This Harvard Alumni Travel trip on June 26 – July 2 is the perfect opportunity to explore Scotland’s Northern Isles on foot and discover their wealth of geological, archaeological, and natural sites in a glorious setting. Their rocks tell the whole story, spanning almost three billion years. Orkney is a place of open skies, rounded hills, beautiful beaches, and well-kept farms. Beneath many of today’s modern farms are the remains of Viking farms and, beneath that, layers of occupation stretching even further back in time. Shetland is an archipelago of islands 100 miles north of the Scottish mainland. It enjoys almost 24 hours of daylight during the summer, which brings a quality of light that is quite unlike anywhere else in Scotland. Both archipelagos also have an amazing wealth of archaeological sites and nature lovers are drawn because of the abundance of wild flowers, birds, and marine wildlife. The study leader will be Daniel Lord Small, the Frank B. Baird, Jr. Professor of History. Proposed lecture themes include Orkney and Shetland in Deep History, New Light on the Neolithic, and The Viking Age. As the global situation regarding COVID-19 continues to develop, so do University precautions and protocols. Harvard is currently allowing fully vaccinated faculty and staff to travel within the United States and to international destinations rated Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 for COVID-19 by the U.S. (CDC).

While many scheduled trip destinations currently may be Level 4, the CDC ratings remain influx, changing daily. Since group travel is planned far in advance, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to confirm your study leader’s participation before cancellation fees begin for your program, but we remain hopeful the destinations offered will fall within the bounds of University protocols to send faculty. This trip is Activity Level 4. Participants should be reasonably fit and hikes will be up to six miles per day, sometimes uphill with up to 800 feet of ascent, and over uneven ground. Terrain will be varied: open and rough moorland, hill, and coastal cliff tops. There are no high mountains but the tops of hills will have sub-Arctic climate—and even the low level walks will be exposed to weather from the Atlantic and the North Sea. Some hikes are in remote places with no public conveniences available. Lunches will be packed on most days and will be eaten outside during hikes. Complete information is available at www.alumni.harvard.edu