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Itinerary
Scottish Islands by Small Ship
8 days - May - From US $ 2,970
DISCLAIMER: All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on local ice and weather conditions and in order to take advantage of opportunities to see wildlife. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises.
The channels between the Scottish Islands will offer an excellent possibility to see minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, and harbor porpoises. Several other cetaceans, including orcas, are also native to these waters.
Day 1: Upon arriving in Aberdeen, famed as the "granite city" and a multiple winner of the Britain in Bloom competition, you will embark for the trip. The lighthouse on Girdle Ness, to the south as the ship reaches the North Sea, was designed by the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson.
Day 2: At Fair Isle, in the Shetlands, you will be welcomed by the 70 or so inhabitants (famed for their knitwear) and walk to the bird observatory. Later, on Mousa, one of the smaller Shetland Islands, you can visit one of the best preserved brochs in Scotland. Brochs are circular stone towers that were probably built by the Picts. During a night excursion, you can watch thousands of storm petrels return to their burrows or crevices. By day you will see grey seals, black guillemots, red-throated divers, arctic skuas and wonderful spring flora.
Day 3: Today, the ship will sail west of Shetland to the small island of Foula, home to the largest colony of great skuas in the northern hemisphere. The island contains small ponds with red-throated divers and spectacular cliffs (The Noup) crowded with nesting seabirds. You will visit arctic tern and skua colonies, as well as call on the islanders, who number only about 30.
Day 4: Out in the Atlantic, to the northwest of Scotland, lie the tiny islands of North Rona and Sula Sgeir. The ship will land at North Rona so you can see the seabird colonies and grey seals. The island was inhabited in the 18th century, and some remains are still visible. Leach's petrels can be heard calling from their nesting burrows in the ruined walls of a small church in the village. Sula Sgeir is the last island in Britain on which gannets are harvested annually, and you can enjoy the spectacular views of its cliffs.
Day 5: Today you can watch and photograph guillemots, razorbills and puffins on the Flannan Islands, a group of small islands to the west of the Outer Hebrides. Later, you will visit Lewis to see the prehistoric stone circle of Callanish, one of the finest in Britain with stones over 3 m (9.84 ft.) tall. There are several smaller stone circles and chambered cairns on the moorland near Callanish.
Day 6: To the west of North Uist lie the St. Kilda group of islands, built of volcanic rock and with cliffs rising to over 400 m (1,312 ft.), the highest in Britain. These cliffs are home to the largest seabird colony in the country. St. Kilda has its own sub-species of birds, mice, and sheep (the Soay, probably brought here by Stone Age man over 5,000 years ago). Until 1930, St. Kilda was inhabited, but then the last of the islanders left, leaving a handful of windswept ruins, though you may visit the military base.
Day 7: Today, the ship will sail to the small islands of Mingulay, Berneray and Pabay, to the south of South Uist, and to a nature reserve with important breeding populations of razorbills, guillemots, black guillemots, puffins, gulmars and shags. There are also five species of gull, all the seabirds attracted by the cliffs and caves that offer safe nesting sites. The islands also have significant historical sites, including the old village on Mingulay which the last islanders left in 1912. The islanders were fishermen and collected the seabirds and eggs for food. They also traded the feathers.
If the weather is poor, the ship will sail to Canna, one of the "Small Isles" of the Inner Hebrides. The island has a tiny agricultural and cattle rearing population. During a walk along the cliff top, you may see golden eagles, white-tailed eagles and peregrine falcons. At the cliff's edge, you may also come across the rare loose-flowered orchids.
Day 8: You will disembark at Oban, a small and cozy harbor town in west Scotland. From there, you will take the train on a marvelous journey through one of the most scenic parts of Scotland to Glasgow, where you will catch your flight home.
Please Note: For the May 21-May 28, 2008 trip, the itinerary will be reversed; you will embark in Oban and the adventure will end in Aberdeen.
The channels between the Scottish Islands will offer an excellent possibility to see minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, and harbor porpoises. Several other cetaceans, including orcas, are also native to these waters.
Day 1: Upon arriving in Aberdeen, famed as the "granite city" and a multiple winner of the Britain in Bloom competition, you will embark for the trip. The lighthouse on Girdle Ness, to the south as the ship reaches the North Sea, was designed by the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson.
Day 2: At Fair Isle, in the Shetlands, you will be welcomed by the 70 or so inhabitants (famed for their knitwear) and walk to the bird observatory. Later, on Mousa, one of the smaller Shetland Islands, you can visit one of the best preserved brochs in Scotland. Brochs are circular stone towers that were probably built by the Picts. During a night excursion, you can watch thousands of storm petrels return to their burrows or crevices. By day you will see grey seals, black guillemots, red-throated divers, arctic skuas and wonderful spring flora.
Day 3: Today, the ship will sail west of Shetland to the small island of Foula, home to the largest colony of great skuas in the northern hemisphere. The island contains small ponds with red-throated divers and spectacular cliffs (The Noup) crowded with nesting seabirds. You will visit arctic tern and skua colonies, as well as call on the islanders, who number only about 30.
Day 4: Out in the Atlantic, to the northwest of Scotland, lie the tiny islands of North Rona and Sula Sgeir. The ship will land at North Rona so you can see the seabird colonies and grey seals. The island was inhabited in the 18th century, and some remains are still visible. Leach's petrels can be heard calling from their nesting burrows in the ruined walls of a small church in the village. Sula Sgeir is the last island in Britain on which gannets are harvested annually, and you can enjoy the spectacular views of its cliffs.
Day 5: Today you can watch and photograph guillemots, razorbills and puffins on the Flannan Islands, a group of small islands to the west of the Outer Hebrides. Later, you will visit Lewis to see the prehistoric stone circle of Callanish, one of the finest in Britain with stones over 3 m (9.84 ft.) tall. There are several smaller stone circles and chambered cairns on the moorland near Callanish.
Day 6: To the west of North Uist lie the St. Kilda group of islands, built of volcanic rock and with cliffs rising to over 400 m (1,312 ft.), the highest in Britain. These cliffs are home to the largest seabird colony in the country. St. Kilda has its own sub-species of birds, mice, and sheep (the Soay, probably brought here by Stone Age man over 5,000 years ago). Until 1930, St. Kilda was inhabited, but then the last of the islanders left, leaving a handful of windswept ruins, though you may visit the military base.
Day 7: Today, the ship will sail to the small islands of Mingulay, Berneray and Pabay, to the south of South Uist, and to a nature reserve with important breeding populations of razorbills, guillemots, black guillemots, puffins, gulmars and shags. There are also five species of gull, all the seabirds attracted by the cliffs and caves that offer safe nesting sites. The islands also have significant historical sites, including the old village on Mingulay which the last islanders left in 1912. The islanders were fishermen and collected the seabirds and eggs for food. They also traded the feathers.
If the weather is poor, the ship will sail to Canna, one of the "Small Isles" of the Inner Hebrides. The island has a tiny agricultural and cattle rearing population. During a walk along the cliff top, you may see golden eagles, white-tailed eagles and peregrine falcons. At the cliff's edge, you may also come across the rare loose-flowered orchids.
Day 8: You will disembark at Oban, a small and cozy harbor town in west Scotland. From there, you will take the train on a marvelous journey through one of the most scenic parts of Scotland to Glasgow, where you will catch your flight home.
Please Note: For the May 21-May 28, 2008 trip, the itinerary will be reversed; you will embark in Oban and the adventure will end in Aberdeen.
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