Lying
at the very edge of Europe, the islands of the
Inner and Outer Hebrides share a rugged natural
beauty, with unspoilt beaches, plentiful wildlife
and a unique culture and traditions. The northern
archipelagos of Orkney and Shetland share many
of these qualities and supplement them with some
of the most fascinating and, at times, awesome
archaeological sites in Europe, found in the burial
mounds, stones circles and settlements of the
earliest peoples.
The islands' Norse heritage is evident. As a reminder
of Shetland's Scandinavian past, every year the
festival, Up Helly Aa, features a procession of
a thousand torch-carrying revellers, a squad of
Vikings in horned helmets and a longship, dragged
through the streets of Lerwick, before its ceremonial
burning. There's more than a hint of myth and
history in this extraordinary celebration.
Today's invasions although tend to be from the
thousands of birds and other wildlife that make
their home in these magical isles.
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View Bed and Breakfast in Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides Scotland
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