Shetlands, Faroe Islands & Iceland

Your Viking voyage will begin in Bergen, where after having arrived independently you will make your way to the port to board your expedition vessel. We recommend arriving in Bergen a day or 2 early to sample the city’s charming culture and history including a stroll around the historic UNESCO-listed Bryggen district. After you have settled in to your comfortable cabin and familiarised yourself with your new surroundings, we will set sail towards Værlandet/Bulandet. Some time on deck will reward in beautiful scenery as we sail.

The first stop on our adventure will be in the westernmost archipelago of Norway where we will attempt numerous landings throughout the day at Værlandet/Bulandet and Atløy/Nærvik. Our day will be spent exploring around the most interesting sites in the archipelago including an optional hike up the mountain on the island of Alden that is commonly referred to as the “Norwegian Horse”.

Later in the afternoon we will get back on board to sail west from Værlandet towards the Shetland Islands. As we sail your informative lecture programme will keep you entertained, and some time on deck should reward with sightings of the rare white-tailed sea eagles that are often spotted in this area.

As we reach Scotland this morning our first stop will be Lerwick, Scotland’s northernmost town and the main port of the Shetland Islands. This bustling seaport was founded as a fishing port in the 17th century and has a delightful waterfront which is a hive of activity for visiting yachts and working fishing boasts. The area is also home to some of the Shetland’s most picturesque scenery, and a pleasant walk around the area will bring you to an extraordinary concentration of archaeological sites, including two remarkable Iron Age villages. Accompanied by your expert crew you can spend the day here enjoying all that this scenic and historically significant area has to offer.

Having discovered the Shetland Islands, today will take us to another equally scenic group of islands, the Orkney Islands. We will arrive at Kirkwall, the Orkney’s largest town and capital, to explore around one of the most attractive and well-preserved small towns in Scotland. During your time here you can see the famous St. Magnus Cathedral which dominates the town’s landscape and learn all about the historic settlements that once would have been found here. The first mention of a settlement here is in a saga from 1046, and the name Kirkwall derives from the Norse `Kirkjuvagr´ (Church Bay). A local saga tells the story of how Magnus, kidnaped from the islands, refused to fight with the Vikings or condone their violence. Magnus eventually returned home, only to be put to death for his pacifism, and the church was named for his memory.

Over the course of the next four days we will be exploring around the beautiful Faroe Islands, with our first stop being Tórshavn, the capital of the islands and one of the smallest capitals in the world. Having been founded in the 10th century, it is thought to also possibly be one of the oldest capitals in northern Europe.

The Faroe Islands are a group of 18 isles that lie in the middle of the North Atlantic, halfway between the Shetland Islands and Iceland, and Tórshavn will offer a great introduction to this relatively remote and strikingly scenic archipelago. The town is a charming blend of old and new, with administrative buildings subtly dotted between beautiful old houses in nearly every colour you could imagine.

We will spend a day exploring around Tórshavn with our second day here being dedicated to a unique nature landing that will be coordinated by your experienced captain and expedition leader.

As we continue our exploration of the Faroe Islands, today will bring us to Eiði, a large fishing village with just over 600 inhabitants. Here we will discover all about Eiði’s fascinating history, including how it was settled by Vikings in the 9th century. There will also be ample opportunities for walks and hikes including a short walk that takes in the 343-metre-high promontory of Eiðiskollur, rewarding with commanding views of Atlantic breakers crashing on the rocks below.

Today will be a special day for the birding enthusiasts amongst us as we visit the beautiful island of Mykines. Formed about 60 million years ago, Mykines’ soft volcanic turf and eroded basalt landscape offer the perfect nesting conditions for an abundance of bird species, giving way to some of the richest bird cliffs in the world. The wildlife population here vastly outweighs the human population, with the island’s 12 human residents sharing this remarkable island with about 1200 sheep and countless birds! A walk around the area should reward in sightings of Atlantic puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes and northern fulmars amongst much more.

Leaving the beautiful Faroe Islands behind, today will be spent at sea sailing towards Iceland and the last stop of our journey. As we sail you can enjoy the continuation of your entertaining and informative lecture and talks programme, and spend some time on deck looking out for seabirds and marine wildlife. This is also a great time to simply relax after the adventures you will have had so far, collate your photos and prepare for your time in Iceland.

Welcome to Iceland! Spectacular Heimaey is the largest of the Westman Islands and will be the last stop on our expedition. Our historian experts will accompany us here as we explore this island which is known as “Iceland’s Pompeii” due to an unexpected volcanic eruption in 1973 which forced the entire population of the island to evacuate and set sail to mainland Iceland. The eruption caused substantial damage, with a large number of buildings being buried underneath the ash and lava, and many being completely destroyed. A number of buildings have since been unearthed and restored and there is now a fascinating museum, Eldheimar, which has been built around the remains of one of the homes.

Located off the south coast of Iceland, the Westman Islands are dominated by magnificent cliffs which form the natural habitats for many different seabirds, including puffins and kittiwakes, and are also a great place for whale watching.

Arrival into Reykjavik will sadly signal the end of our thoroughly enjoyable cruise, and after breakfast it will be time to disembark and bid a fond farewell to our expedition team. There are numerous optional post-voyage excursions available in this unique city, an early Viking settlement that today has become the modern capital of Iceland. These include an exciting Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon excursion, and please feel free to ask for more details on these.