeing and socializing. In rural areas, particularly in the west, the landscape is rocky, overwhelmingly lovely, and, of course, stunningly green.
The Irish are amiable and welcoming people, and unlike in many countries, visitors to Ireland will find it easy to make friends with the local people. Though Ireland attracts many travelers, its appeal isn’t kitchsy or false. In fact, Ireland’s down-to-earth charm is utterly genuine.
North Rovers offers tailor made journeys to Ireland as a single destination or in connection with neighboring countries.
Isle of Man
Mainlanders have long suspected the Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin in Manx) of being an odd place, full of weird island folk and their quirky ways. As ‘evidence’ they’ll point to the island’s reputation as a tax haven for wealthy Brits and its summer season of Tourist Trophy (TT) motorbike racing, which every May and June attracts around 50, 000 petrol heads. Hardly case closed.
Chances are that those same mainlanders have never actually seen the lush valleys, barren hills and rugged coastlines of what is a surprisingly beautiful island. Perfect for walking, cycling, driving or just relaxing, this is a place that doggedly refuses to sell itself down the river of crass commercialism and mass tourism. Needless to say, if you want a slice of silence, be sure to avoid the TT races, which turn the place into a high-rev bike fest.
Home to the world’s oldest continuous parliament, the Isle of Man enjoys special status in Britain, and its annual parliamentary ceremony honours the thousand year history of the Tynwald (a Scandinavian word meaning ‘meeting field’). Douglas, the capital, is a run-down relic of Victorian tourism with fading B&Bs. The tailless Manx cat and the four-horned Loghtan sheep are unique to the Isle.
North Rovers offers tailor made journeys to Isle of Man as a single destination or in connection with neighboring islands.
The Outer Hebridise
A professor of Spanish and a professor of Gaelic met at a conference and began discussing the relative merits of their respective languages. ‘Tell me, ’ said the Spanish professor, ‘do you have a Gaelic equivalent for the Spanish phrase mañana, mañana?’ The Hebridean professor thought for a while, then replied, ‘No, I do not think that we have in Gaelic a word that conveys such a pressing sense of urgency’.
An old joke perhaps, but one that hints at the slower pace of life you can expect to find in the Gaelic-speaking communities of the Outer Hebrides, a place where the morning papers arrive in the afternoon and almost everything – in Lewis and Harris at least – closes down on Sundays.
The Outer Hebrides – also known as the Western Isles, or Na h-Eileanan an Iar in Gaelic – are a 130-mile-long string of islands lying off the northwest coast of Scotland. There are 119 islands in total, of which the five main inhabited islands are: Lewis and Harris (two parts of a single island, although often described as if they are separate islands), North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Barra. The middle three (often referred to simply as ‘the Uists’) are connected by road-bearing causeways.
The ferry crossing from Ullapool or Uig to the Western Isles marks an important cultural divide – more than a third of Scotland’s registered crofts are in the Outer Hebrides, and no less than 60% of the population are Gaelic speakers. The rigours of life in the old island blackhouses (low-walled stone cottages with turf roofs and earthen floors) are still within living memory.
Religion still plays a prominent part in public and private life, especially in the Protestant north where shops and pubs close their doors on Sundays and some accommodation providers prefer guests not to arrive or depart on the Sabbath. The Roman Catholic south is a little more relaxed about these things.
The name Hebrides is not Gaelic, and is probably a corruption of Ebudae, the Roman name for the islands. But the alternative derivation from the Norse havbredey – ‘isles at the edge of the sea’ – has a much more poetic ring, alluding to the broad vistas of sky and sea that characterise the islands’ often bleak and treeless landscapes. But there is beauty here too, in the machair (grassy, wildflower-speckleddunes) and dazzling white-sand beaches, majesty in the rugged hills and sprawling lochs, and mystery in the islands’ fascinating past. It’s a past signalled by Neolithic standing stones, Viking place names, deserted crofts and folk memories of the Clearances.
The west coast of Lewis with its prehistoric sites, preserved blackhouses and beautiful beaches are not to be missed. As is Skye, the islands are dotted with arts and crafts studios.
North Rovers offers tailor made journeys to The Outer Hebridise as a single destination or in connection with other Scottish islands.
