back as the sounds of the waves smashing against the shore and calling gulls fills the air. The islands are also home to some of the most adorable four-legged creatures you’ll ever meet, the diminutive and wavy-fringed, Shetland Ponies who roam the hills and reach a maximum size of 42 inches.
Lesen Sie mehr Don't be fooled, though, they are amongst the strongest and toughest of all breeds. Their existence here points to Viking history, as local horses bred with ponies brought ashore by Norse settlers, creating the lovable crossbreed that is an icon of these islands today.
The towering Broch of Mousa is perhaps Europe’s best-preserved Iron Age building - and one of the Shetland's finest brochs - a series of round, stone towers, believed to have been constructedalive with arts and culture.
Surrounded by the Cairngorms Mountains’ sepia-hues – and the North Sea’s windswept coastline - Aberdeen was forged by the granite quarried from its earth. Local stone is everywhere from the Houses of Parliament to Waterloo Bridge – but arguably the finest examples of the material’s beauty are in the city itself. The barnacled spikes of Marischal College - the world's second largest granite building – and the grand turreted masonry of the Town House leave a lasting impression.
Lesen Sie mehr Johnston Gardens add some colour to the city’s canvas, and you'll often spot wedding dresses floating among the blooming rhododendrons and ornate bridges.
Aberdeen Maritime Museum takes visitors on a voyage through the region’s seafaring heritage, and North Sea oil exploration. Stop for a coffee