Beautiful weather and calm seas from the Norwegian Coast over to the Shetland Islands. We arrived in Lerwick for an afternoon tour culminating in a visit to the archaeological site of Jarlshof. It's a complicated site, with evidence of prehistoric dwellings ranging from the Neolithic to Viking periods. With an overnight in Lerwick, everyone had the opportunity to spend an evening ashore in the town with some opting for local Shetland fiddle music and dancing in the Community Hall.

Early the next morning the Zodiacs were landing guests at Moussa Broch, the largest Iron Age fortification of its kind in Scotland. The naturalists led many to the opposite side of the island for spectacular views of gray seals. We made an evening cruise along the cliffs of Hoy and were able to see the rock stack known as the "Old Man of Hoy" during dinner, before coming alongside in Stromness.

We started out early for our morning tour of Orkney visiting the Ring of Brodgar (see photo), a Bronze Age lunar monument; Maes Howe burial chamber, with its Viking Rune graffiti; the Neolithic village of Skara Brae; and the red sandstone St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall. Some people even found time to shop or stop for tea in the narrow streets of Kirkwall. During lunch, we set sail for our final stop of this voyage, Edinburgh, Scotland.