Reaching up towards the Arctic Circle, the Orkney and Shetland islands gather into two distinct and very different clusters. The Orkney archipelago lies just a short step north of the Scottish mainland. With the exception of Hoy, which is high and rugged, these islands are mostly low-lying, gently sloping and richly fertile. Sixty miles further north, Shetland is a complete contrast. Ice-sculpted sea inlets cut deep into the land that rises straight out of the water to rugged, heather-coated hills.